My new life in Buenos Aires

Chau darlings. (insert image of me pressing my cheek to yours and pursing my lips in a kiss -- this is the standard Argentinian greeting, and is done with people you meet -- even for the first time)

And to think I was so worried about creating new friendships. My tally is at four so far. My fellow pensioners (or travellers, or whatever we´re called) are pretty cool. One of the guys is taking me to his tango class tomorrow, so I can see what I´m in for. It feels like a very nice community there, and I´m very happy for having found it.

The flight down from Miami was fine. Uneventful. I thought I would be able to sleep on the plane while it dropped people off in Lima, but we all had to deboard. So, Peru is now officially another country that I¨ve been to -- even if all I did was go through their inbound security and stand in the departure lounge for 30 minutes.

If you hear Buenos Aires described as the Paris of the South, believe it. The architecture is similar, and (so far, anyway) it has a similar feel. One big difference is that BA streets are carefully laid out on a grid system. If you´ve ever been to Paris, then you know that is not true there. All of the slight angles of the streets there will get you lost in no time. I was lost a couple times there, this past November, and I have an excellent sense of direction.

Speaking of France, and things French, my intermediate level French is proving very useful. I will likely start Spanish lessons within a week. In the meantime, I speak to the proprietress in French, as her and her husband speak less English than I speak French. The others I´m staying with are a mix of Swiss, German and another American. Conversations flip between Spanish, English, German and French with regularity. It´s very interesting, and I¨m finding I am starting to understand a very little amount of spoken Spanish. I´m very happy that I found the place I´m staying. It feels like just the type of community I desired, and I feel lucky to be around cool people.

My only gripe is with the Lonely Planet travel guide. It said year-round temperatures for BA ranged from 68-85 Farenheit. Folks, it was 55 F when I arrived this morning. Spring here feels like Spring in Seattle. I only have one sweater... Time to go shopping, I suppose... Such a hardship. Especially given the exchange rate.

I can´t wait to take a tango class tomorrow. I am feeling so excited. This trip has officially begun and I can already feel one year will not be enough. Wish me luck!