I promised to write a blog of my trip to Argentina but haven't started because in all honesty, I had a hard time believing I was really going! Winning the World Nomads 'Terrifying Travel Tales' competition was unreal. I had this thought in the back of my head that I didn't want to get disappointed if it didn't happen so it's taken me this long to really get into the Latin spirit!
As soon as I got on the plane in Auckland, NZ for a direct flight to Buenos Aires, I got into the spirit. I settled down to read my last kiwi newspaper until I return but decided I'd check out the in-flight magazine instead when a headline story read, "Parrot Saved by Firemen." Uh...yep. I decided to focus on practicing my spanish and was ready to pull out my best attempt when selecting my decadent tinfoil surprise (otherwise known as dinner) until I heard this: posho o penne?" Ok so penne is pasta and posho? The same posho I ate for 9 weeks in Uganda that looks like mashed potatos at first glance but is so, so very not? I'll be real honest. I actually felt a bit nervous. Luckily, I remembered that in Argentina, the pronunciation is quite different and what she had said was "pollo" (pronounced 'poyo') which is chicken. Yes please!
That sounded like a good choice until the flight attendant asked me my name and proceeded to inform me I was getting a special meal. I’m all for vegetarian selections but somehow I got listed as what I assume must have been the meal for anyone who lives in a bubble and is allergic to all food elements. No spice, no milk, no butter, no seasoning. I ate lentils with a piece of tofu the size of a postage stamp and some breaded balls (gluten free I’m sure!) that tasted a bit like stuffing without the flavor. Dessert was berries stuck inside clear…jello? Anyways, it was a unique experience and made me sympathize with those who have food allergies. I will never roll my eyes again when someone at a restaurant orders a meal and then changes every item on it to fit a dietary need.
Arriving at my hostal I found out I was staying this week in a room with 2 girls from Holland, Latje and Bibi. They are 19,interesting, fun and great roommates! In my experience people from Europe tend to be a bit more mature at a younger age and these awesome ladies are no exception! They invited me to go with them to a jazz concert at the creatively named, "Jazz & Pop Club." My plans to be in bed at 10 quickly changed to, “ok I’ll come with you! 11pm we leave? Yeah, totally cool, I won’t be tired at all.” Right.
Although entering after 11:00, aside from the staff, we might have been the only customers in the bar! Walking down the stairs, we came into a long room that holds several round tables, an empty space for musicians and at the end of the room, an elevated bar. Dimly lit lighting allows patrons to see posters of jazz greats on the walls and when there is no live music, a tv on the wall plays famous songs from the 50's and 60's. We sat down and I wasn't expecting much, especially when 3 men aged 65+ jumped up to play. Hmmm...thinking back, "jumped" may not be the appropriate word. Let's say these men made it up (that fits) to the stage and started tuning up. Within 5 minutes, I wanted to take back any thought I ever had that people over a certain age can't be, well, awesome. These guys ROCKED. OUT. Although all of them brought their own flair and I appreciated the well-combed vibrant pony-tail of the keyboardist, I have to say the drummer was my favorite for his energy as well as his cut-off jean shorts. Yes, cut-off jean shorts and yes he wore them like a rockstar.
After listening for a few minutes, I felt like I had been let in on a secret. Clearly this was not a tourist spot and at first glance, it didn't appear the locals knew it existed either! They were incredibly talented and I could not believe I got to hear it for free. About 30 minutes later I realized that people did know it existed and the place began to fill. It was interesting to see that about every half hour, the average age in the bar decreased by about a decade so that by the time we left at 1am, we were listening to musicians in their 20's and 30's and they even threw in a singer (who doesn't speak great English but you would never know by his incredible voice) and a saxaphonist.
What a great way to start my trip! Hasta Mañana!
