I’ve been in Buenos Aires for 2 days. I am in the noisiest place on earth. The Ostinatto Hostel looks good on their website but the atrium should have been the dead give away. Or maybe the word ‘hostel’!!! Fantastic architectural inventions the atrium. They let in lots of light, they give a spacious look to place. BUT let me tell you, between the atrium and the paper thin doors on the room of this place I feel like I am definitely in the noisiest place on earth.
I await the arrival of Katie, Ryan and Rommel and then I hope we can take action and find another place to stay.
Meanwhile, I have just discovered that I can’t find my cable to download pictures from my camera… swell…. So we start with the written word and move on to pictures when i figure that out!
Delisa and I arrived without a hitch on Wednesday. I was curious to see how the new entry tax would work. It was just another line. What they did was to separate those incoming passengers from the US (and 2 other places that sleep deprivation has erased from my memory) into a different line altogether. And of course the longest line at Immigration. So you wait then you get to a small booth where you pay with cash or credit card, they give you a receipt, it is a sticker placed in your passport and it lasts for 10 years. IF your passport expires during that time you have to bring the expired passport with the “visa” in it with your new passport to travel to BA. THEN you go to another line where you get your stamp and they ask you if you’re just visiting. “Of Course”.
The preparation for the Bicentennial celebrations are well on their way. This includes blocking off streets – most specifically the most important one – 9 de julio. Not all of it is blocked of course but just the important parts! The ones where most taxis, etc travel through. The festivities are set to start on Saturday and last through Tuesday!!! Along with these enthusiastic preparations comes the protesters. ALL of them!!!
It also appears that the famous Teatro Colon will re-open for the Bicentennial buenosaires.gov.ar/teatrocolon/
My taxi driver from yesterday informed me that they supposedly will be open to the public for free on Saturday…This is exciting! We’ll see if that’s true! I hope so!
Delisa and have gone for several long walks – already enjoyed the food at Origen and some churros!
Delisa went off with Lindsay (who is here but not on the tour) last night while I was delivering goods and visiting with Heather and her family. She had a wonderful time dancing and she danced non-stop at 2 milongas!!! I was sorry that I missed her FIRST milonga in Buenos Aires experience. But I’m so happy for her. She said that she was also amazed at how easy it was to follow. This is so great!!!! I hope she posts to her blog and I will link to it.
I met with Dear Isaac, one of my tango assistants, and a favorite dancer. We went over the schedule and have a few exciting things planned for the tour. It appears that there will be some fun stuff that are already happening and we’ll take advantage of that for sure.
I hope I can resolve my lack of a connection for my camera to the computer as well as finding a more peaceful place to spend the weekend before the tour actually begins.
It is raining today in Buenos Aires and very humid. My blownout straightened hair is slowly curling on its very own!