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To all of you going to Argentina, especially San Telmo.
My husband Gary and I just returned from 24 days in San Telmo. We had originally planned on going to Salta and Mendoza with a return flight from Santiago Chile. Our first 3 nights were at the Art Hotel in La Recoleta. Wonderful place. But we found San Telmo and fell in love. We stayed our first 3 nights at the Maison Dandi Royal hotel. We found the Plaza Dorrego and our Tango dancers Mirabai y Julio, Adrian y Tridad. Our prayers had been answered. Mirabia y Julio became fast friends. All plans for other travel has now been canceled. We rented an apartment in San Telmo and have begun Spainish lesson everyday with Carolina and Tango lessons everyday with Mirabia y Julio. Our life now in San Telmo is routine. We now have a schedule of lessons and getting to know our local merchanants. We have picked our favorite resturants and with all the love and efection of San Telmo and the Plaza Dorrego.
Many will say San Telmo is not a safe place to visit. That was not what we experienced. I love that place. I have more friends here than I can count on one hand. Todo Mundo was by far the best place to be. Not that there food was great. but the people were by far the warmest people I have come across. Look for Gabriel or Ruben. They protected me with there life. And turned out to be my best friends. Not that your life is in jeopardy. But if it was I knew my friends would be by my side. San Telmo is a place if you are looking for community. The rest of Buenos Aires as I know it was too busy. But I didn't look very hard. San Telmo took my heart. Go to the Plaza. you might find what your are looking for.
To AVRooster.... I love your country. We will be back in October. My Tango instructors became such good friends they are coming to my house in July.
I have never had in all my travel such good friends. But in all my travels we were the tourist that just passed thorogh we planted oursevles this time and it was the best thing we ever did. So to all travelers. Go to San Telmo, look for Mirabai y Julio and watch them dance. Take some lessons. Get to know where you are. Don't just pass thorough
I love Argentina
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Hi, Debra!
Thank you for your great and most unusual report!
I'm very glad you found your own way to enjoy your trip so much by "planting" yourselves in one place!
Your tango instructors staying with you in Seattle next summer! It could only happen in wonderful Argentina, don't you agree?
Well, I hope you write to me in October, so we can arrange to get together. In San Telmo, OF COURSE!
To AVRooster...I will write to you when we return. You can't have too many friends is Argentina!!! We have been home for a week now and I can't get San Telmo and all my friends out of my mind. I miss using spanish everyday (not that I'm any good at it yet) I miss having all the wonderful energy around me, being able to walk out of my apartment and into life. I read on one of the threads about San Telmo being dirty and seedy, I was offended. Yes it is a little run down but it has such a since of community. We were in other areas that looked nice but these places were so busy with people busseling around you wouldn't be able to find a friend. I'm not a shopper so going to all the big named stores is not what I was looking for. I found what I was looking for and that was to be excepted and liked from wonderful, warm people. And I liked being kissed alot (as in being greeted by your friends) We just don't greet people here in the States like that much. (too bad). Our Argentine friends will stay with us here in Seattle for about a month and hopefully we will return to Argentina with them. It was wonderful to have our friends show us around Buenos Aires in there car and I didn't have to go on a tour bus. I can't express my love enough with words for Buenos Aires especially San Telmo.
I hope to meet you in Octubre.
Here is a letter I wrote to my friends, let me know how I did:
Queridos Amigos: Nosotros queremos que sepan cuanto disfrutamos estar en Buenos Aires, especialmente en San Telmo. Nosotros queremos agradecerles especialmente su amobilidad y su calidez. Nos hicieron sentir muy bienvenidos y parte de una familia. Nosotros lo vamos a recordar por siempre. Por favor, recuerdennos cuando regresomos en el futuro cercano.
Saludos y un abrazo, Debra y Gary
Pretty good, Debra!
Only minor mistakes and no accents, but you can blame that on the computer. LOL!!!!
How great that you enjoyed your trip so much! I am so happy for you !
We had a similar experience last Oct/Nov and we moved here 5 months later...
Keep up the Spanish and hurry back, add house/apartment hunting to your itinerary
Scarlett, how did you go about moving there? We would like to spend part of our time in Buenos Aires and the other part here in Seattle. Are you retired? or do you work there? how does that work? I would need to do something other than eat, drink and be merry even though that sounds pretty good. If you would like to contact me privately to have a conversation about this please do. My email is with my screen name. We have a lot of questions. How is your spanish?
Thanks, Debra
What about SALTA and the NW? Didn`t you come to this little corner od the map of Argentina???
You should come next time. Not all the merits should be for BA!
Warm regards,
Flitnstones
flintstones, Yes we will come that way when we return. Our new Argentine friends have already started planning a road trip for our return. Our original plan was to go to Salta, Mendoza, and our return flight home from Santiago, Chile. Our hearts lead the way for our trip and we stayed in San Telmo. We are thinking more and more of living part time in Argentina. Which would give us a lot of time to see as much as we can.
Deb, I just noticed that question, how is your spanish
lol...I am pretty fluent in Menu and do very well in Real Estate and I am pretty good at Shopping but sound like a Caveman/woman when trying to have just an ordinary conversation or get a sentence out.
Our Spanish teacher went back to work full time so we are getting a new one..
The Immersion method of learning has been working so far though
Scarlett, We used Carolina Ramallo for our Spainish if you are looking for another teacher. She has a degree in Language and Literature from the UBA. and she will come to your home for the lessons.
ramallo_carolina@yahoo.com.ar make sure you put ramallo_ in the email address. When I previewed this post it did not highlight it. I have her phone numbers as well but will send in a private email
Debra
Gracias Deb !
We have a teacher but in our case, more teachers might be good lol.
ciao!
Gartin, you should see the NW one day. Many people from BA have never been in the NW but when they come the first tiem they fall in love with it. This area is really incredible... Many people in this forumn could support it, by the way Saktedancer, is one of those who came for and advise and keeps every single picture as a treasure... reminding her stay.
Am I right, Skatedancer??
She must be somewhere. Maybe planning her next visit...
Flintstones.-
My partner and I spent 6 weeks in Buenos Aires last Dec/Jan, 2007/2008. It was not a place we loved immediately, but it grew on us and we now often talk of returning.
Click here for my recommendations (and photos) on food, lodging, and more:
http://www.randallshirley.com/Studio%204/Argentina_013108.html
We rented an apartment in San Telmo through www.bytargentina.com for our entire 6-week stay. We ended up having a love/hate relationship with this situation. We loved many things about San Telmo, and we loved the apartment. We hated the fact that many bus lines run through San Telmo's tiny streets, and BA's busses are so noisy they rattle your teeth. We also felt very removed from BA's beautiful parks. It was also incredibly dirty a lot of the time, from dog shit, bus exhaust, and just trash.
We loved getting to know the neighbourhood newstand vendor, bakery people, market vendors, etc.
However, we constantly found ourselves scooting across town to Recoleta and the various Palermo's. While San Telmo was lovely and interesting, we preferred the other side of town, which was equally lovely and interesting.
Overall, we found San Telmo to be fun for a few days, but Plaza Dorrego is BA's backpacker zone, and that loses its lustre after a while.
When we return to BA, we will rent a long-stay apartment in Recoleta, within 4 blocks (any direction) of Avenida Santa Fe and Ave. Callao.
The one side trip you MUST do is Iguazu Falls. That destination alone is worth the steep price of a plane ticket to Argentina.
We're both mid-40s, and very savvy travelers.
Cheers,
Randall Shirley
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