There is a tower in downtown Buenos Aires that you go up in a fancy old-fashioned elevator. Then you get to the fourteenth floor and you have to walk up two flights of scary stairs. Then you get to a strange, tiny tango apparel shop that overlooks the city. Then you pretend to consider buying things while really looking out the windows. And taking secret pictures. 

This is the inside of the Teatro Colón, the most important/enormous/excessive theater in Latin America. Learning about the history was a little depressing, because it was built at a time when there was an acute division between the upper and lower classes in Argentina. It’s hard to imagine the government funneling so much money into its construction while the rest of the country was suffering. Seriously: there is a room made almost entirely of 14 karat gold. It is extravagant. 

Here is a giant spider outside of the Fundación Proa in La Boca. I didn’t get much information about it, but I heard someone say, “that big spider is on a world tour.” I also read a plaque that said it was dedicated to the artist’s mother. Good. 

This is mate, a drink which is pretty much only consumed in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. They drink it ALL the time here - even while at work or walking down the street - but the most traditional way to it is to pass it around a circle of friends. It’s basically just loose green tea leaves that you put in a hollowed gourd with hot water. The gourds are awesome looking; I already have two and I will surely buy a million more.

The whole thing is a simple concept, but the process is kind of difficult. There’s special terminology (the straw is called a bombilla and the tea is called yerba) and there are different ways to prepare it (hot or cold water, with or without sugar, etc.). Also, you have to fill the gourd with used yerba to cure it three days before using it. Oh, and there’s a particular way to put the yerba in the gourd.

Argentines are pretty particular about all of this, so you have to watch your back when preparing it for a group, or you will surely get sassed. 

So I finally danced some tango down here! It was really abrupt - I was just sitting at a restaurant in La Boca when this guy walked up and told me he would teach me. I figured this was a great plan. While dancing, I realized the following things: 

1. Tango is next to impossible. 

2. I want to learn how so I can wear some sassy heels and go to a milonga. 

3. I have wasted TWO MONTHS not taking tango lessons. I gotta get on it! 

This is one of my friends biking on the way to a bodega in Mendoza. I don’t know how they thought that was a good idea - biking to two wine tastings and back, that is. 

Artisans in Plaza Independencia, Mendoza on Easter Sunday. 

The Andes are insane. That is just about all I have to say about this. 

I finally went to a fútbol game! It was Racing vs. Independiente, two teams that are famous rivals. This was apparently the second most important game of the year, after the River vs. Boca game. The amount of energy was insane. To give you an idea of how rowdy it was, we weren’t allowed to wear our Racing jerseys while we were driving through the Independiente parking lot. Also, the Independiente section was blocked off by about 100 police officers. And we had to wait in the stadium for 30 minutes after the Independiente fans left because they have to make sure the two groups of fans don’t mingle (read: brawl) in the parking lot. I’ve never seen so many precautions taken at a sporting event, but apparently it’s necessary. Even since I’ve been here, I’ve seen news reports about people being killed at fútbol games. So that’s sad, but the general rowdiness of the game was awesome. 

This is the Floralis Genérica, a giant metal flower sculpture. It is supposed to open when the sun rises and close when it sets, but it is unfortunately broken. It is still really awesome, and only a few blocks from where I live.