Day One: Exploring San Telmo and Settling In

My first full day in Argentina started off quite rapidly. I was busy trying to get in contact with one of my two local contacts to see if he could meet me sometime today. Luckily I got in touch with him and now have plans to meet him at the Plaza de Mayo at 6:00 (historically this is where the Madres of Los Desaparecidos silently marched in the late 1970s demanding an end to the mysterious disappearance of tens of thousands of Argentinians during La Guerra Sucia).

 

I also got in contact with a local about possibly renting out a room. The room is in San Telmo in the university district so I will probably take a look at it in the next day or so. If that doesn't work out there is a very nice room, albeit a little pricier, in the trendy neighborhood of Palermo Soho (yes there is a Soho here).

 

Great news, my computer works again... but I also accidentally spilled honey on it making a huge sticky mess. Here are a few photos I took this morning while exploring San Telmo.

 

Here is a photo taken of a sign advertising a local club. It is fairly common practice to see graffiti art, even on very nice buildings (sometimes it is even more common on nicer places. I think there might be an implied social message here)

A very nice local church I passed on my way back to the Hostel. I didn't stop to go in but I think I will have to once I am more familiar with the area.

 A typical street in Buenos Aires.

 Another street shot. I think this one is on Defensa or Balcarce.

 My blogging spot in the Hostel (also where I spilled the honey). On the bottom right corner of the table is my mate gourd for drinking yerba, the traditional tea first drunk by the native peoples before European settlement in the region. Now Yerba enjoys wide popularity throughout the country.

Another shot of the hostel. I will be here for two more nights.