@ home base

I am so spoiled in Buenos Aires. We are staying with Mike's cousins Tom and Maya, who are kind enough to let me stay with them as well. Their place is really nice, and they always give the best recommendations for food. I trust them 100% with their food choices.

The first day we came back, Tom, Maya, and Talya (she is the youngest of their 4 girls who is still in school and living in B.A.) took us out to lunch for some great chicken, pork, and beef skewers. We had great conversation, sat outside, and took our time eating lunch.

Yesterday we went out to a great breakfast at 1861 that consisted of 2 slices of toast, 2 croissants, cream cheese and jelly, fresh squeezed o.j., and a cafe con leche. All for 8.60 pesos which converts to $2.86!!!!! Mike decided to part ways to check out a different cemetery, while Az and I headed over to the National History Museum. The day was really hot and humid and after a long trek over, we were greeted with a sign that said closed for renovation. We decided to go check out the Modern Museum of Art that was a few blocks away, and were greeted with huge viking-like closed wooden doors. We rang the bell, and a man with no shirt answered and said the museum was closed for renovation. This has been occurring a lot here. We have experienced this a lot with restaurants that will be closed for the holiday until mid January. With an hour left until we were supposed to meet Mike, we decided go to an internet cafe. It was so hot in there that I was dripping with sweat. We met up with Mike at the restaurant and had a really good lunch, smoked salmon salad with brie, and fettuccine fungi.

Afterwards we went back to Tom and Maya's, had a siesta, then went out to a pub called Bangalore for Indian food and beers. The air felt really humid and it looked as though a storm was going to start. The sky started lighting up with lightning, it was an electrical storm so there was no thunder. It was really amazing. When we were in the cab on the way home, it started to rain hard, and when we got back to the apartment we sat out on the balcony and watched the crazy light show. It was really incredible. I've never seen an electrical storm before and found it completely mesmerizing. Mike had his fancy camera out, so we took turns trying to capture the storm, it's a lot more difficult than it seems.

Tonight we leave for Bariloche by bus. It's going to be a 20 hour bus ride. I thought that it was the place you go to for wineries, but apparently it's a place the place you go to for chocolate! I guess there are a lot of chocolate factories down there. Fine by me! We are going to stay in Bariloche for however long we want, then head over to Porte Madryn where all the penguins are. I'm excited to see lakes, go swimming, and feel the cooler climate.