Tango in the Air, in the Streets, and in the Water

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  Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina
Saturday, February 20, 2010

First day in Buenos Aires and first impressions are that we are in Spain, not South America. As every travel brochure reports, Buenos Aires is European in architecture, atmosphere, and life style. It is remarkable -- grand rococo baroque buildings, wide boulevards, and grand statues bespeak of the extent to which those who emigrated to Argentina brought their homelands with them.

We left the hotel to walk the eleven-block Avenida Florida, a street that has been closed to traffic and made a pedestrian shopping mall. On each side of the street were small shops ranging from the tourist tacky to designer shops. Great shopping gallerias beckon. Some are really quite plush, others like large departments stores. Everywhere, cafes (coffee and sweets) are positioned to entice stopping. Chocolate was in the air everywhere.

Florida was filled with families, couples, young and old. Street musicians, singers and Andean pipe players, were street performances. Block by block audio stores blare tango music.

In the afternoon, the skies opened up again. Jokingly we now know that a 30% chance of rain in Buenos Aires means that it will rain "30%" of the day. Already, though, we recognize when the wind direction changes, and cools, the rain will be quickly following.

Nancy here…

As Joseph blogs about his observations of the Buenos Aires experience, I find myself thinking more about the experience of being a tourist in a foreign land. Somehow, I feel as though I have an obligation to look and feel beyond the imposing presence of those of us who are touring and those who are eager to capture our attention and dollars.  I am wandering down Florida Street thinking that I am traveling in two worlds.  One in the streets where my experience is strangely similar to every other large city I have visited in any country,  and one behind the walls and towards the sky. I want to know more about what people are doing and thinking, and how life is presenting itself to them today.  Do they look down and see their city filled with this day's intruders, or do they wonder about these people and the lands beyond their borders where the people come from.  How happy are they to see us coming, or how tired are they of the crowds of tourists who can sometimes be very rude and very ugly.  How important or insignificant is our presence in their lives at this moment in time.

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