Primer Paseo

After a shower, and a failed attempt at reorganizing my stuff (why did I bring so much?), I decide to head out to reacquaint myself with the city, despite the ominous looking sky, and the occasional flash of lightning. I exchange a few words with one of my roommates, Paolo from Córdoba. "Parece que va a llover." Yup, anytime now. But I'm itching to take a walk, tormenta or not.

Fileteado is a type of street art (especially used for signs) unique to Buenos Aires

 

An obviously modern sign done in fileteado

Despite the cloud cover, the weather is deliciously warm. I savour the taste of the summer air on my arms and legs. I feel lighter, freed from all my winter layers. There is a light spatter of rain. The sky is threatening to break open any moment. Apart from finding a bank, and buying an adapter for my computer, I have no pressing needs, so I wander aimlessly through the familiar streets of San Telmo, stopping now and again to browse through shops or to take a photograph. At the San Telmo market, I start shopping for dinner ingredients. After all the gross airplane food, I am craving simplicity and freshness. Tomatoes, onions, limes, and most importantly, a luscious avocado (South American avocados-how I have missed you!*) At the fiambreria, my plans to buy a piece of sardo, the national cheese, are thwarted by my discovery of pepato, a hard pecorino-like cheese with whole black peppercorns. Yum.

I liked the watermelon couch

A cool design and nicknack shop 

A Pacman light!

 I found this really great line of Argentinian soaps. Here we have the wine series...

...yerba mate...

 ...and best of all, dulce de leche!

 A rainbow of technicolor mate implements

A nice door

At the market in San Telmo

Street life outside a bar

Sign for an art workshop

There it is! One of my favourite wines I like to drink back at home... for a grand total of $4.64!

By the time I return to my hostel, charged with groceries, it is already 8:30 (where did all the time go by?) and my umbrella is still dry, though the thunder never relented. I make mate, chop my vegetables and chat with a few travelers. After dinner, the rain starts beating down.

I go to bed early (well, 1 in the morning... that's early isn't it?) exhausted, but a combination of excitement, anxiety and jet-lag keeps me awake for most of the night, listening to the torrential rain.

*In South America, avocados (paltas) taste 10 times better than in Canada. There is also more than one variety to choose from (some are huge!) Eating a whole avocado, preferably with a spork, and with a sprinkle of salt, is my kind of heaven.