El Sueno Es Real

Although this trip was a long time in the planning, it is still bizarre that we are currently living in Buenos Aires. I’m not sure if the kick is coming, but if it does, it is likely going to be a swift awakening.

So one of our main goals on this trip was to live in and experience different cultures, rather than just pass through. Joining the gym down our street was an easy choice.

The gym has been full of interesting collection of people. Men with short mullets that are close to rat tails a la every guy reading this circa 1990, surgically enhanced middle aged women doing bizarre squats straddling the barbell, and men who greet others with a peck on the cheek while already laying down resting after a bench press.

Our gym also required Annie and I to each see the doctor. I’m pretty sure our doctor was the Argentinian cousin of Dr. Riveria:

He was disappointed I did not know my height in meters, or weight in kilograms. (do you know your weight in stones Dr. Riveria?!) However, he was especially troubled when during my EKG test the probes he attached to me fell off, and then my arm slipped off his Vietnam era medical examining table and caused my readings to spike. He scribbled on the test in disgust and then once receiving a satisfactory reading told me to keep my EKG readout. Why? Not sure. Apparently I’m healthy enough though.

Buenos Aires 101

So, we made it.

After watching a beautiful New York sunset from the terminal at JFK, a delayed flight, and some very bad VOD service on American Airlines, we landed in Buenos Aires. Normally 10 hours would seem long to me, but thanks for Unisom, it went by really quickly.We were greeted outside customs by Jorge, Matt's co-worked from Merrill Lynch. Jorge is Argentinian, and after 35 years of living and working in New York City, decided to retire back in Buenos Aires. He's a good friend and loves his city, which has been very apparent - he's taught us so much already in only 36 hours of being here.

Our apartment is in the neighborhood Palermo Soho, which is like a cross between Soho in NYC and the west village. There are alot of corner cafes, boutiques, restaurants, and bars. Many of the buildings around here are very old on the outside and restored and renovated on the inside. It gives the city a very old European feel when you walk down the street.

Already, we've taken a taxi tour with Jorge and his friend Martin and saw most of the neighborhoods in the city, including the colorful buildings of La Boca, La Bombonera(the Boca Juniors soccer stadium), and many beautiful buildings of Parisian style.

Wine Thought of the Day: On average, when you walk into a NYC bodega and find a bottle wine, if they even have wine, you are most likely buying some sticky sweet wine made in some unnamed region in California(probably the valley) that will leave you with a fabulous wine headache in the AM. Even when you walk into a wine store or any inexpensive restaurant, most likely that inexpensive wine that pops out on the shelf or on the menu with the right price, is probably not very good. Again, sweet and full of headache-inducing nitrites. But for US$4 at a bodega or US$8.50 at a restaurant, we've had some dry, quite interesting malbecs that I could never find in the states either at all or for less than $20. Im impressed by the quality of standard table wine. So far, San Felipe and Norton have delivered.