Buenos Aires Day Three

We’re finally getting the hang of this black market exchange rate thing, and each day we’ve been here we’ve gradually increased the amount that we’ve taken to same leather shop to convert. Since we’re not 100% sure how easy it will be to change money outside of the capital, plus the fact that the place we have been using so far seems to not be handing out fake bills, today we’re going all in to try and get as many pesos as we think we’ll need to get us to the end of the trip. We spend the better part of an hour rubbing bills with out fingernail (real bills have certain areas where the ink is textured), checking for watermarks, and reading the text on tiny embedded strips, but when all is said and done, we’re set with, literally, a bag full of money. We feel like drug dealers breaking it up into smaller quantities that we spread across our luggage so that we’re not totally destitute if something happens.

With business out of the way, we hop in a cab and head down to an area called La Boca. This is definitely a grittier section of Buenos Aires, but near the water there is a fairly touristy section full of restaurants and shops painted in an array of bright colors.

Jackie, I managed to find a great apron that I can wear while working the grill at your grad party next year. Can’t tell you which one I picked, but June isn’t too far away.

While wandering around the area, we come across a travel agent and book our first event of the trip. As you can probably image, soccer is almost a religion in Argentina, and Buenos Aires has a total of 6 teams that are part of their premier league. Given that, weekends always mean matches going on somewhere in the city, and what better way to experience the local culture than by taking in a tango show. Yes, I said tango show 🙁

Now we’ve seen luaus in Hawaii, fire dances in Indonesia, operas in China, and pretty much always have come away swearing off doing anything like that again. Angela seems convinced that this will be different though, so futbol out, tango in.

Here is where my trusty travel partner and I may differ in opinion, as a tango show is everything I dreamed it could be and less. It would have been a total loss if not for two words you never imagine heading together – accordion solo. If you have never seen a man rock an accordion with all of the passion and flair of Eddie Van Halen on the guitar, you are missing out. It is one of the few times in my life I wished I was a smoker, just so I had a lighter to hold up in tribute.

All things considered, the night can’t possible end on a higher note than that, so rather than tempt disappointment, we simply head back to the hotel and turn in.