Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires, we ended up loving. I say ended up because at first the air pollution, traffic and noise downtown can be a turn off. But don´t let it´s city facade fool you. The people are amazing - very genuine, very open and very friendly. We literally had 4 or 5 long conversations with strangers turned friends. All totally willing to share their opinion of anything, and at length. We loved it, because it meant they shared a lot of insight on their experiences, their country- the good and the bad.

Argentina just went through a bad economic crisis in 2001, so it was really interesting to hear their perspective on ¨bad times.¨ In 2001, their crash was so bad, their currency went on hold completely. Andres, one friend we made outside a bar at 2am hanging out, shared with us how he remembered thinking it so odd that his paycheck was just like any other piece of paper - worthless. The turmoil and instability of their political and economic situation has created an Argentinian people with very thick skin and a very well grounded attitude. They realize how this is just how it is, not much they can do to greatly change what they´re dealt.

Photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/jenniferhlavac/BuenosAires#

Highlights of BA

* Futbol Game - went to a River Platte game, one of the two famous BA teams (Boca is their big rival.) The fans are cra-zeeee passionate about their team. At the end of each home game, they lock their fans into the stadium and have the opponents fans clear out and get a 5 minute head start before they let anyone leave.

* Los Girasoles, Camino Abierto Foundation (1 hr outside BA), An organic garden and farm and restaurant plus home to 12 at risk boys. Fabulous concept - they host an amazing, organic Sunday lunch, serving food that all comes from the farm and the proceeds all go back to the farm and care for the boys.

* Tigre - Delta that serves at a water playground for Portenos on weekends and holidays. Our friend Marcelo was kind enough to take us for an amzing day on the water and the best steak lunch we had! (see photos, one steak is as big as my head.)

* Steak - we ate lots of Asado (grilled steak) here, the hype is right on, its unreal and cheap!! And their fries, best I´ve ever had. We typically spent between $30-$40 on a really excellent meal. Favorite Parillas - Miranda, Don Julio, Bar Uriarte (all in Palermo SoHo)

* Malba - BA´s modern art museum is excellent, newly built modern spot with very chic lunch area on the park

Oh, lastly McLure is acclamating quickly to the Argentine ways. He´s purchased the setup to make Mate (traditional tea they drink here all day) and he is digging it. His Spanish is also improving daily, especially with the constant caffeine high. :)

Favela Tour in Rio - Rocinho

Probably my biggest highlight of Rio was the favela tour we took of the largest favela in Rio, Rocinho. It was an eye opening experience, educational, and also just fun. It started with our tour group of of 12 getting dropped along the street, where a line of motorcyles were waiting to cab us up to the top of the Rocinho favela. (Favelas are generally built into the hills of the city - the areas that were undeveloped by the city when they started. The poor have occupied them and really built them into their own cities with free/illegal access to tv, electricity, even internet! ) People in Rio drive crazy, and it was just as thrilling to fly up the curvy roads of a favela on the back of a bike, as it was to jump off a platform and hanglide. At the top we continued the tour from top to bottom of the favela, passing through a house, an artist gallery, a bakery shop, a day care center. The conditions of the ¨streets¨were amazing, all self made and developed as the favela has grown. Wires everywhere, dirty polluted water running through every crevice, no apparent garbage system, very close quarters. As you walk through the narrow pathways and you look in an open door or window, you´re practically in these people´s homes. I was worried this tour was going to be voyeristic, and uncomfortable but it wasn´t at all. People in the favelas generally like ¨gringo´s¨as one kid shouted at us - the tour guide told us they like getting their photos taken too, as they think they may become famous this way and become the next rich hollywood star. Another stigma that the tour set straight is the danger in the favelas. Yes, there is a drug trade going on, and its sad and horrible and dangerous to the parties involved, but its only 10% of the population in the favelas that are involved and they are mostly boys from 10-18 in age. The current ¨boss¨ of the favela is supposedly 23, but typically the boys don´t last that long in the business as they often die early. Anyway, the majority of the people there are very friendly, and are simply living there because they have no better option and not because they are bad or dangerous people. McLure and I dug it so much we would definitely go back. The Tour company, Be a Local, did a really good job of educating us on the situation in the favelas, and making sure we all walked away realizing that City of God, while realistic in depicting the drug situation in the favelas, doesn´t represent all that a favela is. The tour company owners also opened an NGO there, a free child day care center enabling parents to go out and find work.