Day 1: Buenos Aires

For our first full day in Buenos Aires, Philip and I decided to explore the Puerto Madero and San Telmo areas. The Puerto Madero is the original Port in BA from the city's founding. It lies on the Rio Plato which seperates Argentina from Uruguay. It was redeveloped about 15 years ago into a large mixed-use urban development with tons of restaurants, shopping, office and residential. It put West Village to shame. The local catholic university is also in the development - a very cool place to go to school and crawling with good looking girls. After scoping it out, Philip and I plan to return.

After exploring the port, we wandered over to San Telmo - this is one of the oldest neighborhoods in BA and consequently one of the most eclectic and lively. The streets are lined with unique cafes, dive bars, tons of antique shops, cool markets, and wonderful restaurants and grills. Here we sampled Yerba Mate, ate at a great Bodegon (El Albor), and sampled a 1/4 chicken off a street side grill. We also lingered in several bookstores and music shops - learning about local authors and musicians alike. The area is so dense with interesting stores (much like Greenwich Village or Soho) that a return trip is necessary. My senses were overwhelmed by the atmosphere.

El Albor - a typical argentinian Bogedon, meaning an INEXPENSIVE no-frills restaurant and grill serving typical Argentinian fare such as meats on the grill, a variety of stews and good homemade pastas. Each main entree is served with fresh bread and a side of potatoes (roasted, fried or mashed). Philip and I had two dishes and a large bottle of water for $7 with tip.

La Parilla (the grill) - This open-air, street side grill brought back memories of India. Even that said, it was the coolest culinary experience of the day. All types of meat are served on a coal grill and cooked fresh right on the street. There is a small counter with stools where patrons can enjoy a 50 cent glass of red wine, meat, unlimited fresh bread and a few different sauces like chimichurri or garlic salsa with their meat. The food is cheap, the meat is tasty and the atmosphere and experience is unbeatable (you couldn't find anything like this is NYC!)

Fredo - a very trendy book and music store run by two great Argentinian guys. The store and selection is small but well-chosen so there is nothing lacking. See Philip below sampling a selection of Argentinian music from the owner, Marcello.