Day Dos

Although B was unable to join me on this trip (don't you hate it when work gets in the way?), I'm not without travel companions. Three of my friends from Seattle are along for this Big 5Six adventure. (For one of them, it'll actually be her Bigger 6Seven trip. Antartica will be her last continent to have set foot on.) In the past I've journeyed solo, but in my opinion, like a meal, it is infinitely better to share the experience.

So on the morning of my first full day in Argentina, Naomi, Carol, and I met at Plaza St. Martin to take a bike tour through the south side of the city. Awaiting us was Xavier, a short, trim yet stocky gentleman and what looked to be a hodge-podge of bicycles recently allocated from your local garage sale. Nevertheless, we each chose our metal steed and donned on our helmets (safety first!).

I don't consider myself a cyclist, but I have ridden extensively through the US. And let me tell you, there is nothing in the States that matches the first 10 minutes of utter chaos that is biking in downtown BA in Monday morning traffic. Aggressive drivers + cobblestone roads + unfamiliarity with local bike ettiquette = harrowing experience. Regardless of the risk though, we pushed forward.

The tour itself was a great way to see the city. As we pedaled our way south, the architecture of the neighborhoods (and the level of wealth associated to it) began to change. The south side of the city is known to be rougher, poorer, edgier. But in the heart of this area is a vibrant neighborhood called "La Boca". With the brightly painted buildings, streetside tango buskers, and stalls of arts and crafts, this area attracts tourists like a Pooh Bear to honey. It was here Xavier gave us some time to get off the bike and wander the streets.

For me, the best part of La Boca wasn't the sight seeing. It was participating in a truly authentic Argentinian social experience: "mate" (ma-tay). Similar to green tea, Mate is a drink comprised of ground up leaves and hot water, and the flavor is strong and bitter. It is steeped in a cup often made of ceramic, wood, or most often, pumpkin. From the vessel, a metal straw with a strainer attached at the bottom runs from the vessel. Once steeped, the cup is given from the host to guest. The guest drinks from the straw and finishes the cup, then passes it back to be refilled and handed to the next participant. Xavier explained that mate was a very social experience- just friends sharing time and beverage together.

Once we finished the mate, we mounted up and headed back north. Buenos Aires is very flat, therefore the pedaling was at a leisurely pace. We finished at Plaza de Mayo. For those of you who either are history buffs and/or Madonna movie fans, you would like to know that the balcony which Evita addressed the crowds was in this very square.

After we had finished our tour, we decided to run a couple errands and grab a bite to eat. We ended up at the oldest cafe in the city. It's clientele was a balanced mix of locals and touritas. The decor was elegant, the food satisfying.

With our appetites quenched, the three of us decided to return to the hotel for a well earned siesta and meet later for dinner. Dinner in Buenos Aires tend to be much later than most Americans are accustomed to. The restaurants typically get busy around 10pm. With this in mind, we agreed to meet at 9. Unfortunately our first choice was closed, so by the time we arrived at the second choice "El Primo" (a parrilla recommended by Xavier) dinner was in the full swing.

Many parrillas will offer a "mixed grill" that a group can order -- various cuts of meat (primarily beef, but with some pork as well). Since Greg and I had not experienced this yet, we ordered it for the table. Included in the heap of meat were pieces of sirloin, ribs, ham, flank, skirt, chorizo sausage... tasty and popular picks. But the asado also included some less popular selections (by American standards) such as kidney, sweetbreads (we had the thymus/throat variety), and blood sausage. All of this is served on brasero, a charcoal fired mini-grill. I am proud to say that our table ate almost everything (and even like some of the "variety" meats). A quick review from me: 

Kidney- texture was like pork, taste similar to liver; I did not like it.

Sweetbread - texture and taste reminded me of pork tenderloin. I enjoyed it.
Blood Sausage - unlike it's European counterpart, it did not have much grain to firm up the sausage. Instead, it's consistency was like a dough type pudding, flavored with spices. It wasn't bad, but I wouldn't crave it either.

Overall, the meal was very good. Both the waitress and the owner were patient with their gringo guests, and we all left the restaurant with our bellies full. But as much as I hate to admit it, I was starting to get "beefed" out -- I had beef 3 out of  4 meals in BA so far. I was ready for something different. Fortunately, in a city such as Buenos Aires, you don't need to look to hard to find something delicious to eat.