CARMEN- While we were in Buenos Aires, we took a cooking class. We learned how to make empanadas with chimichurri dressing, Guiso de lentejas (a typical stew), and Alfajores de dulce de leche (Cookies).  The empanadas were sooooo fun to make, and super tasty, and the stew was delicious. My favorite by far was definitely the alfajores with dulce de leche, they were the most fun to make, and they were super delicious! Apparently since my aunt and cousin got back home, my aunt has made empanadas many times. After eating the food we prepared, we were able to try mate.

DAN- Buenos Aires has its fair share of formal museums, but the streets are the living museum with music and art nearly everywhere you look. It feels at once both raw and accessible. A musician we met at a market, Jhonny Vernákulo, ended up becoming a friend who we were able to spend time with sharing songs and stories. He and his friend Miguel who runs the kiosk down the street are both from Venezuela. The people here call themselves Porteños, or people of the port, a good indication of just how international this city is. In another sign of how accessible the art world is here, on a street art tour I became enamored with the work of one of the city’s best street artists, Diego Roa. That night we were eating in a restaurant in our neighborhood where they had a print of his work. By the end of the meal the owner gave me the artists number and we were able to spend time at his place discussing his work. Amazing.

Another strange thing is that they have not printed bigger notes. The 1000 Peso is the largest note and often a five hundred note is the biggest available if you are lucky enough to get it. That means if you want to take out $1,000 in USD because you don’t want to wait in line (like the one pictured here) for another 3 hours you are going to receive a stack of 800 notes to carry away with you. I once saw a tiny, elderly lady walk out of the Western Union trying to cover up stacks of bills falling out of her tiny purse. I had found this Western Union after being turned away from 6 other Western Unions because they were out of cash. While waiting in this three hour line I also saw a fit 20 something guy, who was standing behind me, pass out. I don’t mean he got light headed. He was out cold.

TERESA- There is so much to love about Buenos Aires and Argentina.  However, our biggest highlight was the visitors we welcomed: my sister Angie and my nephew, Graham.  Being away from family and friends has been the difficult part of our trip.  So, knowing they were coming was amazing.  When they arrived, we had a line-up of our favorite activities and some new ones planned.  The weather had different plans as we found ourselves in the middle of an unprecedented and oppressive heat wave.  Nevertheless, we soldiered on, usually dripping with sweat and needing a siesta in the afternoon.   Luckily, our Airbnb in Palermo Hollywood had great AC and we did not get caught in the rolling blackout.

There was so much to do in the city: The Eco Parque, Recoleta Cemetery, street markets most days, riding the Sube, Casa Rosada, Steve McCurry photography exhibit at La Rural, Frida Khalo at the MALBA, and eating out.  Most of all, it was fun to do it with family…even in the extreme heat!   Towards the end of their time in BA, we went to a tango dinner show at La Ventana.  This was a stage show with more than 30 artists including singers, 4 tango dancing couples to live music, and one guy who tap danced while swinging long cords with wooden balls.  It was amazing and I only wish we had a video of “the balls guy.”   I think we were too entranced with the show and the food to bother with too many pictures or videos.