Jesse in BA, by Jesse!

After many hours of Skype and several hundred e-mails, Amy and I were reunited in an airport in the lovely South American country that has been hosting her for over three months.  Not unlike star crossed lovers, things got off to a pretty confusing and frustrating start.  They changed the arrival terminal on us and Amy was waiting for 30 mins at the wrong terminal.  I nearly sped off with Cesar, my driver from the hotel, but I decided to wade through the crowd and indeed I found Amy on her tippy toes trying to find me.  Besides seeing my Pato (that’s what I call Amy) I had very few goals for my 8 days in Argentina.  I wanted to experience how people lived in a new continent.  I also wanted some time to live the carefree café lifestyle, sipping a warm drink and watching the day go by.  Finally, I mostly wanted to replace as many of the cells in my body with those of grass-fed Argentina beef and Malbec grapes from the Mendoza region.  Mission accomplished!  Imagine the most gorgeous welcoming and charming café that is both elegant and laid back that guarantees you will get a superb and interesting meal in any city in The States.  You feel like this is “your” spot, and you’re so glad no one really knows about it.  Now put 3 of them on every block, and then put 2 steak houses that would be the finest and most crowded in that same city.  Then make the prices about 40% of what you’d pay in the states.  Finally, fill them with really attractive people who you don’t mind being around, who aren’t texting or yapping on their cell phones the whole time.  Now you have Buenos Aires.  And take your time eating.  Even if you finished your wine 45 minutes ago, there is a line forming (it’s 11pm – so naturally people are beginning to show up for the dinner rush) and are staring at glasses of water, the waitress won´t so much as give you a glance to move.  I liked this place. Other highlights included best birthday ever because we went to an awesome dance and performance art show called “Fuerza Bruta”.  We also got to see all the sights in BA and walk around all the interesting neighborhoods like San Telmo.  What else?  We went on bikes for a whole day and got to get our legs going in the nature reserve.  We took a yoga class with some other ex-pats who seemed really nice.  We went to an awesome town in Uruguay called Colonia Del Sacramento which was really gorgeous and old and rivaled any old port town I have ever seen.  We stayed in such a gorgeous hotel there.  We went to a pretty interesting once in a lifetime place called Tigre which was sort of a waterworld but also a ghost town!   Yes - we all wished I was there in summer (it is winter there), but the company could not have been better.  The food could not have been better.  And I left feeling great - knowing that Amy is in such good hands in that lovely, safe city.  I haven’t a doubt that she will make lasting friendships with quality people there.  Hers will be the experience of a lifetime and we’re all super jealous!  Everyone should visit her!!!  JP (from Amy: I will post pictures when I return to BA - in 2-3 weeks!  Hasta pronto). Finally, some pics!  Also, blog posts on the last 3 weeks to come asap. :) Jesse's bday dinner and first taste of delicious Argentine carne!                                    Jesse at Fuerza Bruta                                                Tigre, AR.                                     In Colonia, watching the sunset. At an awesome Peruvian sandwich counter                       At awesome La Cabrera where we had a tremendous amount of food!                                   Biking around the nature reserve