How are things going here in general? Well, I think.
After so many times picking up, moving and resettling, we've become masters. I no longer feel the intense shock I felt when we first visited another country. I don't even feel the complete denial I had when we first left NY.
I do find myself constantly comparing parts of Buenos Aires to places and things I know, especially in NY. But then, Buenos Aires is very much like any other big city I've seen. Only they speak Spanish. Navigating the place is mostly the same. Although, I will admit, I find the bus system to be particularly daunting, the trains and walking is a pleasure. Easy to find your way around, and if you become completely lost or too exhausted to walk any further, there's always a cab nearby to whisk you home.
With the exchange rate between peso and dollar, cabs are remarkably cheap. Still, I prefer not to cab. You don't see the city by cab.
In our week and a half here, we've seen quite a bit. The feria in San Telmo. It's amazing. Perhaps one of my favorite things about this city. It begins as an antique market in Plaza Dorrego and spills out for blocks and blocks, filling the streets with people, performers, and people selling everything from jewelry to mirrors and toys.
I love how Buenos Aires supports artists like this. . More artists line the streets of Palermo on weekends as well. Painters, sculptors, jewelry makers, pottery, clothing and more than I can even remember. And there's an artesan craft fair every weekend on Avenida del Liberatador across from the Museo de Bellas Artes.
Suddenly, it makes perfect sense why so many of the people you meet selling things in Bocas are from Argentina.
This area around Bellas Artes has become our "go to" place when we want to have a mellow day. In Panama City, that was the Multiplaza Mall. In Bocas, the beach. Here, it's an area filled with children's parks, museums, and open air parks where you can walk, run, bike and play in the enormous trees. It's quite something. Yesterday, we visited Bellas Artes for the second time and happened to visit at the exact time of a choral concert in the lobby.
Couchsurfing here has been interesting. I've been in touch with a lot of people, but the distance between words and doing have a very different pace here. Things are postponed. Events change time and place. But the people are really lovely, open and warm.
They also tend to be a good ten years younger than we are and don't have children. At least, that is the demographic for the daily Couchsurfing event. Picnics in the park. Late night Chanukah parties. Tango in the square. All things I feel we are more than welcome to join, but not exactly the sort of thing Lila would enjoy, at least not on a regular basis.
Then again, it's only been one week.
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