Argentina: Days 1-5

It would be too boring to do a day-by-day recap at this point but for my own memories sake, here are random points to note from my trip to Buenos Aires thus far:
- Airport Immigration Sucks: It took 2 hours to get through immigration. Brian waited for us for almost 10 hours. Enough said.

- Our Apartment: ...Is freaking amazing! Its a 4 bedroom loft with a rooftop deck and completely new renovations. We all wish we could transport this place back to SF. Or we might just come back so we can stay here again.

- Willie D (William Dafoe): The first day, the guys went by the grocery store across the street to pick up some supplies. They noticed a guy that looked awfully similar to the Green Goblin but weren't completely certain enough to say hi. It turns out Mr. Goblin is on vacation and probably staying nearby. We're on the lookout for a second sighting.

- Its a small world: One of our travelmates, Brian, goes to Haas business school. Apparently buenos aires is a popular place for Haas students this holiday since Bri has run into classmates everywhere we go. C'mon Chicago Booth... where is everyone!? In other 'small world' events, Jeng and I ran into Henning and Yasmin at the San Telmo antique market. They are a German couple that used to rent a room from his cousin and happened to be in BA on their honeymoon backpacking trip around the world. Crazy.

- When in Doubt, Ro-Sham-Bo: There are 7 of us traveling and we often find ourselves being indecisive when it comes to activities so we have resorted to good ol' rock-paper-scissors to settle disputes. People should do this all the time.

- Estoy Enferma: I was doing so well this fall, avoiding all the plagues of sickness at school but then the moment i get on the plane, an itch begins in my throat. It turned into a full-out cold on day 1 of the trip and I'm just now feeling better. My illness has compromised my sense of smell and taste unfortunately and i have not been able to enjoy the great wine that Argentina has to offer. I cannot wait for this situation to improve.

- Empanadas, Pizza and Freddo: I have found a renewed appreciation for empanadas, especially in the varieties we've found here. I have also learned that Argentinean pizza is pretty good (although not as good as Round Table), and a visit to the Freddo heladeria is delicious after a long day of walking.

- Free Tours: Quick plug - If you're ever in BA, I recommend partaking in a free walking tour.

- Cemetery: As morbid as it might sound, my favorite site thus far has been the cemetery in Recoleto where Evita Peron is buried. it was fascinating to see the intricate sculpture and architecture of the mausoleums. Generations of families are buried together and friends or colleagues of the deceased add plaques to the mausoleums to commemorate the dead. (Much more practical than the flowers at a funeral that just die right away.) I wanted to spend more time here looking at stuff, but my travelmates told me I was nuts and made me leave.

- Mi Espanol: While I am improving my Spanish while I'm here, locals cannot be fooled and see through me right away. I think it mostly has to do with the different accents and local slang. Many of the Spain Spanish words are not used here and sometimes they pronounce the "ll" like Portuguese. It's very confusing but at least I can get by.

- No Beach: For those who may know little to nothing about Buenos Aires, let me settle one common misconception now -- there are no beaches here. Yes, it sucks. And yes, I thought there would be some too. We probably should've picked Rio instead.

- I'm Coming Back: I have to come back to this part of the world since we will not have a chance to visit Mendoza (wine country), Iguazu Falls (supposedly better than Niagra) and Patagonia (glaciers galore). Who's coming with me?