Episode 1 : First days in Buenos Aires (english version)

DAY 1

Saturday 12th January

Buenos Aires airport

Paris / Milan – Milan / Buenos Aires : 14hrs flight



This time the journey seemed faster in my comfortable Boeing 777, maybe because of the sleeping pill... Although I was angry with this girl at the check in who promised me a window seat while I was stuck between two people. Took note of the good places for my return though ;-)

Buenos Aires, 8 am

I was supposed to meet up with my friend Sheila , Argentinean girl, who was landing same day as me, half hour earlier. As I thought, we never met up this morning - we organized this meeting so badly - I had the address of an hostel in my pocket located the Palermo area of Buenos Aires.

I’m in such a state... Getting out of the airport, blinding sun, tired by the flight and the 25 degrees difference.
A cab driver jumps on me but it’s been more than 16hrs I haven’t smoke and I’m just dying for a fag. No problema, here you can smoke in the taxis.
Nice guy but far too chatty for me at this time of the day. He wants to sell me anything he can: another hotel, a weekend in an estancia (ranch) with some Brazilian girls, and insists to go and pick up my family at the airport next time for a good deal. Are they coming too???


Hostel Palermo House

Fabian (Fabi), one of the receptionist welcomes me. I’m setting up in my new quarters http://www.palermohouse.com.ar/. Six bed dormitory, bunk beds, the community life starts. It’s always kind of funny to bump into a guy in your room you never seen before and who’s only wearing underpants. Excuse-me but what are you doing in my bedroom? It’s just a question of getting used to I imagine...

Good atmosphere, friendly staff , 30 pesos a night (4,8 pounds), a good deal. Jeans and trainers are put into the cupboard.

Palermo’s area is a great place to walk around, and go out. Kind of trendy area. This place is just full up with great restaurants and bars.
Still in my KO’s state, I’m wandering into the streets of Palermo, wondering if I feel like a coffee, a salad or a steak. I was so excited - although you couldn’t see it as I was so spineless - to see again those streets, and this town I like so much.
I am not going to eat meat right now. It would killed me in this heat. I’m going for a salad and a coffee, and remember that there is no good espresso in this town. I went to many restaurants and bars and never came across a good espresso. Funny when you think they’ve got, for many of them, Italians origins.
This will be part of my frustration, as for the cheese and the dark chocolate (but I’ve got my 8 bars of French chocolate with me ;-)

At night an asado (BBQ) is organized at the hostel. Fabi and his dirty hands are in charge of the operations.
Argentineans eat the meet well done (even overdone at times) and are kind of disgusted when you ask for rare. Never mind, let’s have a well done steak then. The best piece of meet is called the “lomo”, “bife de lomo”. Must be the equivalence of a sirloin steak. But for an hostel asado we’ll go for other pieces (still delicious though!) : great steaks, black puddings and sausages.
I’m chatting with the other residents of the hostel : Americans, Australians, Swedish, Germans, English... Where are you from? How long are you traveling for? What do you do in France?...
I’m getting ready to get the same questions many times a day for four months. Matter of getting used to...
It’s midnight (local time), I’m dead. My dormitory is welcoming me with open arms.


DAY 2

A Sunday in Palermo

It’s the Feria day in Plaza Serrano, at two cuadras (blocks) from the hostel. Jewels, arts crafts, clothes are exposed on the place and inside the bars. Quiet day for me, walking around with my flip-flops.

Got to send emails to get in touch with my Argentineans friends now.
I know that Ulises, Diego and Nacho are on holidays in Uruguay. Antonio (Tony) my ex-flat mate is in Europe until 7th February, Sofia is still in LA, Gina is in Buenos Aires and waiting to hear from me, but the others - Pablo, Argeo, Johanna, Marion and Yuriko - don’t know I’m here. For those who didn’t follow “Argentina 2007” you can check the pictures here Pictures Argentina 2007.

Get myself a local sim card with local number and send a series of emails.

I’m meeting my good friend Pablo on the evening. We’re having a drink at the terrace of a Mexican restaurant. Sipping a delicious Margarita on a summer evening, that’s life… We’re catching up. He’s telling me about what's been happening in his life, we’re ending up philosophizing. I noticed that Argentineans were quite into religion, spirituality, star signs, chacras… I met few of them who were planning to go on a spiritual trip to India. Know the shadow and find your light. Yeah right… Fortunately Pablo is not into those things.
We're planning to go to Santiago de Chile together. He wants to go there for holidays in February. Perfect! He’s been living there for 3 years, so he’ll be my perfect guide.
Afterwards, I’ll probably carry on South as far as Ushuaia.

DAYS 3, 4, 5…

Porteña’s life starts…

(Porteño : locals from Buenos Aires)

I’m walking around Belgrano area and the Chinese quarter with Gina.
I finally meet up with Sheila. She’s taking me to a restaurant in Las Cariñas (very trendy area) .
I’m going to the hairdresser. No more blond attitude.
I offered French cheeses to Gina and her boyfriend Xavier. They were in heaven.
I see them the next day for their house warming. They bought a flat, made it up, and are going to rent it now. Very nice place. Casa en Palermo here.
I’m getting along with Emiliano, , the boss of the hostel, and he’s taking me to Kim y Novak, this bar I’ve heard so much about last year. It’s a bar of freaks indeed! Some funny characters there. But no one on the dance floor. Everybody stay outside smoking cigarettes.
I’m taking Sheila to the great restaurant Million for her birthday. She loves my new hair color. I think it’s turning kind of copper or orange… I hate that.


…and party time


Ulises, Diego and Nacho are back.
We’re planning to go to the birthday party of Gaston Pauls (Argentinean actor – "Nine queens") just like last year. But I have to go first to Sheila’s birthday, with all her gay friends. I offer her a bottle of Champagne directly coming from France and Ulises comes and picks me up by cab. We’re off to Gaston’s party. Great party, bigger than last year. Music wise they are very much into the French touch: Daft Punk, Phoenix, Air, Justice, Bob Sinclar, David Guetta… We’re dancing, chatting, drinking for hours.
Nacho is taking us back home in his truck, an old red Ford truck I love. Four at the front seat (without seat belts, no one seems to care, scooters don’t even wear helmets here). About ten people rush into the back of the truck. What a great moment this trip back in the small hours.
The next day was a rather quiet day for me. Energy and mental skills : 0
The plan is to get a nice salad and go and have a nap in a park, which I did.
On the evening, restaurant with the guys of the hostel. I’m talking English again during all the evening. Hey guys, I want to speak Spanish boludo!

On Monday I’ve met Argeo in his sister’s house. He’s still living his bohemian life style, dirty bare feets, spending lots of time at reading, thinking... talking politics, planning to go to Bolivia for taking pictures. Diego doesn’t like him cause he thinks he’s a hippie, which is not completely false. Well, I forgive him as he’s a great photographer (ses photos). Have a look at his pictures on his site here. I don’t know with how much he manage to live but very few, the minimum vital it seems to me. Her sister bought a house in San Telmo area. She’s done it up and now it’s just a great and huge place. Here is a part of the terrasse In Buenos Aires you can find lots of huge flats with high ceiling.

On the evening, French cheese tasting with Ulises and Diego. I brought them like 8 French cheeses. They went mad. Flavours they never tasted before. I am now elevated among the rangs of goddess (cheese goddess).
Then we went to few bars. I went to bed late at night (or early morning). Next day same diet : salad + park.

I need a break, these holidays just kill me. I decide to head for Uruguayan’s beaches. Lying down on a beach, that’s what I need.

Departure : tomorrow