Weeks 4 and 5: Reserva Ecológica, FoodFest, and Tango

The past two weeks haven't been particularly eventful -- lots of classes, reading and watching movies for class, and binging way too much Downton Abbey (it's on Argentinian Netflix!!!). Last Saturday, Lauren, Caroline, Michaela, and I met at Catedral and walked over to Puerto Madero, home of Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur. We spent the afternoon walking through the feria, then entering the park from the southern end and walking the paths back north. It reminded me very much of the American Tobacco Trail near my house in North Carolina; a raised gravel path, trees and swampy marshland on either side. We splurged a whole A$2 (actually A$3, if you count the coin that fell under the platform) to use one of those standing binoculars, and all got a glimpse of a couple coipos, a beaver-like rodent. The ecological reserve is one of the few places you can actually see Río de la Plata from the city, and we enjoyed sitting on the grass by the riverside watching the locals share mate.

Inside Catedral

Puente de la Mujer, Puerto Madero

Exotic green birds

Caroline and Lauren being cool

Río de la Plata

Left to Right: Lauren, Michaela, Caroline, and me

Artsy flower, Puerto Madero

Waiting for the sailboats to enter the port so we can cross

After gallivanting around the park, we headed over to Bao, a Taiwanese restaurant in Retiro, to order food to bring back to Caroline's for a movie night. After much struggle, we finally agreed on Crazy, Stupid Love and watched the first half hour before Allie arrived. The break made us realize we wanted pizza, and then spent a long time figuring out how and where to order the pizza. By the time we finished eating pizza, I was ready for bed, and we headed our separate ways.

That Sunday, Liz and I went over to Sarah's for a late brunch. We made scrambled eggs and pancakes, and it almost felt like a normal American breakfast. Liz arrived very late, hence a table set for two.

This Saturday, Caroline, Michaela, and I had plans to take the train to Luján, a nearby town in Buenos Aires province. After a late night out to bid goodbye to Michaela's housemate, we decided there was no way we could be up early enough to make the trip worth it. Instead, we met up at Plaza Italia in the evening and headed to La Rural for FoodFest. The small arena was lined with food trucks and stands, selling all sorts of cuisine. I went for an arepa, but was disappointed with its oddly crunchy texture. After, Michaela and I walked through Palermo to the Armenian Cultural Center, where IFSA had arranged a tango lesson for a few of us. We were joined by many other locals and foreigners hoping to learn the iconic dance. There were nearly twice as many women as men, so we switched in and out every few minutes. I caught onto the steps fairly quickly; the main challenge was not bumping into the other couples. Having not brought a partner with me, I didn't stay to dance after the lesson was over. Hopefully next time, I can find someone to go with me. I think it's a lot easier to learn when you stay with the same person the whole time, so you can learn how to move together and amend your individual difficulties.

FoodFest, La Rural in Palermo

Tango class