more update
and I thought Boston drivers were crazy! Took side trip out to San Antonio de Areco, about an hour and a bit northwest of Buenos Aires by car going 130 km per hour (plus). Different lanes here have different speeds. Saw lots more shantytowns by highwayside and then started to see more fields, trees, horses grazing unattended in bank of road. The town area was "compact" according to guidebook. We drove through it without noticing twice and had to stop and find it. Tourist center information all in Spanish, as was the gaucho (Argentinean cowboy) museum. We had an interesting-translated pamphlet to go with. Area known for cowboys and silversmithing. Dad managed to have a somewhat prolonged conversation with a local 9 year old boy without saying anything insulting (that we know of). We're getting by ok with English and some Spanish, but Dad's coffee today came with a shot glass of seltzer, probably because of something we said while ordering. Got some pictures of cacti and canons, but couldn't get any in museum.
Restaurants have been interesting with the language barrier. Most menus have some english translations, but not always very good ones. Last night's dinner, we bravely attempted an appetizer of what was listed as "assorted entrails/innards/organs" (they eat a lot of parts of the cow here we tend to not eat). It was a bit like a fried necropsy sampler (ah, yes, that is a cow kidney . . .). Kidney, small intestine, sweatbreads (usually thymus gland), blood sausage, and two other types of sausage. More large chucks of rare steak followed. Yum! Argentina is known for beef and theirs are grass-fed, unlike American beef which is mostly corn-fed. The "bread-pudding" last night turned out to be a local specialty which was basically flan-flavored. Very good. Dulce de leche appears to be served with a lot of things here, even as a condiment. We've sort of fallen into a pattern of breakfast at the hotel bar, lunch as a sort of snack out wherever we are during the day, late afternoon/early evening drinks and perusing the guide books, and dinner on Buenos Aires time, which is late (9pm at the earliest, usually more like 11 for locals. I'm not used to drinks during the day and they don't exactly have my usual fare, so trying some new stuff cautiously. Way too much of a lightweight.
More later, may be too tired to find a tango club tonight after drive, but still need to find dinner and Dad thinks walking will be more restful than driving.
Flying to Iguazu falls tomorrow on northern coast. Will cross to brazil at some point during stay up there.
Restaurants have been interesting with the language barrier. Most menus have some english translations, but not always very good ones. Last night's dinner, we bravely attempted an appetizer of what was listed as "assorted entrails/innards/organs" (they eat a lot of parts of the cow here we tend to not eat). It was a bit like a fried necropsy sampler (ah, yes, that is a cow kidney . . .). Kidney, small intestine, sweatbreads (usually thymus gland), blood sausage, and two other types of sausage. More large chucks of rare steak followed. Yum! Argentina is known for beef and theirs are grass-fed, unlike American beef which is mostly corn-fed. The "bread-pudding" last night turned out to be a local specialty which was basically flan-flavored. Very good. Dulce de leche appears to be served with a lot of things here, even as a condiment. We've sort of fallen into a pattern of breakfast at the hotel bar, lunch as a sort of snack out wherever we are during the day, late afternoon/early evening drinks and perusing the guide books, and dinner on Buenos Aires time, which is late (9pm at the earliest, usually more like 11 for locals. I'm not used to drinks during the day and they don't exactly have my usual fare, so trying some new stuff cautiously. Way too much of a lightweight.
More later, may be too tired to find a tango club tonight after drive, but still need to find dinner and Dad thinks walking will be more restful than driving.
Flying to Iguazu falls tomorrow on northern coast. Will cross to brazil at some point during stay up there.