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Buenos Aires, Argentina – Days 3 – 5

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Yesterday, our friend Kajsa arrived in Buenos Aires so the whole crew is finally together. The weather has been pleasant over the past few days, but today it got sticky wet again. A lot has happened since our last post so I´ll do my best to get you caught up.

After Kajsa arrived and rested for a few hours we spent the afternoon touring the neighborhood of La Boca and viewing the mausoleums in Recoleta Cemetery. La Boca is known for two things in this country. First, it´s home to the Boca Juniors, which according to the locals is the greatest soccer club in Argentina and possibly the world. Everywhere you go vendors are selling their jerseys and they are definitely the talk of the town. Being from the States and not knowing anything about international soccer, I just nod my head and take their word for it.

La Boca is also known for it´s colorful architecture and houses built of sheet metal and low cost parts. Poor immigrants originally settled this part of Buenos Aires and they used the available materials to build their homes. As time progressed, artists moved into these structures and painted the buildings with vibrant colors. It was very touristy but also pretty amazing to see all of the art and people together. Below is a picture of La Boca.

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We also spent part of the day at Recoleta Cemetery. This section of town is where most of the Argentinian elite are laid to rest and it´s very interesting to walk through. Normally, touring a cemetery would not be my idea of an enjoyable afternoon. However, after being in the city for the last 5 days, you see where the city gets many of the names for its streets and buildings. Recoleta is also the resting place for Eva Peron. Her mausoleum was located in a quiet section of the cemetery, but it was abolutely packed with people taking pictures.

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After 5 days in Argentina, I´m starting to learn the things that make this place unique. Today´s theme is ¨what we throw away¨.

1) Garbage – Some of you may know that my family owns a sanitation company in Montana and I spent most of my summers growing up working the family business. I have an appreciation for this work and am impressed by the Argentinians. Garbage is picked up daily in Buenos Aires, which is amazing given the size of the city. Each day, families and stores place their trash on the street in whatever bag they want and there doesn´t appear to be a limit on the amount of trash. The garbage truck drives down the street at about 5 mph without stopping. Two men run parallel to the truck on the sidewalks, pickup the trash, and throw it in the back of the truck in one motion. They continue this process down the street. Picture a centerfielder in baseball charging a ground ball, fielding it, and throwing it to home. This is how they do trash in Buenos Aires and it can be dangerous for pedrestrians. Two nights back I was almost hit by a flying trashbag and then run over by the running trash collector as he dodged past me to get the next load.

2) Recycling – As Shelly puts it, recycling in Buenos Aires is an ¨organic¨ process and it´s ¨by the people¨. Before the running trashmen pick up your daily garbage some of the locals comb through it for glass, plastic, and paper. We think people have staked out their section of the city and know the trash collector´s time schedule because they´re very efficient and organized. It seemed odd the first time we saw this, but it works very well and everything here is recycled.

3) Dog Poop – You´ve heard the phrase ¨sleep with one eye open¨, here you have to walk with one eye on the ground. Everyone in Buenos Aires has a dog, but nobody picks up the mess. I´m not joking when I say there´s a pile about every 10 feet on the sidewalk. We´re constantly dodging them and I´m the designated point person on poop patrol for our group. I´ll usually just point down at the ground and say ¨watch out¨ before Shelly, Nikki, and Kajsa pass by. Our system seems to work well and we haven´t had a misstep yet.

Our first week in Buenos Aires has been amazing and we honestly can´t think of a better place to visit. The food, people, and activities are amazing and I can´t get over how inexpensive things are. We hope everyone is doing well back home and take care.



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6 responses to “Buenos Aires, Argentina – Days 3 – 5”

  1. Kajsa says:

    sounds like you guys are having a great time! Great pictures and descriptions. All of Seattle is mourning the loss of the Seahawks and the Cougs now have a loss.

    Keep up with the info and make sure my wife doesn’t fall in love with some guy named Javier!

    Puck

  2. Mama Cano says:

    Good thing you are on poop patrol Nate, otherwise the girls would just have to buy new shoes cause we all know you never really get the smell out. Luv the updates & pics. Tried calling the house yesterday but the call wouldn’t go thru. Yes I dialed 011 first. Luvs to you all. MC

  3. Tina says:

    Glad you are all having fun! My fav is the poop patrol! We miss you!

  4. Bish says:

    Sounds like you guys are having an amazing time- good luck with the heat and stick! …And do the Tango for me! Loves

  5. admin says:

    Bish – The girls say Speed (i.e. Argentinian Red Bull) + Vodka = FUN!

  6. Kristin says:

    You look like you are having so much fun! Thinking about you often and wishing I was traveling with you! Loves, KC

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