Buenos Aires

I spent four days in Buenos Aires, and though the city of 13 million buzzes incessantly with human activity, my time there was rather tranquil. I stayed in the apartment of Daniel and Danielle, Brazilians here from Rio while Danielle pursues a masters degree in Education at the University of Buenos Aires. I slept in their spare room and for four days tagged along with them in the easy flow of domestic life. On Friday we attended a Servas gathering, Saturday we visited the Chinese quarter, and Sunday we spent at a birthday party. Though I did touristy things - visited Evita's grave in Cementerio de la Recoleta, saw the mothers march in Plaza de Mayo, shopped in San Telmo's Antiques Fair Sunday morning - my fondest memories of Buenos Aires are the hours we spent around their kitchen table having tea and toast or listening to Daniel play Samba on his guitar.

I left Monday morning, and was rather sad that our time together had ended - it was in their company that I tried Mate for the first time, ate Dulce de leche in all its various forms, and had Havanna's famous alfajores Saturday evening before getting on the subway and heading for home. Though Danielle worried that they will have forever confused my perception of Argentina as a place where people speak Portuguese and play, dance, and sing Samba - Brazilian attributes, not Argentinian - I believe I will be able to remember their distinctions. I will, however, forever think of them - the Brazilian couple who made my stay so sweet - when I think of Argentina.