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Caribbean Trinidad & Tobago

The Goat Races of Tobago

The goat races in Buccoo Bay, Tobago are not to be missed, so I took the ferry from Port of Spain, Trinidad to Tobago (2.5 hours) to catch the kick off of Goat Racing season. The ferry is a very inexpensive and easy way to get back and forth between the two islands.

Buccoo Bay is a tiny fishing village not far from the much larger Crown Point, which has scores of hotels, a couple of good beaches and the airport. If the ferry is full (as is often the case during certain times) then a flight from Port of Spain to Crown Point is usually very inexpensive as well.

Buccoo Bay Beach

 

Buccoo has a small, remote beach and is a good place to catch a glass bottom boat and do some snorkeling at the stunning Buccoo Reef. But what makes Buccoo really noteworthy is their big Sunday night street party called “Sunday School” which I assure you has nothing to do with church and the Buccoo Goat Races, which take place beginning the first Tuesday after Easter and each following Sunday throughout the summer.

Buccoo's New Goat Race Stadium

 

Goat races have been going on in Tobago since the early 1900s and Buccoo is ground zero for the scene.  Here they recently built a big Goat Racing Complex and Stadium that at first glance, looks really out of place in this small village, but come Goat Racing day, it really comes alive.

A contender

 

Considering a big expensive stadium was build, you can probably guess that goat racing is pretty serious business in these parts. Goats and jockeys (the jockeys follow the goat with a rope at full sprint) undergo a rigorous training routine year round in the hot Tobagonian sun which includes running, swimming (I guess goats can swim after all) and sprinting.

The jockeys are young and athletic and the goats have owners who may own an entire roster of racing goats and sometimes even corporate sponsors.  There are classes of goats too, from A to C depending upon how many races the goat has won. Prizes are no joke either with some prizes totaling several thousand TT (a thousand U.S. or more).

Sellout? Corporately Sponsored

 

During race day, over 3,000 locals and tourists attend the races, which also generate somewhat of local media frenzy. Indeed, I had to get special permission to shoot video of the races. I felt like I was dealing with the National Football League or Major League Baseball for a minute. But after meeting Winston Pereira, who in addition to being in charge of this year’s festivities also runs the local Miller’s Guesthouse, we were able to work things out.

In addition to goat racing, they held a crab race to break things up and get some of the tourists involved. Both inside and outside the complex, there were all kinds of traditional Tobagonian food being cooked and sold (including crab, not sure if you could eat the losers).

Crab Race

The races lasted until sunset, when the racetrack lights had to be turned on for the big grand finale. After all the trophies and prizes had been distributed, the massive street party and concert began.  I had secured a room at the Seaside Garden Guesthouse, and while it was super convenient and right in the middle of all the action, the problem was, it was right in the middle of the action.  Trying to sleep there that evening was like trying to sleep during the middle of a concert at Madison Square Garden. I was pretty sleep deprived and am not a big partier, so I walked about ¼ mile or so to the edge of town to the hostel Fish Tobago. The owners were kind enough to cut me a deal on a bed for the night. I slept like a baby, oblivious to the extreme partying going on just down the road.

Aside from the beach, snorkeling, goat races and Sunday night parties, Buccoo is a nice little village where you can get to know the locals if you stay long enough. But they are somewhat jaded by tourists and some people may be quiet ambivalent about your presence.

Buccoo also lacks some infrastructure such as a good selection of restaurants and Tobago in general suffers with transportation infrastructure issues. If you don’t have wheels, just getting to and from Buccoo to nearby Crown Point is an adventure unto itself.

Jerk & BBQ Chicken

 

Miller’s Guesthouse has an excellent restaurant with breathtaking views of the bay. Eating there is very tranquil and relaxed and they have excellent food along with my favorite amenity; free Wi-Fi (evidently the rest of the island of Tobago didn’t get the memo that Wi-Fi is free for travelers almost everywhere else in the free world). While the food is really impressive, eating there for every meal can get a little expensive if you’re on a tight budget.

On Sunday night, some locals cook up a nice meal under a tent and you can load up on mahi-mahi or jerked chicken and other local favorites, but it’s going to cost you $15 U.S.

Buccoo’s beach itself is good if you like to be away from other travelers. There were times that I had the beach to myself. But there are many other things to see while on the island of Tobago, like the National Forest Reserve, the well preserved Fort King George in Scarborough, the much more commercial beach at Pigeon Point, surfing in Mt. Irvine Bay, diving in Charlottesville, etc. etc.

Mt. Irvine Beach, Tobago

 

But if you’re looking for a more remote getaway without a bunch of other tourists around or if you have wheels (they drive on the left side of the road, btw) and just need a good home base, then Buccoo Bay is a great spot. Unless of course you go during the big Sunday School Parties and Goat Races and would actually like to sleep!

Categories
Caribbean Trinidad & Tobago

Saving the Leatherback Sea Turtle

Stopping at one of the many remote beaches on the way to Grande Riviere

Our “wrong-side-of-the-road” driving adventure continued as we made our way to Grande Riviere, a remote beach haven on the north coast of Trinidad. Grand Riviere is accessible by car through miles of very narrow and windy roads via the northeast of the island. However, the drive along the east and north coast is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever experienced with remote beaches and charming little villages all along the way.

We stopped several times and as a result arrived in Grande Riviere after it was already dark, admittedly  not an ideal situation for navigating the unmarked road, narrow switchbacks and unpredictable terrain.

Beautiful bay of the fishing village of Grand Riviere

As a tourist destination, there is not that much to the town of Grande Riviere. It’s a small fishing village like so many others but with one distinct advantage, it’s a prime spot for watching the endangered Leatherback Sea Turtles lay their eggs.  With a couple of hotels strategically located right on the beach, during the turtle watching season (March-September) you can literally walk a few feet to the beach and see them doing their ancient business first hand.

During the season, the beach area is protected at night, which is when the turtles come ashore to nests, so you can only access the beach with official permits (easily purchased at the small Visitor Center close by) and under the guidance of a trained guide. The tour itself is relatively inexpensive and very informative.

One of the early morning Leatherbacks

Trinidad is one of the most important Leatherback Sea Turtle nesting sights in the world and at peak season, Grande Riviere can have up to 300 nesting leatherbacks in a single night. On the night we were there, there were probably around 50. Adults can weigh up to 2,000 lbs. and only the females come to land. They always return to the same beach where they themselves were born. While on the beach the female digs an egg chamber a few feet deep with her flippers and can lay up to 100 eggs.

After slipping into a slight trance while laying her eggs , she covers the chamber with sand and smooths it over to disguise the area from predators and returns to the sea. She may return up to 8 times a season to lay eggs.

The leatherbacks’ numbers have declined over the years for a variety of reasons including loss of habitat and people taking advantage of the slow moving creatures by using either their eggs or the turtles themselves as food.

Indeed the night we were there we saw a turtle that had obviously been injured, probably the result of a boat propeller cutting an ugly gash in it’s shell. At least this one survived.

Our guide regaled with tales of other turtles missing fins, as people would cut off parts of a live  turtle to use as food. He also said there had been instances of people actually piggy back riding the turtles when they come ashore, interrupting their nesting patterns.

Leatherback Turtle laying her eggs

Most likely only one or two out of a thousand eggs will survive their natural predators. The beach was full of eggs that had been dug up by local dogs and sucked dry.

Now, Ill be the first to admit that watching a turtle sounded as exciting to me as watching paint dry, but surprisingly, it was the coolest experience of the entire trip.

Watching these endangered, pre-historic animals haul their immense girth from God knows where in the deep, to lay dozens of eggs deep in the sandy beach is nothing short of amazing.  The turtles are on a mission that is ingrained in their tiny brains, to lay as many eggs, as deeply in the sand as possible and to keep perpetuating the species. They use their fins, which serve them so well in the ocean, to struggle onto shore and clumsily maneuver themselves on land. Then they use their tail and fins to burrow their back end as far as possible before they fall into a trance and lay the eggs.

At night, flash photography and flashlights are prohibited as the turtles are very sensitive to light and this would interrupt the nesting. So we were restricted to the guide’s infrared red light for visibility. We were not allowed to touch or disturb the turtles in any way, until they fell into their egg laying trance, at which point we were told it was OK to touch them. It felt like you’d expect a shelled reptile to feel, hard and prehistoric, not warm and fuzzy at all.

We had heard that if we were industrious enough to rise just before sunrise we might be lucky and  spot some of the laggards who had arrived late in the night (early in the morning) and would be finishing up their business before heading out to sea.

As much as I’m not an early riser, we are used to sleep deprivation on these shoots so we set our alarm for 5AM and hit jackpot. When the dawn arrived there were still half a dozen or so leatherbacks on the beach finishing up their tasks.

One mama turtle got disoriented and ended up in the bay rather than the ocean. We were able to eventually help guide her out to sea.

 

All in all the leatherback turtle watching is a pretty awesome thing to experience. I hope as sustainable tourism continues to take hold in Trinidad that their numbers will continue to rebound. If you want to learn more about saving the leatherback turtles and how you can help, check out the fine folks at the Turtle Village Trust.

We left Grande Riviere and headed back to Port of Spain but not before stopping off in Arima to visit the AmerIndian Museuem, which is in a reproduction of a long house used by indigenous communities centuries ago. The AmerIndian community in Arima is the last vestige of a shrinking organized community of people with indigenous roots on the island.  We were led on a tour of the museum by Ricardo, the current Chief, who maintains the museum and also conveniently lives next door.

Ricardo guides on a tour of the museum's kitchen

With all of the different ethnic influences in Trinidad (East Indian, African, Asian, Middle Eastern, Venezuelan, etc.), it’s easy to forget that the island was once inhabited entirely by indigenous tribes. But as Ricardo said, evidence of their influence is everywhere from the names of roads and towns, to the way food is cooked.  Arima is only a few kilometers from Port of Spain and easily and economically accessible by “Maxi Taxi”, a small shuttle bus. Entrance to the museum is free, though a small donation is asked for and appropriate.

Exhibit in the AmerIndian Museum in Arima

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Caribbean Trinidad & Tobago

Trinidad Road Trip (albeit on the “wrong” side of the road)

We wanted to see what was beyond Port of Spain, so we rented a car for a 3 day journey around  Trinidad. I’ve driven in many a 3rd world countries, often with road signs in another language. So one would think Trinidad would be piece of cake with their English language road signs right? Wrong!

Waterloo Temple by the Sea

Being a former British colony, Trinis drive on the opposite side of the road. For the Yankees from the U.S., the steering wheel is where the passenger seat normally sits, the blinker and windshield wipers are on opposite sides meaning that every time I signaled to turn, the windshield wipers would go instead, leading to snickering from my travel mates, at least the first 10 times or so.

Also, I can’t count the number of times I jumped hastily into the passenger’s side, ready to drive before realizing I was in the wrong seat. This also ceased to be funny after about the 15th time.

Driving on the left side of the road was disorienting especially the first day. Can I turn left on a red light? I wouldn’t dare try it and would ignore the honks of protests behind me.

Judging distances on the other side of the car proved challenging. Many times I ran off the shoulder and more often than not there was no actual “shoulder”, just a 3 foot deep concrete ditch! Not 3 hours into the drive, I had successfully busted the passenger side mirror by getting a wee bit too close to a parked truck. Time to review my insurance coverage (I recommend doing this prior to renting by the way).

Inside Waterloo

Speaking of parking, Trinidad has a distinct and very unique driving culture. Parking against traffic on the opposite side of the road whenever one feels the need is the norm. The effect was that it always felt I was headed for an inevitable head on collision. The narrow roads with no shoulders made passing these parked cars a challenge.

Alas, after a short while I finally got into the groove and found the unwritten rules of driving in Trinidad. I also found that most Trinis are very courteous, often blinking their lights and softly tooting their horn to signal you to cut into traffic in front of them, etc.

In Port of Spain at least, they almost always stop for pedestrians, allowing them to cross. So unlike most of Latin America where I’ve traveled and it seems the cars are taking aim at you (one notable exception is Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay).

Waterloo Temple by the Sea

Luckily, the mirror scrape was the most serious mishap but there were other close calls. My general thoughts on foreigners not accustomed to left side driving, is don’t do it. But if you really want an  adventure and are confident in your driving abilities abroad and have a good co-pilot (I had two), then go for it, but as I said, I’d check your insurance plan first.

Unfortunately public transportation in Trinidad leaves so much to be desired that if you want to see the beauty that is Trinidad beyond Port of Spain (and who wouldn’t) on your own schedule, then a rental car or a hired driver is really the only way to go.

Our first day we journeyed to the southern part of the island to see Chaguanas, the East Indian town a few minutes south of Port of Spain and then further down to Carapichaima to see the famous Waterloo Temple by the Sea and the Datta Yoga Center complete with an 85 foot Hanuman God statue.

The Temple by the Sea did not disappoint but the weather did. It started raining heavily just as we arrived but we managed to get off a few decent exteriors and even one shot of the interior before being told by the groundskeeper no photos or video taping of the inside were allowed. Whoops! I made a nice donation in hoping to compensate properly for my happy mistake.

The original temple was built by Sewdass Sadhu, a laborer, in the 1940s. He originally built it on shore on land that belonged to the local sugar company. After 5 years it was knocked to the ground and Sewdass was sent to prison. When he was released he decided to build a new temple in the sea, where no one owned the land. He spent over 20 years building the Waterloo Temple with whatever materials he could get his hand on. It was constantly eroding because of the water, so in 1995 the government had it refurbished to the temple you can see today.

On the way out we noticed a parked car with big loudspeakers blasting fundamental Christian music, seemingly to harass the visitors of the temple which belied the overall impression I have that all Trinis are very tolerant of other religions. Some are, some aren’t, just like everywhere else.

Next we searched for the giant Hanuman Murti statue and Davina yoga center in the rain but to no avail. Since it was raining hard by now and we were running behind schedule we decided to catch it on the return trip.

Pointe A Pierre Wildfowl Trust

We made our way further down south to the Pointe-A-Pierre Wildfowl Trust , a lovely bird sanctuary ironically in the middle of an oil refinery.

By now the rain had ceased and it was nearing dusk, a perfect time to visit the trust. We were taken on an hour long tour  and while I never really considered bird watching an exciting travel activity, but I may just have to change my mind after touring the Trust.

The dedicated group at Pointe A Pierre have done nothing short of an incredible job to to provide a beautiful sanctuary for birds, many of them endangered. The grounds are located ironically inside of a huge oil refinery and are alive with the squawking and beautiful sounds of birds everywhere. There are peacocks spreading their wings, the national bird, the scarlet ibis along with all kinds of other species of birds.

The folks at the Trust are true conservationists, breeding endangered species for release into the wild and taking in animals that are the victims of illegal pet keeping. Upon arrival you are met by  a parakeet in a cage who will carry on a conversation with you. He’s the only bird kept in a small cage and that is only because he is unable to fend for himself in the wild after being permanently injured when someone tried to smuggle him out of the country to sell as an exotic pet.

Real Snake @ the Widlfowl Trust's Museum

They also have a small but cool Indigenous museum that features relics of the island’s Amerindian past as well as live reptiles and other wildlife found on the island.

It’s easy to see that Molly and Karilyn and the entire staff at Pointe-A-Pierre are true lovers of nature and are doing a good work at not only providing a sanctuary for birds (they tend to fill to capacity during hunting season as the birds seek the sanctuary out) but also in educating visitors on how we can change our ways to co-exist with nature.

Staff & Volunteers from Pointe A Pierre Wildfowl Trust

Their partnership with the oil refinery is perhaps the best example of how nature and commerce can co-exist. I hope for all our sake that organizations like the Pointe-A-Pierre Trusts will continue to flourish and influence the way we treat our planet.

The Scarlet Ibis - Trinidad's Endangered Official Bird

We spent the night in San Fernando, Trinidad’s second largest city. Next day we were up early to go see the ugly but amazing, naturally occurring asphalt lake, Pitch Lake. After driving down windy and ironically horribly paved roads we arrived at Pitch Lake to be accosted and gouged by not one but two tour guides (one was a guide and another a “demonstrator”), charging $45 U.S. each. We obviously screwed up by not getting an official guide, which are identified by their red shirts with logos identifying them as official tour guides. On closer observation after it was too late, our guide’s seemingly official red shirt had a Dicky logo on it. Very clever.

The entire tour became a battle of the guides, as I suppose each was afraid they’d get cut out of the payment, so they yelled and tried to out do each other in demonstrating many of the lake’s interesting attributes. Despite the unofficial, unprofessional demeanor of the guides we did learn a few things.

Ugly but interesting.. Trinidad's Pitch Lake

The bad pavement on the way over was no coincidence, the lake sucks the ground and objects in an around in over 100 acre circumference.  This includes the ground below the pavement and under some houses that live on a “vein”. The foundation on the houses on this vein must constantly be adjusted and jacked up every 3 to 4 months to remain level. Stationary objects like trees, or whatever you may leave on the ground for a few months will also gradually get sucked into the lake and make it’s way underground to eventually to be spit up by the lake.

There was also an asphalt version of quick sand. Our “guide” stood in it for a few seconds and was sinking steadily up to his kneecaps. Had he not moved, he would have kept on going and as he says “one mistake and it’s all over for me”. He told us a few months ago, 6 cows perished in the asphalt quicksand. Maybe he was worth the $45 U.S. after all.

After paying our two extortionists, excuse me, “guides” we headed back the way we came to make the drive to Grand Riviere for some turtle watching that evening. This is a hell drive by Trini standards as you are basically going from one corner of the island to the other, much of it curvy, windy almost one lane roads.

The 85 Foot Hanuman Murti Statue

So in order to break up the trip we searched for the Datta Yoga Center in Carapichaima once again and this time, in hot, sunny weather we spotted the huge 85 foot Hanuman Murti or monkey-faced God, the largest outside of India.

The statue and surrounding temple area are nothing short of amazing. A colorful oasis in an otherwise hot and scorching day. It was pretty much deserted so we had free run of the place for photos and video and once again I made a nice donation in hopes of gaining favor by the Murti for a safe journey on the winding roads to Grande Riviere for some turtle watching.

Robert and Renzo at the Hanuman Murti

Tune in to see if it worked!

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Caribbean Trinidad & Tobago

Slavery, Cricket and the Steel Pan

Cricket @ Queens Park Oval (Not me!)

Our first day of filming in Port of Spain proper and we started the day by visiting Andres, a former cricket pro who owns the cricket store at the Queens Park Oval, one of the oldest and finest cricket clubs in the Caribbean and former home to the greatest Cricket player in the 20th century, Brian Charles Lara.

In addition to being a cricket expert Andres is also a really nice guy. He’s also very patient. He helped explain the history as well as some of the rules of cricket to me, a guy whose eyes glaze over at mere mention of baseball, the New York Yankees or “Spring Training”. Despite being a really slow game (some matches take up to 2 days!), I found many elements of cricket very fascinating.

Andres & his lovely daughters in front of his store

When he hooked me up with some cricket gear (about $1,000 worth) and bowled (pitched) to me, I saw first hand that the game has a real element of danger as well. The small red ball can be bowled  really fast (sometimes up to 90 mph) and it is very unpredictable as not only can the bowler put some mojo on it similar to a baseball pitcher, it also usually bounces before you get to swing and can bound off in any direction.

Anyway I got a chance to try my skills at the game and combined my knowledge of golf (nil) with baseball (close to nil) but after about 4 or 5 slow pitches I finally made contact with the ball and felt pretty good about things.

Brian Charles Lara is a hero in Port of Spain

After Cricket, the crew and I tried one of the ubiquitous Chinese restaurants. Chinese food is very popular in T&T and Asians are a considerable cultural influence on the island, many having migrated there as the East Indians, as indentured servants.

The Chinese food in Trinidad seemed so much healthier and less greasy than the Chinese fare we are so used to in NYC.

After lunch we headed over to “African Trophies” and incredible store on the main thoroughfare in the Woodbrook section of POS. The store’s owner is Mr. Fitzgerald Francis, an Ex United Nations executive and also a really nice guy. Are you sensing a theme here?

African Trophies with Mr. Fitzgerald Frances

Fitzgerald is trying to help reinstate African history to the island after decades of attempts by the ruling classes to separate African slaves and their descendants from their ancestral heritage.

Fitzgerald graciously filled us in on the significant African history and contribution to present day Trinidad & Tobago (T&T)  then he toured us around his store which is nothing short of amazing.

This African Drum retails for over $25K U.S.
The power of unity. Each piece is individual but interconnected.

There are 4 floors of incredibly, beautiful, authentic handicrafts direct from almost every country in central and southern Africa. From huge, incredibly detailed woodcraft African drums that go for $25K U.S. to smaller handcrafts around $20-$30 (more my speed) to complete furniture sets, clothing, books, DVDs, visiting Mr. Francis’ store is like visiting the continent itself.

They even have a small display of real ivory that Mr. Francis acquired by special permission in order to showcase to people and hopefully educate them about the dangers of poaching elephants for their ivory.

I’ve always wanted to visit Africa and now I’m afraid it’s a permanent condition. If you are ever in Port of Spain and have 2-3 hours to kill, African Trophies is the spot.

African Trophies has real Ivory for display only

Next up was a brief meeting and interview at the National Carnival Bands Association of Trinidad and Tobago, the people who help organize the massive Carnival celebration. Mr. David Cameron was extremely helpful in getting us access to video footage from past carnival celebrations and perhaps most importantly we were able to dig into the deeper, more historical meaning of carnival in Trinidad which is one of the most famous Carnival celebrations in the world.

Ready for Carnival? At the NCBATT offices.

It started to rain (hey, I thought this was the dry season!) so we took some time off and had a quick dinner of jerk chicken before heading just down the street to the famous “Invaders” steel pan orchestra practice.

Prodigy Luke Walker

I had stumbled upon the Invader’s practice a few days ago while hunting dinner and I just followed my ears to their rehearsal space, a big lot in front of the Queens Oval Cricket stadium. One thing I love about Port of Spain is the fact that you will hear live Calypso music wafting through the streets on almost any given evening. It’s a huge part of the culture here and not just a style of music you hear during Carnival time.

The Invaders are the oldest steel pan band in the world (having formed in the 1940 as “The Oval Boys” shortly after the steel pan was invented) and they tour all over the world. Indeed, ironically enough some of them were in my home state of Tennessee, touring Dollywood when we shot.

Invaders Steel Pan Orchestra

After hearing them play I can understand why. Jason is the leader and he ran them through a couple of songs for us including an original tune they had composed that had won them a high standing in the latest Panorama competition, an event that brings together the best Steel Pan in Trinidad (and thus the world).

The Invaders, like most steel pan orchestras, has a diverse mix of male and female, young and old playing together. One impressive young player, Luke Walker, was just 10 years old and had been playing since the age of 3. He was a true pleasure to watch.

After playing a few very simple tunes on one of the drums myself, it was now past 10PM and we headed back to the hotel to try to get at least 6 hours of sleep before we do the dreaded “car rental” and I drive on the left side of the road for the first time. Should be interesting. Stay tuned to see if I survive!

 

Categories
Trinidad & Tobago

The Winding Roads of Trinidad & Lopinot Village

 

Limin' with "Anti Everything" in Queens Park Savannah

Port of Spain has been awesome and after a great night out of “limin'” (hanging out) with our buddies from Anti-Everything it was an early wake up call for our first full day of shooting.

We hired a local driver, Jared, for the day and he was great and most importantly a safe driver familiar with the ahem, uh.. lets just say “uniqueness” of Trinidad’s driving culture and infrastructure.

Maracas Bay

Our first stop was Maracas Bay so that the film crew could get a taste of the famous Bake n Shark. This was my 2nd time so I guided the guys through the process of hooking up their Bake N Shark at the buffet line. It being a beautiful Sunday and Easter vacation beginning, well the line was much longer than when I went last Thursday, but worth the extra wait.

Lopinot Museum Entertainment

We then doubled back and headed to the small, remote village of Lopinot Village, where Arturo Guerrero and his considerably large family have lived for generations. They opened a guest house for travelers wishing to experience this lovely little town.  Arturo, his mother and 7 sisters and their extended family welcomed us with a traditional Spanish song called a “parang”. The singing of Parong is from Venezuela and is normally performed at Christmas, but in Lopinot, is sung year round.

W e toured the Lopinot Museum which was more fun than you’d expect thanks to the colorful presenter/curator there. The Guerrero’s then fed us a delicious meal and sang some more Parangs for us as we reluctantly had to part and return to Port of Spain to hit the Anti-Everything rehearsal.

Lopinot Cuisine

Anti Everything is Port of Spain’s only punk band and they are currently recording their 2nd CD, so we dropped by the lead singer, Bryan’s house to hear them perform a few songs. Bryan’s family graciously fed us some excellent Roti, an East Indian style of food that I’m starting to really dig. The guys have been nothing short of amazing in their hospitality and arranged for us a ride to our hotel as we had worked a 14 hour day.

 

I was really glad we had hired a private driver because the roads to both Maracas Bay and Lopinot are really, really winding and narrow, not to mention they drive on the other side of the road with the steering wheel on the right side of the car! I couldn’t help but dread Tuesday when I was scheduled to rent a car for a drive down south Pitch Lake.

Anti Everything Rehearsal

But in the meantime, I reveled in the friendliness of the Trinidadian people. They are so laid back and friendly in a very real and non patronizing way. It’s really an infectious vibe that I hope I can incorporate into my own life on a regular basis.

 

 

Categories
Trinidad & Tobago

Trinidad – Limin’ in St. James

Port of Spain has been great so far. Food is good, people are friendly and “laid back” is the mantra. I can deal with this. Of course it’s always hard for an ex-New Yorker to keep his cool and chill sometimes, especially since we’re working and up against deadlines. But then my Tennessee roots get a chance to shine and take over.

The gang from "Anti-Everything" enjoying Bake n Shark in Maracas Bay

I finished up my last bit of pre-production by taking in a little Cricket match at the Queens Park Oval. Andres, an ex professional player for T&T and proprietor of the on site Cricket sporting goods store graciously showed me around and we agreed to hook back up on Monday when the film crew is here. Though cricket looks a little slow for my taste (some matches last 2 full days!), the outfits look mad cool and I’m hoping Andres can show me some pointers.

Tassa Drumming in St. James, Port of Spain-Trinidad

Also, last night the guys from the local punk band (yes, the only one on the island), Anti-Everything took me out for a little pre-limin, limin if you will (“limin” is Trini talk for “hanging out”) after letting me sit in on one of their studio sessions as they get ready to record a new CD.

I had a meat pie which was excellent but held off on the Roti and Doubles until the camera can document my first reactions when the crew gets here.  If it’s anything like the meat pie or the bake n shark, well, this show could be come the “No Reservations” episode cause I’m telling you the food here is good. And while I certainly don’t claim to be Anthony Bourdain, I will say that though we normally eschew food segments on the show due to the proliferation of food themed travel shows, for this particular episode, I think we’ll make an exception.

Pretty Trini Girl

I mean in Trinidad you have so much diversity on display simply through the food choices; East Indian, American Indian, African, Spanish, Asian and um, well.. also there is …  British?!

And then there is the music. As you’ve probably guessed punk music is not that big of a deal on an island with only one punk band, but the fact that there is one excellent punk band on the island does sort of speak volumes about how a culture of 1.3 million people are open to different influences. Last night we witnessed some Tassa drumming from East India and it was nothing short of spectacular. I have a little lo fi flip cam video of that coming soon so stay tuned.

Makin' Roti in St. James, Port of Spain

And we’re just getting started. On our first day of filming, we’re heading to the world famous Maracas Bay beach to sample some Shark N Bake (more food!) and then off to Lopilo, the island’s historic Spanish colony before ending the night with a rehearsal from the guys of Anti-Everything.

And that is just for starters! so hang tight, our trip to Trinidad and Tobago has just begun!

More pretty Trinis!

 

Categories
Argentina

Sinking Our Teeth Into Salta & Cafayete

Visiting Buenos Aires is an easy decision. But one of the toughest decisions when visiting Argentina is figuring out where to go when you are ready to venture outside of Buenos Aires and experience the rest of this fascinating country.

You can do as we did and take easy day trips to neighboring towns Tigre and San Antonio de Areco, but to really get a feel for this country, you need to travel further outside the capital city where nearly half of the country’s inhabitants live.

There are so many choices. You can head to the edge of the Amazon to take in the incredible Iguazu Falls on the border of Brazil; Or take in the beautiful lakes and natural wonders of San Carlos de Bariloche; or head down to the end of the world to the incredible Patagonia region; or if you are craving to soak up some vitamin D and it’s summer, how about the beaches of nearby Mar Del Plata? Don’t forget the wine region of Mendoza! Unless you are visiting for 3 months or longer, you’ll have to make some hard choices.

On the way from Salta to Cafayate

Even if you have a 6 to 8 weeks, you can probably get to most of these wonderful spots without feeling like you are rushing through them.

But alas, like most people, we were on a bit tighter schedule (10 days) and an even tighter budget. So little time, so many places. We had to pick one destination, so we turned to our trusty friend, part time resident and  Argentina travel expert and writer, Michael Luongo. Michael admitted these were all tough choices but recommended the Salta Province.

Historic Churches in Salta

We took Michael’s advice and man are we glad we did. By traveling to the Salta Province we got a more indigenous take on Argentina. The city of Salta itself is beautiful with historical buildings and beautiful old churches and the pace of the city is worlds apart from bustling Buenos Aires. You can get a great view of the city really quickly by taking a ride on the city’s metro cable overlooking the surrounding area.

We arrived around 4 in the afternoon which was siesta time. We were amazed at the quietness and tranquility in the streets. But that all changed when the sun began to set, the city began to cool down and people came out to resume their day/evening.  Historic downtown Salta suddenly became a beehive of bustling activity.

We were there during Carnival month so we were able to take in some indigenous dancing on the main square each night, a type of dancing that you may have a tough time finding in Buenos Aires with all the Tango parlors and modern discos pumping salsa and electronica music.

The other great thing about Salta is you can take a very scenic and easy drive to wine country Cafayate, which is just a few hours away by car and most importantly, has some of the most stunning desert landscapes known to man. If you make the drive you want to definitely schedule some time to stop along the way and take photographs. The scenery is absolutely stunning and the traffic when we went at least, was very, very light on the winding roads.

Grapes of Bodega El Esteco

When we arrived, our first clue that this was probably the tranquil little town that had been described in the guidebooks, was when we spotted a donkey roaming the streets.

The altitude in the Calchaquí Valley mixed with the desert weather helps this region grow some of the best grapes for wine in the world. So after spending the night in Cafayate, we visited one of the many wineries around town, Bodega El Esteco.

El Esteco was founded in 1892 and distributes millions of bottles of wines a year. Andres Hoy from El Esteco toured us through the winery and took us through the process of growing the grapes all the way to bottling. After the tour we did the customary wine tasting. My favorite was the organic white wine but it turns out even non organic Argentine wine is the closest thing to “organic” in the world, with very little pesticide spraying going on compared to other wine producing nations like the U.S. or France.

Carnival Time in Salta

Also, since the weather is very consistent, almost any year is as good as the next. This is is very different from wines grown in the U.S. or Europe, which may have one outstanding year out of five or ten years, so you need to really know your stuff when ordering those wines.

Wide Open Spaces on the Way to Quilmes

Just a short drive out from Cafayate are the fascinating Quilmes Ruins, where the Diaguita people lived between 800 and 1665 AD. At one time over 6,000 people from the tribe of Quilmes lived in this stunning city on a hill, now know as Quilmes. The ruins were discovered in the early 1900s and restored in the late 1970s.

Quilmes Ruins

 

The Quilmes Ruins are the only remaining, fully restored ruins in all of Argentina today. The descendents from these original settlers still live in the city today and if you go, you’ll find them selling their crafts and conducting tours a to the smattering of off the beaten path daily travelers. While Quilmes is indeed slightly off the beaten path it’s well worth the relatively short drive from Cafayate in my opinion.

If you have the time, take the drive north of Salta towards the town of San Salvador de Jujuy. On the drive there it’s the direct opposite of Cafayate’s desert climate, with lush, green hills and chilled, mountain air. We were limited on time, so essentially we made it to San Salvador de Jujuy for lunch and had to turn around and head back to Salta to get ready for our trip home, but not before witnessing a very cool little Carnival street parade which resulted in the crew getting doused with flour, which is evidently part of the tradition and definitely part of the fun.

Carnival Procession in San Salvador de Jujuy

Salta Province was a good call. We were able to experience a different side of Argentina that you could easily miss if you remained in the more populated areas surrounding Buenos Aires. Most people don’t realize the influence the indigenous people have had and are still having on the culture of Argentina. Salta is a good place to visit to gain a perspective often given short shrift in some guidebooks and many travel blogs.

 

 

Categories
Argentina South America

Day Tripping in Argentina – Tigre & San Antonio

Buenos Aires is one of those cities where you can spend a week, a month or several weeks and never get bored. But like most metropolitan areas, after a few days of hectic city life, you may find yourself itching  for more leisurely and tranquil pursuits.

Some Entertainment in Tigre

Now if you’re like me on many of my trips and don’t plan ahead, it’s really not a problem. You can simply take the train or bus on a plethora of day trips or weekend getaways. But be forewarned, many Porteños (the nickname of Buenos Aires’ residents, which roughly translated means “from the port”) may have the same idea, especially during their summer vacation months of January and February.

We decided to head to the town of Tigre, which sits on network of river streams and deltas just an hour or so away from Buenos Aires by train. When we arrived to the train station, there were rows of TV cameras, police and throngs of people milling about outside of the train station. Turns out our luck had taken a turn for the worse and our flexible nature was to be challenged when we learned that the train workers were on strike and the station closed for the day.

A Summer House in Tigre

As much as this interrupted our plans, I tried to imagine what it was like for average Argentines who rely on train transportation to commute to their jobs, for those fortunate enough to be gainfully employed. Since the days of the Military Rule in the 1980s when dissent carried a much heavier price, strikes and protests have been a big part of Argentine culture.

We quickly changed our shooting strategy and decided to shoot some of the other sites around Buenos Aires. We headed over to the modern barrio of Puerto Madero which is full of upscale apartments and hotels, restaurants, bars and museums. Later we traveled to the outskirts to visit the city’s China Town and Jewish section to get an idea of Buenos Aires’ diversity.

The Delta River Town of Tigre

The next day our trip to Tigre was back on and this time the trains worked like a charm. The train ride was lovely and we were entertained by an elderly harp player on the ride over. Tigre lies on an island created by several rivers and is a popular spot for locals. Some have lovely summer homes on the river while others rent places for a night or two if they need a quick weekend away from the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires. Others, like us, are simply day trippers.

Tigre is also a town where people work and live and carry on with their daily lives (they have a decent soccer team). There is a pretty good downtown where you’ll find an amusement park, a fruit market that seems to sell everything but fruit, and several other things to do. My favorite was the Yerba Mate Museum which was small but very cool and helped me understand why sipping Mate tea is such an important part of the culture for people in this part of the world.

Yerba Mate Museum - a must see in Tigre

You can travel up and down and around Tigre by boat and the river is a lot like a freeway, with row boats, motorized speed boats and bigger boat taxis like the one we took, all vying for space as they travel up and down the river picking up passengers and dropping them off at various points along the way.

Glass Enclosed House on the Banks of Tigre

After hitting the Mate museum and a few other popular spots we called it a day. We were due to take another day trip to San Antonio de Areco the following day so we took a late afternoon train back to Buenos Aires where we arrived in time for dinner (which in Buenos Aires can be 10 or 11 pm).

The beautiful square in downtown San Antonio de Areco

The next day it was up early to catch the bus to the town of San Antonio de Areco, a small and lovely little gaucho (Argentine Cowboy) town a couple of hours by bus from Buenos Aires. After the bus company inexplicably and unceremoniously dropped me and the crew off at the outskirts of town, we took the long, hot dusty walk to the center of town where the town square and church are located. From here you get a sense of the draw for travelers as San Antonio is a quaint and tranquil little town popular with tourists and locals alike.

There is a gaucho museum on the outskirts of town and in the center of town within spitting distance of the square is the Draghi Silversmith Museum which is not to be missed.  Juan José Draghi was a master Silversmith who founded the shop which later became a museum and features incredible pieces of his family’s work. These days his son and daughter keep the Juan Jose’s legacy alive.

They have produced customized silver pieces for many famous people the world over including former President, George H. Bush. They toured us around and showed us how they are keeping their father’s legacy alive by continuing to create incredible works of art using his time honored techniques.

The Draghi Silversmith Museum

If you decide to stay in San Antonio over night, the Draghis also have a beautiful little bed and breakfast just behind the shop and museum. It looks like a lovely place to stay the night and experience the tranquility of San Antonio.

But most people visit San Antonio to ultimately visit one of the many Estancias or ranches that still operate in the region. We decided to visit El Cencerro, a lovely working estancia about 30 minutes away by taxi from San Antonio. El Cencerro is owned by a friendly couple Eduardo and Liliana Herbstein who personally host travelers during the busy summer months and on weekends.

Taping the local critters at El Cencerro

The ranch takes it’s name, Cencerro, from the bell that is used by Gauchos to tame horses. El Cencerro was recommended to me by Frommer’s  Buenos Aires guidebook writer, Michael Luongo who had helped us plan our itinerary. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I had briefly known Eduardo and Liliana’s son, Leondro, who lived in New York City and once handled publicity for the boutique world music label “Putamayo Records”. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been traveling and when I tell someone I’m from New York City, we were able to piece together a connection in a similar fashion (thought usually not so direct).  I’m not sure why, but for me it truly makes the world seem like a smaller and somehow friendlier place.

However, for Eduardo and Liliana, no connection is really needed. They could not have been nicer to us or their guests. They arranged for us to have lunch with them and a visiting U.S. family from Miami. The lunch was a typical Argentine meat lovers delight and a menu of what one would expect at a working cattle ranch, plenty of delicious barbeque meat, so vegans beware. There was also some excellent Argentine wine of course!

In full "Gaucho" mode with the crew of El Cencerro

Maybe it was the wine, but after lunch I succumbed to the urgings of the crew and the Herbsteins and dressed up like a typical gaucho. Then I was recruited by the real gauchos who live and work on site to help corral some cattle. I  even tried my hand riding a horse and roping a cow. My Tennessee farm boy background didn’t really help. Too many years of city life had made me soft I suppose.

Later Eduardo took us on a short tour of the nearby town of Capilla del Señor, one of the oldest towns in all of Argentina. From there we saw a couple of big hot air passenger balloons floating in the distance giving some lucky travelers a birds eye view of gaucho territory.

El Cencerro's pony is for kids... and greenhorns like me!

Back at El Cencerro, sipping Yerba Mate at the end of the day with the our new friends from El Cencerro and watching an incredible sunset against the backdrop of cows, horses and windmills gave me an incredible feeling of tranquility and wishing we could stay longer. But alas, we had to say our goodbyes and we took a late night shuttle taxi back to Buenos Aires where we were to regroup before heading out to the lovely Salta Province.

If you are ever in Buenos Aires for more than 3 days at a time, I highly recommend taking a day trip, either to Tigre or to El Cencerro just outside of San Antonio de Areco. It’s a fairly quick, easy and inexpensive way to get a taste of life for the other half of Argentina’s inhabitants who prefer the rural life and the simpler pleasures of life outside the bustling capital city.

Beautiful Summer Sunset at El Cencerro

 

 

 

Categories
Argentina South America

Giving Back With Voluntario Global In Buenos Aires

Day 2 in Buenos Aires. The rain has cleared and it’s a beautiful, sunny summer day. We were scheduled to spend the first part of the day with the fine folks at Voluntario Global, the non profit organization that for the past several years has helped connect scores of volunteer travelers who wish to give back to some of the most vulnerable and poor in the greater Buenos Aires area.

Volunteers from Voluntario Global

Helping the poor in Buenos Aires is a daunting task. Argentina was once one of the world’s top economies. But having barely survived multiple financial crises, a military dictatorship and a war in the last few decades, it’s estimated that there are over 4 million people or almost 1/3 of Buenos Aires’ population living in poverty with over 1 million completely indigent and unable to purchase basic food needs.

We’re not talking the kind of poverty where Mommy or Daddy can’t afford a new X-box for little Jane or Johnny for Christmas kind of poor. We’re talking the bitter, devastating kind found throughout the better part of the third world kind; the kind where you regularly see young kids as young as 3 or 4 years old, juggling, playing music, or performing acrobatics or just plain begging at stop lights for spare change so their family can eat.

The Argentine government is unable (some say unwilling) to help all the poor, many of them recent immigrants from surrounding countries such as Peru, Ecuador or Paraguay or indigenous people from rural Argentina who make their way to the capital for a better opportunity and find it lacking.

That is where Voluntario Global comes in. They work with volunteer travelers from all over the world and help them connect with different organizations in Buenos Aires to make a difference. We interviewed the organization’s founder Valeria who gave us some insight on how the program works.

Voluntario Global Volunteer Signs The Wall

Voluntario Global offers many different packages that not only provide volunteer placement but can combine the traveler’s volunteer experience with long term accommodations, tango, salsa or Spanish classes, so it’s not all dreary work all the time if you don’t want it to be. I was really impressed with Voluntario Global’s mission but more importantly their enthusiasm and commitment to their mission. Their accommodations, reserved solely for volunteers,  did create a bit of envy from our production crew as we had rented an apartment in the Micro Center that was in dire need of remodeling.

They invited us to see some of the volunteers in action, so we headed off to one of Buenos Aires’ biggest psychiatric hospitals, where we met up with volunteer travelers from the U.S. who were helping the patients with creating a garden. Simple, relaxing tasks such as gardening can offer valuable therapy to patients as they begin to transition leaving the hospital to return to the outside world.

Next we made it over to one of the community food kitchens and computer training centers in the colorful but impoverished La Boca neighborhood. There volunteers can help in the kitchen or in the computer training center helping to train people with little access to technology.

Voluntario Global Volunteers Working the Kitchen

For travelers who’ve never visited Buenos Aires or for travelers seeking a new kind of experience when traveling, then Voluntario Global is really a valuable asset, not to mention the lifesaving services they are giving to help the many poor in Argentina, who’d have little to no hope otherwise. If you don’t find your way to Argentina but would still like to help out, Voluntario Global has fundraising opportunities as well. Visit their SITE to find out more.

One of the Many Tango Shows Along El Caminito

After we left the fine folks at Voluntario Global we continued our tour around the colorful, touristy but edgy neighborhood of La Boca. I say edgy because almost every travel guide out there and especially the locals will advise you against stumbling around La Boca at night. However, during the day, there is plenty to do and it’s full of tourists and police so you can walk along and find it as fun and inviting as anywhere in Buenos Aries, especially along the colorful if touristy El Caminito.

Demonstrating My Tango Moves in El Caminito

Caminito is a street with a long strip of restaurants and bars teeming with Tango Acts, performance artists and people hawking souvenirs. La Boca (the mouth) gets it’s name from the fact that it’s a port town. At the turn of the last century this is where many of the Italian immigrants ended up. The neighborhood was even more poor and hardscrabble during these times and the large barges and ships that came through would give or trade their excess paint to the locals, who used it to pain their “mostly” tin houses, the result is one of the most visually colorful spots in all of South America.

"Eva" and "Che" in El Caminito

Also La Boca is home to the legendary soccer team the “Boca Juniors” where the great (love him or hate him) soccer player Diego Maradona used to play.  Now if you’re not there on game day, no worries, then you can still check out the incredible museum and even walk out onto the legendary “La Bombonera” field to get some kind of feel for the craziness that is futbol (soccer) in Argentina.

Diego Maradona Mural in La Boca

But if you really want to get a feel for how crazy soccer is in Buenos Aires, hit up a game. Since we weren’t in La Boca on game day, I went to see the the Boca Junior’s chief rivals, “Club Atletico River Plate” play on the other side of town a few days later. Just remember not to wear your Boca Juniors souvenir shirt to a River Plate soccer game. You literally could get killed for this seemingly innocent mistake. We’re not talking “Jets vs. Giants” type of rivalry here. In Argentina, soccer is a akin to religion and it can get taken to a level that we in the U.S. see as insane.

Settling Into Our Seats Before The Game @ River Plate Stadium

The night I went with my buddy Humberto who organizes tour packages to the games for travelers.  River Plate was playing one of the other many soccer clubs in the Buenos Aires area. Let me tell you the atmosphere was out of this world, people singing, chanting, laughing, having a good time. Due to problems and extreme violence in the past, they no longer sell or allow alcohol at these events and the visiting team fans are required to enter the stadium from a completely different area of town under heavy, heavy police escort.

As the game wore on and River Plate, which was in a slump, seemed destined to lose. The crowd went from joyous to downright surly. Before the game began, when I had my video camera out, fans were clowning around, trying to get in the shot and welcoming me to the game, but now they were giving me a vibe of “get that camera out of my face” and I did so.

Futbol (Soccer) Is BIG in Argentina

River Plate lost, didn’t even score a goal and Humberto apologized on behalf of the team, saying it was one of the worst soccer games he’d seen in a while. For me, a very casual futbol fan, I  had a great time taking in the atmosphere of a professional soccer match in Buenos Aires.

When the game was over we, the home fans, were required to stay in the stadium for a good half hour to 45 minutes more as the visiting fans were allowed a generous head start to leave the stadium safely (once again under police escort). The visiting fans, knowing the home fans can’t  leave until well after they do, often take their time leaving, sticking around to chant songs and taunt the home fans (especially after a visiting victory).

I can’t imagine a sport, any sport, being taken to these extremes but there is a ton of history and rivalry between clubs in Buenos Aires. When you think about the insane amount of money and respect paid to athletes in the U.S. these days well…I’m not sure which is the bigger fallacy.

The Sunday Crowd @ San Telmo Flea Market

The next day was a Sunday and I wanted to hit up the big antique flea market in the historic neighborhood of San Telmo. San Telmo is one of Buenos Aires’ oldest neighborhoods and it is really quiet a charming area of town. It has a bit more of a gritty feel to it than the upscale neighborhoods of Palermo or Recoleta, but it also has more of a neighborhood feel to it as well.

San Telmo - The Oldest Barrio in Buenos Aires

San Telmo is within walking distance of major tourist sites and has a lovely section of restaurants and bars at Plaza Dorrego which set along cobblestone streets. The flea market is huge stretching along block after block and attracting locals and tourist alike each and every weekend. There are probably at least a dozen or so hostels and hotels in the neighborhood of San Telmo that attract a more alternative, indie budget traveler. So if you decide to break with the crowd and stay in San Telmo rather than the other more upscale areas of Buenos Aires, you’ll be in good company.

NEXT UP: We get outside of the city and get an amazing change of atmosphere with some common day trips.

Categories
Argentina South America

Buenos Aires – Going Underground!

Today we took the Buque Bus or ferry boat from Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The trip is short and pleasant and if you buy the ticket ahead of time, inexpensive. It’s one of those trips that where you arrive earlier than when you left due to time zone difference. As for the crew, we’re thankful for the extra hour of sleep Buenos Aires will provide (though we are still much farther ahead than NYC or the crew’s home base of Bogota).

At the Obelisco

It was raining when we arrived but when the skies cleared we set out to take a few shots of the this amazing city. 

We visited Casa Rosada (Pink House) in Plaza Mayor, which is sort of like the U.S. White House. If you go on the weekend you can usually get a free tour that is pretty fascinating. If you do the tour be sure and get a photo from the famous balcony where the leader Evita Peron addressed her mostly adoring throngs.

From Casa Rosada, we  took the metro (subway) to meet up with Michael Luongo, a North American travel writer and expert on all things Buenos Aires who had graciously agreed to show us around his adopted city. If you take the A Line, many of the trains are the old school wooden cars like they had when the metro first debuted as the first subway in Latin America around the turn of the last century; complete with a car attendant to open and shut the doors manually.

We met Michael at the famous Buenos Aires landmark the Obelisco. We then headed to Calle Florida, the equally famed pedestrian street packed with, you guessed it, pedestrians.  Calle Florida is indeed crowded and chaotic but it’s a great place to people watch and catch some interesting street performers ranging from jugglers, tango dancers and musicians to just about anything you can think of.  Just remember to watch your belongings as a tourist carelessly flaunting cameras or a backpack would make an easy target in the crowd.

Cemetario de Recoleta

After Calle Florida, we visited the memorial to the Falklands War with Britain, which took place in the early 1980s.  Several hundred Argentines died in that crazy war for the Falkland Islands and the memorial’s flames burn 24/7 as a constant reminder of those killed and wounded in action.

Next we made our way to the famed Cemeterio de la Recoleta where the aforementioned former leader Evita and several other rich and famous Argentines are buried.  The hundreds of tombs are incredible works of art and despite the throngs of tourists, it’s still a very active cemetery.

Robert with travel writer Michael Luongo @ Cemetario de la Recoleta

After saying our adieu to Michael we headed over to Galeria Bond Street, which is a very interesting little shopping center that caters to underground sub cultures. There are cool tattoo parlors and clothing stores for the punk, rockabilly, goth crowd of Buenos Aires.

We stopped by this cool little store called “Faith” owned by a really nice cat named Sebastian. Sebastian says he designs everything himself and I really fell in love with some of the clothes, so despite not having much room in my luggage, I bought some cool shirts and a pair of shorts which you’ll see me sport in the show. If you’re into punk or rockabilly or tattoo culture, you need to seek out Galleria Bond Street and if you do, stop by Faith and say hello to our good buddy Sebastian, the clothes were really outstanding.

Street Artist @ Calle Florida

After Galeria Bond Street we headed back to the apartment for a short rest before heading to Complejo Tango (Complex Tango), one of the many tango schools and shows in Buenos Aires. Michael had recommended Complejo Tango as one of the finest in the city where you can not only take in a first class tango show and dinner, but if you so desire, you can learn to tango yourself. Michael was right, Complejo Tango was first rate. I heartily recommend visitors interested in learning a few tango steps to sign up for the complimentary lessons before the dinner and show. I did it and I’m happy to say, though I have two left feet, I was able to showcase a couple of major moves for the camera.

After the delicious dinner at Complejo Tango we headed off the beaten path a little to Mundo Bizarro (Bizarre World) one of my favorite bars in all of Buenos Aires.  Walking into Mundo Bizarro is like walking into another world. It’s got red tinged lighting all over the place that gives it this dreamlike quality (especially after a drink or two). There are rockabilly memorabilia and posters on the wall and you could easily forget your in South America. Pignatta (pronounced “piñata” like the birthday toy), the manager, is as cool as they come and can mix a mean martini.  People come from all over the world to sample Pignatta’s world famous martinis and listen to some rockabilly tunes.

Mundo Bizarro - Pignatta mixing his famous martini

Continuing our underground subculture theme, we headed over to another famous music spot called Salon Pueyrredon, where you can catch some good live punk, alternative or rock music and rub elbows with some of Buenos Aires’ underground artists. If the music is too loud, then no worries, there is a cool little patio/porch like area where people sit by the open air window chill and socialize.

Salon Pueyrredon

What a day? We had been in two countries and combined visiting the touristy sites with more of the underground nightspots of Buenos Aires.  Argentina is one of my favorite places on the planet. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Chilling @ Salon Pueyredon