I'm sitting in the lobby of Tango City, a hostel in the San Telmo barrio of Buenos Aires—just under the staircase pictured in this photo I found online (at right). The hostel lives up to its name--tango music is the soundtrack as I write.
One of the employees has just posted tonight's events on a bulletin board. It looks like it'll be a Foam Party. I don't think I have the energy for that.
Chris and I have just been taking it easy today. Although we seemed to have slept alot on the 10-hour flight, it still wasn't a fitful rest.
We wandered around the neighborhood a bit and grabbed a bite to eat.
San Telmo was one of the first areas settled in Buenos Aires. The old crumbling colonial buildings hint at the grandeur they once had. Apparently, yellow fever broke out here in 1871 and the rich folks abandoned the area. Now, you can wander the narrow cobblestone streets and browse endless stores filled with antiques. At the Mercado de San Telmo we fould some interesting things. Having endured many Spanish literature classes during undergrad, I was most taken by old copies of Martin Fierro, El Matadero and issues of "Caras y Caretas," a poetry magazine published between 1898 and 1941.
Also, Chris and I desperately wanted a massive apothecary cabinet pulled from an old pharmacy. It was 8 feet tall and probably just as long. Even if we were to get it home, we wouldn't have the space for it. It will have to live in the memory of our first day in Buenos Aires.
After the foam party tonight, we may not remember much.
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