Our trip to Buenos Aires and Rio
Apr 19th, 2011, 04:25 AM
#21
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After eggs and millenesa (breaded chicken) we collected all our change and took a bus (aside: a bus is a lot of fun; you need pesos, they don't take paper bills and they don't take american express) to Plaza del Congreso to meet up with our free tour led by Gastone.
The tour lasted about two hours. We saw the outside of the congress, the windmill building (where homeless people live now), lots of beautiful buildings from the country's belle epoque (the 1890's to the 1920's), including an apartment building built as a crypt for dante (who stayed elsewhere), Cafe Tortoni, several street demonstrations (which seem to annoy everybody almost enough to bring back the generals, but not quite enough), the Plaza de Mayo (pronounced Majo), heard about the Mothers of the Disappeared, and looked at the outside of the Casa Rosada (nobody knows why it's pink), where both Evita and Madonna appeared (not while we were there, lamentablemente).
DW won an award for contributing the most information to the group about argentine history. She got to wear the green tour jacket for a while. She tipped Gastone 100 pesos (4 pesos to a dollar). Hmm. Anyway, it was a good tour. I'd go on the afternoon tour of Recolta too except we are leaving for Rio.
Anyway, after the tour, un cortado at Cafe Tortoni, lunch at La Poesia in san telmo, and nap, DS#1 and I looked around for recuerdos (found some) and a barbershop (still looking), then went to Cafe Dorrego (I watched a short good free tango show on the plaza), then took a taxi to Recoleta where DS#1's host mother fixed us a wonderful dinner. Then home. No late night tango show.
So we're leaving for Rio this afternoon. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I'm a little sad. I like Buenos Aires. Each day I walked in wider circles, discovering more places in san telmo I wanted to know better, little theaters, the spanish film club, hidden fresh food markets. I wanted to go to butcher shops. I wanted to wake up again in this apartment with the french doors opening to two little balconies in the sun, listening to the sounds of morning in a city, sidewalks being washed, people on the way to work. I wanted to try again to talk DW into trying to tango.
Argentina is an incredibly handsome place, the women are beautiful, but it has a manly character, full of show, bravado, tinged with melancholy and nostalgia, always aware of the glory days, some time in the past when things truly were the way they are supposed to be. It's a fascinating place, and I'm sad to leave.
The tour lasted about two hours. We saw the outside of the congress, the windmill building (where homeless people live now), lots of beautiful buildings from the country's belle epoque (the 1890's to the 1920's), including an apartment building built as a crypt for dante (who stayed elsewhere), Cafe Tortoni, several street demonstrations (which seem to annoy everybody almost enough to bring back the generals, but not quite enough), the Plaza de Mayo (pronounced Majo), heard about the Mothers of the Disappeared, and looked at the outside of the Casa Rosada (nobody knows why it's pink), where both Evita and Madonna appeared (not while we were there, lamentablemente).
DW won an award for contributing the most information to the group about argentine history. She got to wear the green tour jacket for a while. She tipped Gastone 100 pesos (4 pesos to a dollar). Hmm. Anyway, it was a good tour. I'd go on the afternoon tour of Recolta too except we are leaving for Rio.
Anyway, after the tour, un cortado at Cafe Tortoni, lunch at La Poesia in san telmo, and nap, DS#1 and I looked around for recuerdos (found some) and a barbershop (still looking), then went to Cafe Dorrego (I watched a short good free tango show on the plaza), then took a taxi to Recoleta where DS#1's host mother fixed us a wonderful dinner. Then home. No late night tango show.
So we're leaving for Rio this afternoon. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I'm a little sad. I like Buenos Aires. Each day I walked in wider circles, discovering more places in san telmo I wanted to know better, little theaters, the spanish film club, hidden fresh food markets. I wanted to go to butcher shops. I wanted to wake up again in this apartment with the french doors opening to two little balconies in the sun, listening to the sounds of morning in a city, sidewalks being washed, people on the way to work. I wanted to try again to talk DW into trying to tango.
Argentina is an incredibly handsome place, the women are beautiful, but it has a manly character, full of show, bravado, tinged with melancholy and nostalgia, always aware of the glory days, some time in the past when things truly were the way they are supposed to be. It's a fascinating place, and I'm sad to leave.
Apr 20th, 2011, 03:29 AM
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Thanks for comments everybody. Does anybody know anything about Rio? We've arrived. We're staying in a strange apt that's very large filled with old (not vintage) ugly 1960's chunky furniture. I'm thinking it was a set for porno films. The description said something about making films here. The glowing description of the apartment must have been written 40 years ago.
We're a block off copacabana and, I think, six blocks from ipanema. Near the big Soffitel Hotel. I haven't seen any girls in skimpy bathing suits yet, but to be fair I just got up to make the coffee and open the living room windows. The AC does not work very well.
Now I'm going to go out to get milk for the coffee. Sugarloaf and Christ the Redeemer are somewhere nearby.
We're a block off copacabana and, I think, six blocks from ipanema. Near the big Soffitel Hotel. I haven't seen any girls in skimpy bathing suits yet, but to be fair I just got up to make the coffee and open the living room windows. The AC does not work very well.
Now I'm going to go out to get milk for the coffee. Sugarloaf and Christ the Redeemer are somewhere nearby.
Apr 20th, 2011, 05:47 AM
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I loved your reports. Lamentable, I know nothing about Rio.
I have two favorite theories about why the Casa Rosada is Pink:
White had already been taken; or,
The pink comes from the blood of bulls mixed into the mortar to celebrate the high quality beef from Argentina.
Something to think about as you stroll the beaches of Rio in your new mostly leather babe-magnet jacket.
I have two favorite theories about why the Casa Rosada is Pink:
White had already been taken; or,
The pink comes from the blood of bulls mixed into the mortar to celebrate the high quality beef from Argentina.
Something to think about as you stroll the beaches of Rio in your new mostly leather babe-magnet jacket.
Apr 20th, 2011, 02:05 PM
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Regrettably, Rio is too warm for my (mostly) leather jacket. Today we spent the day (1) walking around looking for an atm that takes us debit cards (tip: the atm screen needs to say cirrus, and you need to tell your bank not to put a hold on the card if charges show up in unusual places), and (2) on the beach in copacabana. Nice day.
This is on our to do list: sugarloaf and corcovado, santa teresa, niteroi, grumari beach, tijuca forest. We got three days.
Suggestions?
This is on our to do list: sugarloaf and corcovado, santa teresa, niteroi, grumari beach, tijuca forest. We got three days.
Suggestions?
Apr 20th, 2011, 02:31 PM
#30
they all sound good 2 me, but what do I know??? Never been to Rio -- I was counting on u to show me the way...
Too bad about the leather jacket. Seems like it would make a nice accessory to a speedo...u do wear a speed in Rio, no?
On the ATM - doesn't it just have to be a part of your network. You apparently r on Cirrus and must use Cirrus ATMs, someone else may be on Plus, Star etc. The back of the ATM card usually shows the networks. And yes, must always notify banks esp of foreign travel. I even got cut off once when in NYC, so don't know how foreign it has to be.
Have fun!
Too bad about the leather jacket. Seems like it would make a nice accessory to a speedo...u do wear a speed in Rio, no?
On the ATM - doesn't it just have to be a part of your network. You apparently r on Cirrus and must use Cirrus ATMs, someone else may be on Plus, Star etc. The back of the ATM card usually shows the networks. And yes, must always notify banks esp of foreign travel. I even got cut off once when in NYC, so don't know how foreign it has to be.
Have fun!
Apr 20th, 2011, 09:03 PM
#31
Great report, santamonica. If it's not too late, please use the HSBC bank in Rio. Don't use an ATM located inside a supermarket. Our card was compromised and we heard the same story from others. Loved Grumari Beach. Hope you'll witness an incredible sunset while in Grumari. Also recommend the Botanical Gardens if time allows. What do you think of the chicks with the dental floss bikinis? My SO's eyes were popping out of his head.
Apr 21st, 2011, 05:52 PM
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This morning started like any other, except we were in Rio and had a mango smoothie for breakfast. Then we got in a taxi and took a long drive to Corcovado and the giant statue of Christ and many, many, many people waiting in line to ride the train to the top of the mountain. We don't like long lines. I know many people do, but it's just something we never learned to enjoy. It's good thursday here, a holiday.
So we up and left. Took a taxi to a pick up point for the trolley to santa teresa. And waited quite a while for the trolley which eventually arrived filled with people. But, since we look old and pathetic, people made room and we squeezed in and rode up the hill to where the restaurant aparazievel (or something like that) is. The restaurant is beautiful. Beautiful. Good food. Not cheap. I like cheap. But we stayed, had a great lunch. Rode the trolley back to town, across the aquaduct.
Taxi back to apartment. Very tired. Went to beach. I really don't understand those bathing suits. They are truly unbelievable. I don't think they could be very comfortable but I've decided it would be best for me not to ask. My portugese is not very good.
Then we fixed dinner. After dinner DW rested (she likes long lines and waiting for the trolley even less than I do) and the boys and I walked to Impanema. Where (this is really exciting) we asked some guy if we could borrow his volleyball, and he said ok, and then some girl came and asked if she could join us, and then we played a game, sorta, with the girl on my team and my two boys on the other team. How cool is that?
I PLAYED VOLLEYBALL ON THE BEACH WITH THE GIRL FROM IMPANEMA!
Lamentablemente, I was not very good, although I won a point on an overhand serve. However, TGFI and I lost. But still...
I can't wait to tell DW. She'll be very proud.
Tomorrow, Sugarloaf.
So we up and left. Took a taxi to a pick up point for the trolley to santa teresa. And waited quite a while for the trolley which eventually arrived filled with people. But, since we look old and pathetic, people made room and we squeezed in and rode up the hill to where the restaurant aparazievel (or something like that) is. The restaurant is beautiful. Beautiful. Good food. Not cheap. I like cheap. But we stayed, had a great lunch. Rode the trolley back to town, across the aquaduct.
Taxi back to apartment. Very tired. Went to beach. I really don't understand those bathing suits. They are truly unbelievable. I don't think they could be very comfortable but I've decided it would be best for me not to ask. My portugese is not very good.
Then we fixed dinner. After dinner DW rested (she likes long lines and waiting for the trolley even less than I do) and the boys and I walked to Impanema. Where (this is really exciting) we asked some guy if we could borrow his volleyball, and he said ok, and then some girl came and asked if she could join us, and then we played a game, sorta, with the girl on my team and my two boys on the other team. How cool is that?
I PLAYED VOLLEYBALL ON THE BEACH WITH THE GIRL FROM IMPANEMA!
Lamentablemente, I was not very good, although I won a point on an overhand serve. However, TGFI and I lost. But still...
I can't wait to tell DW. She'll be very proud.
Tomorrow, Sugarloaf.
Apr 22nd, 2011, 04:26 PM
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Thanks for your nice comments. Tomorrow DW and I go on the favela tour. DW thinks it will be dumb. But the tour says it's good for the favela, the tour guides are from the favela, and they sponsor a school. DW is frequently right about these things, however.
Today we went to the top of sugarloaf. Which is pretty high. You look down on the airport, and watch planes land below you. You see beaches and the city. You take a cable car to the top.
But first you need to stand in line. But first you need to get there. We took the 511 bus from copacabana to Pao do Azucar (sugarloaf). The guy who sells us the mango smoothies wrote down omnibus 511 and some lady who studied english in oregon helped us find the right stop. Buses are really fun. You gotta figure out how to get them, how to pay, and when to get off. Cheap adventure.
Lines are complicated too. You have to figure out which line to stand in without tickets, which line to stand in with tickets. Going early helps. But, goodness, people here love to spend their holiday standing in line. Whilst standing in line I bought a blue Rio umbrella which might not break before we get back and a feather quoit game like thing you bat back and forth with the boys that probably will break before we get back. Long line.
Then we went to the top, then we came back, then we took the 512 bus back home again (you may remember we took the 511 bus there, and we took the 512 bus back; I think I have a gift for travel writing).
Then we went to the beach where suddenly everybody who was standing in line earlier was now sitting on the beach, with their families, watching the tide advance. DS#1 and I rented bikes and rode to the end of Impanema, went swimming, played the feather quoit game, rode back. Then we all went to the Soffitel Hotel for a mojito-like drink, then back to the apartment.
Tomorrow is the last day. Dumb favela tour, beach, maybe a futball game. We didn't do a lot of stuff (museum on an island, Grumari beach, botanical garden). But we are doing a dumb favela tour.
Well, it is what it is. Or, soon, was what it was.
Today we went to the top of sugarloaf. Which is pretty high. You look down on the airport, and watch planes land below you. You see beaches and the city. You take a cable car to the top.
But first you need to stand in line. But first you need to get there. We took the 511 bus from copacabana to Pao do Azucar (sugarloaf). The guy who sells us the mango smoothies wrote down omnibus 511 and some lady who studied english in oregon helped us find the right stop. Buses are really fun. You gotta figure out how to get them, how to pay, and when to get off. Cheap adventure.
Lines are complicated too. You have to figure out which line to stand in without tickets, which line to stand in with tickets. Going early helps. But, goodness, people here love to spend their holiday standing in line. Whilst standing in line I bought a blue Rio umbrella which might not break before we get back and a feather quoit game like thing you bat back and forth with the boys that probably will break before we get back. Long line.
Then we went to the top, then we came back, then we took the 512 bus back home again (you may remember we took the 511 bus there, and we took the 512 bus back; I think I have a gift for travel writing).
Then we went to the beach where suddenly everybody who was standing in line earlier was now sitting on the beach, with their families, watching the tide advance. DS#1 and I rented bikes and rode to the end of Impanema, went swimming, played the feather quoit game, rode back. Then we all went to the Soffitel Hotel for a mojito-like drink, then back to the apartment.
Tomorrow is the last day. Dumb favela tour, beach, maybe a futball game. We didn't do a lot of stuff (museum on an island, Grumari beach, botanical garden). But we are doing a dumb favela tour.
Well, it is what it is. Or, soon, was what it was.
