Ich Bin Ein Englander!

Am by the seaside this week, in the town of Villa Gesell on the Atlantic coast, about 600km south of Buenos Aires. It´s not much like I expected from my guide book´s short description of a town that was founded in the 1940s as an ecological project, and is neither quiet nor picturesque. In fact, it´s a bustling little place with a garish mainstreet full of shops, bars and arcades and a busy beach that backs onto sand dunes. That said, I´m starting to rather like it.

There is such a relaxed attitute here and the people are friendly without being too forward, or as friendly as they can be when I speak so little Spanish! I would place a bet that I´m the only English person in town this week and possibly even the only native English speaker, as I think Villa Gesell is the sort of place that Argentines go on their holidays but rarely gets overseas visitors. In fact, most people I have met seem to think I am German, an appearance I owe, of course, to my grandmother.

Marianna, the owner of my hotel is very friendly, speaks wonderful English and has been translating things for me and giving me Spanish grammar lessons. It´s still coming along slowly, unfortunately, although I think by the end of this trip I will be expert at ordering drinks and buying bus tickets.

Tomorrow I am catching the last bus of the season to Mendoza for the start of their wine festival. Now that´s what I call a holiday!

Don´t Cry For Me Buenos Aires

Viva Loca: So, Rebecca B, you´ve just spent a week in Buenos Aires, you crazy lady. What did you make of it?
Rebecca B: Well, Viva, it was quite an experience! I read that Porteños (Buenos Aires inhabitants) are Italians who speak Spanish, live like the French and want to be English. The city has a definite European influence, but every now and then you will be reminded you are on another continent with a streetside tango show, the sight of an unmistakeable "mestizo" with their high cheekbones, long noses and deep-set eyes, a pan-pipe band or tribute to Eva Peron sprayed on a wall.
VL: What did you enjoy the most?
RB: I absolutely loved the tango show, but also enjoyed my visit to the cemetary with the tomb of Evita. It´s like a town in itself with paved streets, lined with mausoleums (see picture). It even has signposts! And my day-trip to Colonia, across the Rio de la Plata in Uruguay was picturesque, peaceful and lovely.
VL: Is there anything you regret?
RB: Not bringing better shoes! Argentine women don´t appear to have giant plates o´ meat and I haven´t been able to buy anything except flip flops!
VL: How was the hostel experience?
RB: Not as bad as I´d feared. Once you get used to strange people being in your bedroom when you wake up, it is lots of fun. I had a great time with Michelle and Elaine, Christoph from Bavaria, who shares my sarcastic sense of humour, Isle of Wight Sam, Hawaiian David, Chilean Sergio and more!
VL: Will you go back to Buenos Aires?
RB: Absolutely! I´m thinking of spending at least a week there before I fly back to England in July, and anyway, Christoph, who is studying in the city, has promised to cook me dinner and take me out dancing!

Three for tango

By Argentine law, no one is allowed to leave Buenos Aires without either eating a giant piece of steak or going to see a tango show. Fortunately for this silly English vegetarian, La Ventana theatre and restaurant had some free places for their dance show last night, so Michelle, Elaine and I booked up.

It was one of the more expensive places in town, but included dinner, wine and looked rather posh, so as we settled into our seats at 8ish we were feeling very excited. We did decline to have tourist snaps taken with two of the dancers hovering around the stage, particularly after I noticed that the male dancer couldn´t have been above 5ft 4.
Things looked up, however with the start of the dancing. Skimpy dresses and sharp suits, a live band on stage and sultry, high-speed moves that inspired gasps whenever a dancer was spun too close to the chandeliers. But that wasn´t all. We were treated to a (what seemed to me) Peruvian-style pan pipe band, a rope-spinning, drum-banging, tap-dancing gaucho and ever-more raunchy dance moves and revealing outfits from the stunning female dancers, which I´m sure left several men in the audience feeling like they didn´t want to stand up for a few minutes.

The low point was the live rendition of Don´t Cry For Me Argentina, sung in Spanish, complete with flag waving and a little plaster balcony. Do the Argentines really all love Andrew Lloyd Webber? But the peak of the show for me was the accordion band who played with such passion and energy that it was impossible to wipe the grin off my face during their every number.

I mercifully avoided the inch thick steaks, yet now feel I have experienced a little true Argentine culture so I´m off to get another cheese sandwich for my lunch...

Alive Crazy Person

I like to talk about things a lot before I actually get round to doing them. That way I almost don´t need to go through the real experience, because, well, it might not be such a good idea when it comes down to it and anyway, I´ve talked about it so much that it feels as though I´ve really done it.

Today I can say, however, that I have actually achieved something it feels as though I´ve been talking about for months. I´ve started my Big Adventure in South America. Alone, at the age of 29, with very basic Spanish and barely a clue what I´m doing. I first hatched the idea back in August and have been telling everybody I know and quite a lot of people I don´t all about the plan. Everyone has been sweetly supportive, telling me it will be the best thing I ever do and that I will have an amazing time. A few people have suggested that I will come back a completely different person (which is a frankly alarming thought) and some have hinted that I might "find myself", as though the real me has all along been hidden down the back of a Peruvian sofa. I am hoping for neither of these things, but I did feel I was overdue for an adventure, so backpack firmly strapped into place, I touched down in Buenos Aires three days ago.

I´m staying at the Hostel Carlos Gardel in San Telmo, a basic but respectable place named after the famous tango musician. San Telmo is the oldest part of Buenos Aires, centered around the Plaza Dorrego where every Sunday there is a huge antiques market. I´m sharing a room with two Irish girls, Elaine and Michelle who are nearing the end of their own five month adventure and have been sharing their stories and tips with me.

They are quite intruiged by the idea of Juan-Pablo Gonzales, my future husband, whom I´m sure I´m going to bump into at any second. To encourage this we have booked a tango show and dinner tonight. I must dig out my sparkly skirt...

Michelle and Elaine leave Buenos Aires tomorrow and I must go exploring and plan the next part of this whole experiement. Adios para ahora. x