Tengo Tango
The next time you find yourself in Buenos Aires, run, don’t walk over to the La Ventana Tango show. It’s AWESOME!
NOTE: This post was created after having my laptop stolen in Mendoza. So the photos and details are sparse.
Feeling Empty
Here are a few shots from Mendoza that represent how I feel after my loss.
NOTE: This post was created after having my laptop stolen in Mendoza. So the photos and details are sparse.
StreamOfConsciousness. The Argentina Variety
A couple random thoughts about Argentina.
In keeping with my tradition of taking it upon myself to alter an entire countries flag, I thought I would go ahead and give Argentina a new slogan:
“Argentina; It’s amazing no one gets killed driving here!”
I think they are trying to be a “green country” and save on electricity by not installing any traffic signals. Cars will just drive down perpedicular streets, and somehow, someway one of the cars will know to stop and give way to the other. I have yet to figure it out, but until I do I’ll be clutching to my seatbelt. It’s pure pandemonium!
Which brings me to my next thought, er rather made-up-word: PanJamonIum. That’s all they eat here. Pan & Jamon (aka Bread and Ham). So I’ve coined the new word of panjamonium. Notify Webster.
They also eat Dulce De Leche on their pan. Which is quite delicious. And it’s laced with sugar which is probably why I’m still awake on this 14 hour bus ride from Mendoza to Buenous Aires. That and the fact that it’s about 38 degrees celcius here. For those of you on the Farenheit scale, just know that 38 degrees is REALLY friggin hot! How hot is it? It’s so hot that in about 6 more degrees you could turn ham into bacon. I guess you could say it’s 6 degrees of seperation between Jamon and Kevin Bacon.
Don’t forget to tip your waitress. I’ll be here all night. Sweating.
I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Helados!
If anyone knows me, they know that I am not a huge fan of ice cream. I mean it’s okay, but it’s just nothing that special to me. Unless… you happen to happen across Ferruccio Soppelsa in Mendoza. It is by far the greatest perveyor of Helados in the world!
I only went in there in the first place as per a recomendation from a Couch Surfing friend Luciana. I wanted to sample their Dulce de Leche ice cream, but apparently you can’t get just one flavor. So I selected vanilla as my second choice. HOLY COW! Some of the best vanilla I have ever tasted!
So I returned the next day and ordered a mint chip and some vanilla. And again, the mint chip blew me away.
So I returned the next day and ordered a raspberry and lemon. Same results.
Before I left Mendoza, I made one last stop at the corner store for some more mint, and more delce de leche. I’ve had more ice cream here in the last 4 days then I have in the last year of my life.
So ya, if you make it to Mendoza, make sure to make a stop by Ferruccio Soppelsa for a cool down cone to see taste what I’m talking about.
Photography Black Gold
Before I get into this post, first let me give a quick plug to Recuva data recovery software that let me recover a few photos that were still on my cameras memory card. It’s barely a dent in the 7,000+ that I had on the laptop, but at least it will allow me to keep this blog current.
Now that that is out of the way…
The other day I was wandering the streets of Mendoza to just sort of get acquainted with the lay of the land. Part of my journey lead me to Centro CÃvico – Casa de Gobierno which is a government building where many city buses pass by.
As I walked past one of the bus stops, I noticed a few men placing used tires near the curb on front of the building.
I thought it was a bit odd for them to be placing tires there, but didn’t think too much of it until I saw a small fire inside one of the tires.
But even still nothing really dawned on me that anything was out of the ordinary. I did think it was a bit of a peculiar place to dispose of tires, but hey I’ve seen stranger things on this trip, so I walked on. I was sitting down on a bench at a nearby fountain when I heard this harsh crackling sound. I turned around and looked back over my shoulder towards the area whence I just left.
What had started as a small hand warming fire, had now spread across the full length of the sidewalk and the street was quickly becoming engulfed in thick black clouds of smoke!
I rushed back over to take some flicks…
…all the while trying to stay upwind from the fumes.
After about 10 minutes of ducking and dodging the swirling wall of smoke the bomberos finally showed up to put an end to the fun…
…turning the black smoke…
…white.
I was flabergasted that they didn’t want my assistance since I had just purchased a bottle of water.
After the smoke had cleared (literally) all that remained were the metal wire bands from the inside of the tires…
…and a few protesters that were responsible for the petroleum protest that were hauled off in a police car.
Does anyone else find it ironic that these people were protesting petroluem companies by burning tires, and then they get haulded off to jail in a gas powered police car rolling in 4 tires?