Tuesday, January 15 – Buenos Aires

There was on and off rain today, so it was a good opportunity to hit a museum. And bonus! It was gratis Martes (free Tuesday) at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, which is located fairly close to my apartment. It’s a wonderful collection, with works by many of the well know masters, and a nice Rodin display. I’ll post a couple pictures below, but to best appreciate the museum you should check out their web site (linked above).

Poor timing alert – their visiting exhibit at the moment is the works of JMW Turner, on loan from…The Tate Museum in London! Oh well.

A formal dinner was planned for this evening (more on that later), so after the museum I dropped by a place called La Cocina to pick up some of their empanadas (meat and vegetable-filled pastries) to take away and snack on. Empanadas are very popular here, and La Cocina is a favorite amongst the locals.

Regarding dinner, I’m ashamed to say I made a reservation for a Tango performance, which includes a meal. I usually abhor this touristy stuff, but felt obligated to attend while in Buenos Aires. And I was assured by my friend German at the front desk that this was a very authentic, local show. It should be noted that the package also included a hotel pickup and return. Well, after I waited, and waited, and waited 45 minutes in the lobby for the ride (maybe they were delayed due to rain-related traffic issues?), German received a text stating that they were having vehicle problems and would not be able to pick me up. So we have rescheduled for tomorrow night, and I have been assured that I will receive “special attention” while in attendance. I’ll let you know how it goes!

I’ve been asked to comment on safety and security concerns in each of the places I visit. I think this is a great idea! I’ll lead off by saying that, as most of you know, I’m a pretty boring guy. So I naturally tend to avoid the situations where a lot of the problems occur – doing stupid stuff, at stupid times of the night, in stupid locations. Most of it is common sense. Also, prior to traveling I’ll review the US State Department reports on each of the countries I visit. They provide a good safety analysis. In addition, I’m not flashy and try to blend in when walking around (I’ve had three locals so far stop me on the street and ask me questions!). Finally, pickpockets are the scourge of tourist and densely populated areas. I’ve been lucky so far in that I haven’t been a victim. I think one reason is that I usually walk around with my trusty Lands’ End canvas messenger bag hooked over my shoulder. I keep everything in there and out of my pockets. When over the shoulder it can’t be snatched, and the canvas is too thick to cut.

Regarding Buenos Aires specifically, I’ve felt completely safe here. I know there are a couple dodgy areas (that I read about and was told by the hotel staff), so I avoid them. Also, I see the foot patrol police out in force as I walk around the city. I’ll keep this feature going as I visit other areas on my trip. Thanks for the suggestion JKU!