Maddy's Travels

Notes on Buenos Aires:

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1.   No one walks around eating.

      There is no coffee to go.

      Hardly anyone is fat.

2.   Every cab driver who drove me home late at night (or early in the morning as it were)

      waited while I unlocked the door.

3.   When did I become “Senora”?

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Dancing Tango in BA:

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Classes:

I liked the part when my teacher had me pat his butt to feel how to tighten the muscles to get the correct leg extension.

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Milongas (Social Dances):

These are not necessarily fun.  Women do not ask men.  Women are seated on one side of the room, men on the other and the couples are scattered about.  I arrived with the gals to a milonga that was so crowded that we were seated on the men’s side - unfortunately in a row of tables behind the already assembled throng.  They simply didn’t turn around to notice us.  I decided to make a little social chit chat with a nearby gentleman.  Using my best Spanish, I said, “we’ve been seated behind all the men, it’s so difficult”.  He said “it’s difficult for as also” - never did ask me to dance though.  It’s a tough day in Buenos Aires when getting my legs waxed was the highlight of my day.

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Prices of Things:

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1.   Leg Waxing - 15 Pesos or US $5.00 (at that price no wonder it was a highlight of the day).

2.   Haircuts - After looking in many salon windows, I never found one for more than US $15.  I won’t be opening the satellite salon in Argentina any time soon.

3.   Bottle of decent wine in store in Argentina: US $3.00, glass of same in US restaurant: $2.00

4.   Ride on the subway: US 25 cents.

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Clothes and Shoe Shopping:

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Buying tango shoes is one of the main reasons we tangueras and tangueros (tango dancers - women and men) make the pilgrimage to BA (Buenos Aires).  Some of the best clothes to be had are sold in the ladies room at the milongas.  Buying a skirt in the ladies room at least added some measure of success to my apparent lack of popularity in getting dances.

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Eating:

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Like any normal Argentine, I could be found eating dinner at 11:00 PM before going out to dance.

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Sleeping:

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It doesn’t happen.  On the weekend, I went to visit my Argentine friends in the smaller city of Rosario (where I actually turned out to be quite popular).  Prior to my trip to Argentina I had anticipated men dueling for my attention and here they almost did.  I danced non-stop (YEAH), and it was good!  When my friend and I returned from dancing at 3:00 AM, her husband and eight year old son were still awake.

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What to do in BA if you don’t dance Tango:

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Plenty.

1.  Go to a tango show (pay an American price - this is a huge tourist draw).

2.  Museums, restaurants, concerts, performances

3.  Shop and eat lots of rare meat (jugoso - ie. juicy) - it’s all grass fed.

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