BootsnAll Travel Network



The Days And Nights Are Just Packed

14 December 2005 – 18 December 2005 (Wednesday – Sunday) – Buenos Aires, Argentina

Thanks for giving me the break from updating the blog. I sure needed it!! To those who had been reading or polling… well, forgive me.

I spent the first 2 to 3 days back in Buenos Aires walking around different neighbourhoods all by myself, without any contact with any friends at this point, just breathing, just sensing, just feeling, just thinking. I wanted to recognise this incredible city all over again… by myself.

Majestic statue and ornate lamp-posts

Broken bench...

Gorgeous Aguas Argentinas building along Av. Cordoba

As I had again and again said, this is a city that NEVER sleeps. Never! There are so many activities going on at nearly every street and corner at all times, so much to see and experience and live. I also wore myself out with shopping these days. Yeah, just to get the need out of my system first! Although I wonder if it will ever really ‘get out’, haha!

After a few days, I moved from Pablo’s apartment to Claudia’s (my ex-Hospitality Club host) apartment because Pablo had to leave Buenos Aires for work soon.

I was walking along Av. Corrientes on Friday night when I was shoved a few brochures for theatre shows. Well, why not, although they would speak way too fast for me, I would catch one of these, just to experience the theatre scene of Buenos Aires (the cheaper ones, at least). I selected one ‘diva’ musical show because the actresses handing out the brochures had the most outrageous costumes. I had the most amazing fun that night, guffawing away. Although I did not understand 100% of what was going on, it was just downright funny. And when I tried to make my way home at around 1am, many of the restaurants around here were more than half to completely full. Only in Buenos Aires.

Of course when I returned home to Claudia’s apartment, she still had some friends over at her place, Cintia and Gustavo, and so I stayed up some more and chatted with them til 4am or so.

By Friday morning, I had also contacted Javier and Cristian, 2 Argentine guys whom I met in Fortaleza, Brazil. We had spent a few crazy days together with our host Isabelle, suffering around the beaches up north of Brazil. Gosh, the unbearable things we had to do then… lazed around the beaches, gobbled up damn delicious and cheap lobsters, partied til sunrise.

The boys drove by where I was staying to say ‘hola’ but they could not stay for long as they had to run off to work. Oh, it was so nice to see my little brothers again! They invited me to a bar on Saturday night.

That Saturday night, I arrived at 11pm or so and realised that Javier actually worked at this bar. He introduced me to his friends Yamila and Claudia, but he himself was busy bar-tending. Cristian never showed up. Although complete strangers, Yamila and Claudia were excellent with me, very interested in me and very interesting themselves. I mean, it had happened to me before, when my friend introduced me to his or her friends and then left me with them and everyone just talked amongst themselves as if I did not exist. Well, if this happened, so be it. I did not expect too much from them, for they are not my friends and I am a stranger from a foreign land. But Yamila and Claudia were nice.

Yamila was another semi-witch, this time, one who had self-studied the Mayan Calendar. I later calculated my Mayan sign and learnt that I am a Skywalker. Sounds a little like ‘Star Wars’ but it is exactly what it means – an explorer of time and space and there is more – messenger between Earth and Sky, anxious for peace and harmony, fighter for principles, born of superior mind, blah blah blah. Not sure about the superior mind but the rest does not sound that far from me, haha!

We yakked til 3:30am or so. I was totally knackered by around 2am, but the night owls that are the Argentines only started to seriously show up at the bar from 1am or 2am onwards. And when I managed to catch a bus home at 4am, I was shocked to find so many people on the bus… not just young adults returning from a party night out, but there were elderly men and women and even families with children too! Only in Buenos Aires.

I also visited a couple of ferias over the weekend, the one at Plaza Francia, Recoleta and another one at San Isidro, a posh neighbourhood up north, as recommended by Yamila. Both were really very good, indeed.

Hippie Fair at Plaza Francia

I tried to understand from the artesanos themselves there, why do they think Argentines are so creative, making these hand-made products, many of really high quality, with such amazing originality and creativity. One lady shared that because of the country’s shaky political and economic situation, people have to learn to think out of the box, to be more ingenious than their fellow neighbours, to be more resourceful, in order to be able to survive better. Another explained there is a huge mix of cultures here, with immigrants from all over the world, living together in a relatively young country, trying to form something to call their own. Interesting. I don’t know. But the number of ingenious writers, the number of excellent movies this country has churned out all came from these highly imaginative and cynical minds as well.

With so many things to do day and night, I must say I actually felt exhausted here in Buenos Aires after less than a week and I am just a tourist! I don’t understand how the porteños sustain the energy. They have to work in the day (sometimes they need to hold several jobs), many have to study as well, but they still have to go out, meet friends and party in the night til 4am or later. How?

When I am walking along the streets and feeling tired, I feel it is a shame to head home, as there are still so many shops opened, so many people walking around, eating, reading, chatting. When I have difficulty waking up in the morning, I feel it is a shame to rest and sleep-in, as outside, the sky is so blue and perfect, and yes, again, there are so many activities going on, how can you stay home?

But as I am not an Argentine, I need a break from my holiday!



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2 Responses to “The Days And Nights Are Just Packed”

  1. nadyne Says:

    hello! i’m so excited to find a fellow S’porean’s blog! Nobody I know in Singapore has done a RTW trip – it’s just so unheard of eh.

    Look forward to reading more about your adventures, you write very nicely.

  2. Posted from Singapore Singapore
  3. admin Says:

    Thank you, Nadyne. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed living them. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

  4. Posted from Argentina Argentina
  5. kfcj Says:

    Merry Christmas Trish, writing from New Jersey, usa
    glad to get continued updates from BA,
    part of my original Gondwana continent;
    Look forward to a few more updates before your return to the ctiy state
    oh yes,
    its’ also happy channaka and kwanzza
    and Happy new year
    ;-))

  6. Posted from United States United States

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