Ah, city life. I am so a country mouse. The city just puts me right on edge. I know, I know, I live in a city, and have spent three of the past four years living in humongous cities. But at the heart of it, I yearn for space and peace. These are not the sort of things one is going to easily find in Buenos Aires.
What you might find in Buenos Aires are a bunch of dudes sitting around a fire. Out in the street. Gearing up for ... who knows?
Drums ...
And a flashy sort of attire. With more drums ...
No idea.
But, we came to Argentina for meat, not fires, drums or flashy sorts of attire.
It had been a longish sort of day: we left for the Vienna airport at 4pm on Friday, flew to Frankfort, transferred there to a 13 hour flight to Buenos Aires and arrived at our apartment just before lunch.
We grabbed some cheese and yogurt from a local shop and headed off to find some wing-ed friends for Hope. Really, all we were doing was passing time until dinner. Dinner begins around 8 (at the family sort of restaurants; later for the more serious diner) and lasts until 4 or 5 in the morning, so we had a bit of time to kill.
We sat around salivating. Waiting something south of "patiently" for the appointed hour.While I am generally not the sort to prowl about a closed restaurant waiting for it to open, that is exactly what we did our first night in Buenos Aires. It was totally worth it.
Alas, my photography skills are simply not up to doing this piece of meat justice.
And, there are those of you thinking, for the love of all that is holy, woman, don't you prefer your meat cooked?
No, thank you.
The lateness of the hour began to wear on the wee ones. Conscientious parents that we are, we gently bundled poor Hope up ...
...and propped her up against the wall. So she wouldn't fall on the sidewalk.
Finally, sated, we headed for home. And discovered what the costumed folk had been up to. A Party Parade. I had never seen one of these before, but, I confess, it was worth spending a few days in the city to witness. The beat was astonishing; it was the sort of music that is a feeling, vibrating your soul.
About as astonishing as the tatas displayed in the photo below (front and center, as it were).
I still really don't know what was going on, but it seemed to be teams of drummers/dancers passing through in a parade formation. We were witnessing the tail end (which was just as well because it was way past bedtime and these folks were under our bedroom window), but it was kewl. Really kewl.
Tomorrow: In Which We Have Our Best Day in Buenos Aires - We Go To Uruguay
Count me as another non-vegan who does not like their meat 'cooked'. Looks delicious to me! It was so gracious of you to pause long enough during your steakfest to position Hope so she would not become a splat on the sidewalk. And let's be honest....you know if ta-ta girl's costume came in blue there would have been one in your suitcase. :)
Posted by: Debbie Hanson | January 13, 2012 at 09:37 AM