The Big (Argentinian) Apple... and Family.

Buenos Aires, I´ve discovered, is the New York of South America. Of course, I´ve never actually been to New York. Just seen it in lots of movies. But I´m sure that if I´d been to the Big Apple, I´d be reminded of it right now.

Buenos Aires has everything a big city should. Bright city lights, old buildings, a confusing subway system, its own Broadway... and lots of traffic moving by very quickly. Watch your step... pedestrians definitely don´t have the right of way down here.

The music and theatre scene, though, offers a nearly endless options for evening entertainment.... In five days, I managed to see three jazz shows, a Broadway musical (The Producers... in Spanish), a magician, a tap dance presentation, two tango shows, a dozen street bands, and a Catholic mass. Plus those hot summer hits, Superman Returns and Pirates of the Caribbean 2. (In English. I wimped out.)

Buenos Aires loves its tango... Here´s some street dancers, complete with live accompaniment.

In Buenos Aires, the street performers definitely don`t travel light... this tango troupe just wouldn´t be complete without their pianist. Not to mention the accordian section.

As I was heading out of Buenos Aires, I ran into a deranged, homeless sandwich salesman, who begged me to take him to Patagonia with me. In return, he said he could supply all the ham and cheese sandwiches I could ever eat. Being a huge fan of ham, I couldn´t bring myself to turn him down (after all, free food is free food).

(For those who don´t know... the grizzled nut case you see before you is, in reality, my father. He has joined me for the next seventeen days. Wish me luck...)