Hola hola hola

Hellooooooooooo

God it is oppressively hot in this little internet booth. I am sitting on the roof garden of our new hostel having just eaten that most Argentine of meals, chow mein. Ro had a Lomo de Buenos Aires today (I think that was what it was called, although that translates to Loin of Buenos Aires which seems a bit weird so perhaps not) so I think that was Argentinian enough for both of us.

Tonight we are heading to Palermo Viejo. Last night we saw that there was a jam session a-brewing on the roof of our hostel, so we wandered up in anticipation of finding a guitar to steal and sneak off into a corner. Actually it was more like the staff playing drums behind the bar to entertain themselves, but when we questioned them they handed Ro a shaker and me a tambourine and we had a bit of a boogie. Apparently I am quite the talent. They may have been mocking me. Anyway they told us that one of the staff members is in a band, and they are playing tonight, and we should go check it out. So we are along with a bunch of others from the hostel. To be entirely honest I´m not convinced that ska/reggae is the sort of thing I´d go out of my way to listen to in Perth, but when in BsAs and all that.

Today we went to La Boca and it completely sucked. Boca is a poor neighbourhood but full of wonderful vibrant buildings painted in all sorts of fascinating colours with shutters in contrasting colours and that sort of thing. Unfortunately the citizens have been relegated to the decrepit buildings on the outside, while the centre has been overpainted and glossed and turned into a tourist hell. Tourists are advised not to venture outside the well-trodden streets and they admittedly did look somewhat frightening. It was full of markets selling truly awful things, men wailing with accordians and cafes with tacky tango displays. If you happened to glance at one of the dancers you would be immediately accosted by a young man with a menu and when you walked away, said young man would recite a well practised ¨you so gorgeous,¨ ¨I love you forever¨ and other such versings fitting of St. Valentine´s Day. Or Dia de los Enamorados if you are so inclined (evidently I am).

I´m not averse to a spot of touristy crap (I concede that I was most taken with a t-shirt that said ¨Buenos Fucken´ Aires¨) but it was just miserable. Like a Disneyland Boca in the middle of real Boca. It was probably worse than usual, though. We happened to be going on a game day - Palermo vs. Boca at Boca Stadium. The bus that took us there drove through a scene of near insanity. The streets were packed with illegally parked cars, shirtless porteños, busloads of singing tourists, people playing futbol... actually the only person we´ve spoken to who went to the game said it was too hot to enjoy. A shame since most gringos paid about $100 for the experience.

When we were looking dazedly around, some girls behind us giggled and repeated, ¨Vamos, gringas.¨ ¨Vamos¨ is usually used to mean ¨let´s go!¨ We assumed that they meant ¨Go away, white girls.¨ I´ve been looking up meanings of ¨vamos¨ though and it seems they might also have been saying ¨Hurry up, white girls.¨ We were walking kind of slowly in front of them. Either way it´s hard to blame them. I was embarrassed to be there. La Boca - the parts we saw, that is - is a shithole. The buildings are still beautiful but the people ruin it.

We´ve moved to a different hostel on the same street. It´s great. Much better than the last one. The people are maybe a little older and therefore a bit less braindead, and not just boozy skanky Australians. And the roof garden is kickin´.

So much more to write about, oh my goodness. But I am frying to death and I need water. How are you all? Well, yes? I hope so. Tell me.

Love love love
Lion