Buenos Aires

I've realized now that I'm no good whatsoever at writing about actual travels, as I skipped at least half of my trip up north and to Bolivia, and only wrote highlights of Mendoza. Unfortunately, I believe that trend continues with this post.

Buenos Aires was, without a doubt, one of the most exciting places I've ever been. A city of 16 million, seemingly most of them international businesspeople, it bustles 24 hours each day with the exchange of capital. It's huge, shiny, lively, and varied, with sections as clean as a Liberty Lake housing development and as dirty as under Salem's bridges. It's cold and foreign, but too full to allow for much real separation from other people, instead forcing individuals like sweating sardines into crowded streets and subway cars.

I had the great luck to be traveling with someone who didn't mind traveling like me; spontaneous, wandering, and on foot. We covered all of the city that matters that way, including shopping districts, the birthplace of tango (where it's also still practiced all through the streets), the zoo, extensive gardens and parks, the majority of Argentina's important political buildings, and a world-renowned art museum. My friend Ingrid is studying in the city right now, and we went out with her a few times, including a whirlwind Halloween of 4 different bar/clubs/parties. We were also lucky enough to be there during the presidential election, which made for interesting posters plastered on buildings and editorials in the paper, though it also meant that no alcohol could be sold in the city on the only Saturday night we had there.

While I feel like I had an excellent experience in the city over the course of the week (minus one day in which we explored a bit neighboring Uruguay), I still feel like it was only the beginning. One day, when I'm possibly famous and certainly rich, I hope to return and revisit Buenos Aires in style, and this time, stay long enough to be bored of it.