To the playa and back

Hola. This weekend was amazing. On Friday I was invited to Shabbat Services at the Menorah Center, a new organization established for Jewish youth in BA, but which also holds programming for the rest of the Sephardic community. The center was around the corner from my house and was absolutely beautiful. I hope I will be able to study for classes there during the week. I hope I can also meet some Porteño friends through the center. After services I was invited to dinner at the house of the chief rabbi of the Sephardic community in Buenos Aires (and founder of the Menorah center) with him and his family (along with some of my American friends who are also studying here in BA for the semester). The dinner was amazing. Words cannot express what a great experience it was. The rabbi and his family were so nice and welcoming.

Later in the weekend we went to la playa (that's the beach for all of you non-hispanohablantes). We took a 5 hour bus to Mar del Plata. Buses here are nothing like buses in the US. There are three options (from least to most expensive): semi-cama, ejecutivo, and suite. A semi-cama ride to Mar del Plata from BA was 100 pesos (that's about 30 USD) and was much nicer than any bus you've ever ridden in the US. On the way back the only option that we had was suite, which was only a difference of about 30 pesos (a little more than 7 USD), and featured a fully reclinable bed. Anyway, I was highly impressed with the bus setup that Argentina has established.


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The beach was great. The sand was very dark. Everyone on the beach was drinking mate. Of course I am used to lots of people drinking mate in BA, but on the beach there was not one person (or group, because mate is shared by your whole group) without it. Therefore I got a bombilla (mate straw) to remind me of it. The water was not too cold, but really enjoyable. I guess I was expecting a little bit of a smaller beach town, not a city of one million people on the beach. Nevertheless, we had a great time the night that we spent there. I didn't get much sleep this weekend. I think that is starting to become a trend. Somewhere in the colonization of South America Spain forgot to bring over the siesta, or perhaps that was ditched when Argentina declared independence. Nevertheless, I wish that it existed here. I think most of us Americans have instituted it ourselves anyway.

On a general note, there are still things that I am noticing slowly living in BA. For example, when ordering empanadas at a table, don't order individually; you must order all of your empanadas together. Otherwise your waiter will give you a confused look and bring you the wrong thing. Also, you can order tap water, and it's drinkable in BA, but if you do, be prepared to be asked if you are sure that is what you want about 3 times before you actually get it because its something that is just not done here.

 

A view of the Congress building

 

Fruits in Mar del Plata

La playa

We walked past a triathalon where the Cruz Roja (Red Cross) had a medical tent. Thought of all of my buddies at the Boston Marathon in just a few weeks.

 

At the supermercado in Mar del Plata. Milk only comes in bags. Strange? I think so.

 

Real exchange rate anyone?

Beach at the end of the day.