I know its been sometime between my last entry and all thats happened since then, but I´m going to skip a section and write about that on my next instalment...This is about my rather random trip to Argentina:
I had travelled to Valparaiso, a holiday resort on the coast from Santiago for a few days, during which time a lot had happened but thats the other story, Argentina came up when I was wandering around the gorgeous streets up in the hills and had come across an art gallery, or more more importantly a painting that I immediately became attached to, when a guy walked in roughly about the same time as me. He commented on ´my´painting and said it was too abstract for him and that he just wanted a painting to basically fill a space on his wall in his apartment in Los Angeles. We built up a subtly good rapport and I left the gallery with a gentle smile both to the owner and also to well, Brent was his name. He followed me out the door walking behind for a block or so before catching up with me and boldly asking me if I would like to go to dinner with him (and his family) that evening, so I accepted the invitation to treat!
At dinner, (a fairly formal affair) I met his entire family there and then. His brother had quite a chip on his shoulder but I didn´t give him the satisfaction to think that he was affecting me when, out of no where his brother attacked Brent verbally across the table making all others present a captive audience, and I personally felt quite uncomfortable. It appeared to be something which was boiling up over quite sometime and he obviously just exploded. But, luckily things smoothed over.
This is where the question came about if I would like to join them to Buenos Aires, which I thought was a lovely suggestion but just not going to happen. He continued to keep in touch over the course of the weekend and it became more and more feesable that I just thought when they were booking it, what the hell? why not? So... I did...
The total time I spent in Buenos Aires was only three days and I loved every moment of it. Within the first hour I was really taken to the city. It was not what i had imagined at all. It was an extension of Spain, a typical Madrid feel about the place; alive, warm, and friendly people with such a sense of humour (something surprisingly rarely found in Chile). The buildings are exquisite in particular Casa Rosada (where Evita would preach to her subjects). The art gallery contained an incredible selection of Toulouse-Lautrec,Sisley,Degas,Picasso, Monet and Van Gogh. The Tango concert ´La Ventana´ was sensual and dramatic. The place was simply living. I was so surprised that the people of Buenos Aires were so happy with the economic crash that happened only five years previously. An argentinian I was talking to called Frederico just summed up the mood perfectly when he said: when everything goes wrong and people of Buenos Aires feel low and down they just put on the best clothes they´ve got, go out dancing and spend everything they have!!
At each moment and in each direction something always caught your eye, it was magical they have such an identity and spiritual existence. Of course, the company makes the trip and they were a lovely family. Karen, the mother reminded me of Sally Field in so many ways.
It was a memory I will keep with me for quite a long time...as for the guy well, he was all the things that Buenos Aires wasn´t!
