Long way to go

If I kept a list of my favorite places in the world, the balcony of our 15th floor flat in Buenos Aires overlooking the Cementerio de la Recoleta and the Rio de la Plata, anytime day or night, would be one of those top places. The view is stunning, the breeze feels fantastic on bare shoulders, and just sitting there instills a sense of calmness over me.

It's been quite a while since I updated this blog, I know. Many things changed since I began it; for starters, I never made it on the around-the-world trek that Atom and I originally planned. That's ok; I loved Berlin so much, I have no regrets about living there for the last year. Perhaps that's why I stopped updating this site: Berlin ceased to feel like travelling, and instead it just felt like a home.

I know, I never blogged here about Paris, the wedding in Le Bugue and the South of France; Amsterdam and Eindhoven, or London, and maybe those stories will come out one day. The pictures from my year in Berlin are all on my photolog, week by week.

Now for some basics. I left Berlin on December 13 for a number of reasons: I didn't want to spend another dark winter there, I was running low on money and wanted to see someplace else before I went broke, and I figured it would be nice to spend the holidays amongst friends and family. So I flew to New York and hung out for a week before embarking on a one-week midwest tour: Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Chicago, and Detroit before heading back to New York. After recovering from New Years celebrations, I took took off for Buenos Aires on January 4.

So far, wow. It's an amazing city. My friend Kate has been down here since early December, and I am lucky enough to stay with her in her amazing flat until she leaves. It's on the top floor (15th) of a nice building (with a doorman! I am getting spoiled) in a swanky neighborhood, Recoleta. Pictures of the flat and neighborhood are at the end of this post.

I have a few other friends in town, too. Maurizio lives here, a musician from Buenos Aires who I met when he was in Berlin for a month, Gadi, a friend from New York that synchronously (but unplanned) flew in the same day I did, and a couple friends of his, Ellie and Chaya, that I met on New Years Eve. Even though many Porteños (Buenos Aires locals) are on vacation right now, it still feels like a good time to be here. And the weather is fantastic: mid 80's, not too much humidity, nice breeze.

So far Kate and I have been taking it relatively easy, deciding last week to postpone the touristy sightseeing (museums, landmarks) until this week. Regardless, I still feel like I've seen a lot just running around town to meet friends, shop, and dance. Maurizio played parties on Friday and Saturday, which were a lot of fun. I enjoyed seeing what the local scene was like, and was reminded how much techno music makes the world a smaller place.

We've also done a bit of shopping; I love the exchange rate right now. After getting trounced by the Euro for a year, three pesos to a dollar is nice breathing room. I was on such a tight budget for so long that I feel quite luxurious at the moment: eating big steaks in fancy restaurants, considering going to a spa. I haven't bought new clothes in a year and a half, and while they go over my budget, I can justify the expense. I figure when I am done traveling I'll have to go back to work, and will need clothes for that. However, I'd rather spend the money now, because here a dress I like costs 15 dollars instead of 100.

Also, I love the weekly outdoor markets that abound around town. Yesterday, Kate and I explored the hipster market in Palermo at the Plaza Serrano. Before really getting into it, we ate at a restaurant on a main corner. After ordering sandwiches and a bottle of wine to split, our bill was about 4 US dollars, with tip. Also, we eat a lot of our meals at home to save money. The last year has definitely taught me a lot about budgeting.

One thing I love about this city is that every street seems to have a lush canopy of trees; it makes even the not-so-great neighborhoods much lovelier. And for those worried about my safety, this city is safer than Chicago. Instead of staying in patrol cars, policemen stand around on most corners for their shifts. Also, the Argentinians I have met so far seem to just be really friendly and helpful.

I do plan on leaving the country, seeing more of South America. Kate's playing at a festival in Punta del Este this weekend, and I'm going with her. After she goes back to the States, I'd like to go to Chile and see Santiago, and possibly check out Boliva and Peru, but only if it seems safe for a woman traveling on her own. I'm not too worried, but I don't want to be an oblivious idiot.

That's all for now, I'll try to be better about updating this site more often now that I am traveling again; in addition, I am still updating my photolog. As promised, pictures of our flat:

Kate working on music in the living room:

My laundry, drying on the balcony above the Cementerio de la Recoleta:

Dawn from the kitchen window:

Seen between the rails of our balcony:

The street we live on, Las Heras: