This past weekend, my hosts got me out of the city and into the Argentine country…land of the Gauchos (Argentine cowboys). Tony and Betina picked me up at the hotel, and we drove for about an hour into the country. I was amazed at how flat the landscape is…it’s as flat as a table-top…just like Florida!
Edi’s country home is on a huge track of land that used to be a cattle ranch. The property has been subdivided into a few dozen properties that are used by people from Buenos Aires to get away from the city and enjoy the country air. Each lot has a minimum amount of land (it appears to be a couple of acres, at least). This ensures some distance and privacy between the neighbors. What’s especially cool is that Edi’s house was designed by his daughter, who is an architect. How cool is THAT?!?
The house is long and narrow. The first floor is the living area with a living room and plenty of seating for family and guests. I especially like the wood-burning stand-alone fireplace that serves as a central focus point of the room. There’s a modern kitchen with sink and oven. Behind that, though, is the “heart” of the house. The dining room! It takes up about a football field’s worth of space. It can easily sit a dozen people.
The grill is prominently featured at the end of the dining area. The grill is of a unique Argentine design that I have never seen before. To one side, there is a narrow slit, perhaps 8” wide, between the bricks that form the structure of the grill. Here, the chef burns wood for several hours and turns it into hot coals. The coals are then taken by shovel to the grilling area which consists of metal grates that are angled so that the juices flow downward and collect into a special tray. This helps to minimize the amount of fat that falls into the flames and causes flare-ups. With this grill, the idea is to supply a LOT of heat, but no flames.
The meal itself, of course, was exceptional. Edi explained several times all of the types of meat that were served (there were at least seven varieties). But, I don’t remember their individual names. Suffice to say that there was meat from the throat of the cow, the ribs, the diaphragm, and intestines. We also enjoyed pork.
After lunch, we walked for about 20 minutes to the old ranch house from the original property. It was built in 1844, and is in surprisingly good shape. In fact, club members can arrange to have guests sleep in the original manor. My favorite features of this house were the inlaid-wood floors and the uber-cool retro-bathroom.
On Monday evening, Tony picked me up from the hotel and took me to his home in the city. He and Betina have lived here for four years. They used to have a larger place, but downsized after their three boys grew up and left home.
Betina is an incredible cook! We enjoyed a spinach roll, almond-crusted salmon, cheese potatoes, and desert. As always on this trip, I ate too much…but I enjoyed every bite!
Well, this is my last entry from Argentina. Tomorrow morning, I fly to Cape Town, South Africa, where all new exciting adventures will take place. Oh, and work, too…I suppose. Yeah, probably mostly work. ;-)
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Don't Cry For Me Argentina...
This past weekend was awesome! My hosts (Tony Novoa and Edi Alvarez) made sure to schedule a bit of “fun time” that included things other than eating. Yes, we all enjoy eating…and I’m afraid that by watching these videos, my audience will think that’s all we do. Fact is, we DO eat a lot because everybody wants the foreigner (i.e., me) to try a bit of everything. But we also have fun in other ways…like visiting the local tourist traps and what-not.
Oh, and there’s a popular misconception that I’d like to nip in the bud. As I’ve said on previous blog posts, I do actually WORK on these trips. Unfortunately, the nature of the work would appear a bit boring if captured on video. I mean, do you really want to watch hours and hours of business meetings…or had you rather see some of the local tourist stuff?
Yeah, I thought so. But people forget that this is a business trip. Trust me; for every hour of “fun” that I get to experience, I spend 8.7 hours in boring meetings (I’ve timed it).
Now, on to the video. Tony picked me up on Saturday morning and drove me around town. He was careful to point out some of the changes that have happened over the past 50 years. This is because my good friend, Daniel Montoya, grew up in Buenos Aires, but he left his home country in 1959. He’s never been back. He became quite excited when I told him that I would be visiting his home town, and I promised to film a few of the sites just for him. So, Daniel…some of this footage is just for you!
Tony and Betina asked if I might be interested in eating Chinese food…which happens to be one of my favorite cuisines! I learned many years ago that there are three ways to judge the quality of any nation. First, try their beer (if they don’t have beer…run like hell!). Second, try a pizza. We all have eaten pizza’s in our own countries and know that there’s a basic list of ingredients…a flat crust for the base, some tomato sauce, a bit of cheese…and then…who knows? That’s the great part! They serve pizza everywhere in the world, but each culture puts its own spin on how it’s prepared! You can tell a lot about a society by how they treat their prisoners…and how they make their pizza. Finally, order a Chinese meal. The Chinese are masters of taking their basic cuisine and modifying it to excite the local taste buds.
The highlight of my day was a visit to one of the most famous cemeteries in the world; La Recoleta. This is the cemetery where Eva Peron is buried. It is the cemetery of presidents, Nobel-laureates, war heroes, and titans of industry are laid to rest. It is, by far, the most awesome cemetery I have ever visited.
Much to my surprise, neither Tony nor Betina had actually visited this tourist-attraction! They simply had never had any reason to go there. I suppose this is somewhat like the New Yorker who had never been to the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building.
After visiting the cemetery, we went across the street to a café to enjoy a cup of coffee. As we were sitting there, Tony kept saying that the woman sitting across from us looked just like his teacher from the third grade…when he was an eight year-old boy, and his teacher was probably in her mid-twenties. Betina and I must have told him three or four times that he MUST go and introduce himself…to find out if it was her…his third-grade teacher from forty-four years ago.
Was it her? Well, you’ll just have to watch the video to find out…
Oh, and there’s a popular misconception that I’d like to nip in the bud. As I’ve said on previous blog posts, I do actually WORK on these trips. Unfortunately, the nature of the work would appear a bit boring if captured on video. I mean, do you really want to watch hours and hours of business meetings…or had you rather see some of the local tourist stuff?
Yeah, I thought so. But people forget that this is a business trip. Trust me; for every hour of “fun” that I get to experience, I spend 8.7 hours in boring meetings (I’ve timed it).
Now, on to the video. Tony picked me up on Saturday morning and drove me around town. He was careful to point out some of the changes that have happened over the past 50 years. This is because my good friend, Daniel Montoya, grew up in Buenos Aires, but he left his home country in 1959. He’s never been back. He became quite excited when I told him that I would be visiting his home town, and I promised to film a few of the sites just for him. So, Daniel…some of this footage is just for you!
Tony and Betina asked if I might be interested in eating Chinese food…which happens to be one of my favorite cuisines! I learned many years ago that there are three ways to judge the quality of any nation. First, try their beer (if they don’t have beer…run like hell!). Second, try a pizza. We all have eaten pizza’s in our own countries and know that there’s a basic list of ingredients…a flat crust for the base, some tomato sauce, a bit of cheese…and then…who knows? That’s the great part! They serve pizza everywhere in the world, but each culture puts its own spin on how it’s prepared! You can tell a lot about a society by how they treat their prisoners…and how they make their pizza. Finally, order a Chinese meal. The Chinese are masters of taking their basic cuisine and modifying it to excite the local taste buds.
The highlight of my day was a visit to one of the most famous cemeteries in the world; La Recoleta. This is the cemetery where Eva Peron is buried. It is the cemetery of presidents, Nobel-laureates, war heroes, and titans of industry are laid to rest. It is, by far, the most awesome cemetery I have ever visited.
Much to my surprise, neither Tony nor Betina had actually visited this tourist-attraction! They simply had never had any reason to go there. I suppose this is somewhat like the New Yorker who had never been to the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building.
After visiting the cemetery, we went across the street to a café to enjoy a cup of coffee. As we were sitting there, Tony kept saying that the woman sitting across from us looked just like his teacher from the third grade…when he was an eight year-old boy, and his teacher was probably in her mid-twenties. Betina and I must have told him three or four times that he MUST go and introduce himself…to find out if it was her…his third-grade teacher from forty-four years ago.
Was it her? Well, you’ll just have to watch the video to find out…
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Buenos Aires - Spanish for "We Eat Meat"
Well, my latest trip has finally begun! It was off to a bit of a rocky start when I arrived at the Jacksonville “International” Airport to discover that my flight to Miami was delayed by 40 minutes. This is not a good thing, considering that I would now have only 20 minutes to catch my connecting flight to Buenos Aires.
When I landed in Miami, it was pouring down rain. Normally, this wouldn’t be a concern. After all, in modern airports, planes pull right up to the boarding gates and passengers never have to experience the weather. The problem is that American Airlines flies “puddle jumpers” between Jacksonville and Miami. These are small regional planes that are the red-headed stepchildren of the airline industry. In Miami, they’re not allowed to connect to a jetway. Instead, they park on the tarmac and a bus comes by to pick up the passengers to take them to the terminal. So, while walking from the plane to the bus, I got soaking wet. This meant that I’d be wearing wet clothes for the next ten hours or so.
A word of caution about American Airways…DO NOT FLY THEM…especially if you’re over 5 feet tall! As it happens, I am 6’4” tall and I have very long legs. I was flying coach, and there was simply no room for my legs. I had to spread my knees the best I could because the seat in front of me was so close! To make matters worse, the guy in front of me reclined his seat as soon as the wheels left the ground. The back of his seat was so close to me that I couldn’t even hold a book in a comfortable reading position.
To cram ever more people aboard their planes, airlines are quickly reducing the amount of “pitch,” which is the distance between the front of one seat and the back of the next. This reduces the amount of leg room, which is very important to tall people like me. American Airways is one of the stingiest airlines when it comes to “pitch” in passenger seats. If you don’t want to feel like the guy in front of you is sitting in your lap…avoid American Airways at all costs!
After a sleepless night, I arrived in Buenos Aires at 6:20 a.m. local time. Much to my surprise, the officials there demanded $131 U.S.!!! They had signs posted everywhere explaining that this was NOT a visa charge (which I believe would violate a treaty between Argentina and the U.S.). Instead, the money was a “reciprocity” charge. Basically, the U.S. decided a while back to charge Argentine citizens $131 to enter the U.S. Argentina decided to pay back the favor by charging U.S. citizens to enter their country. Actually, I can’t say that I blame them. Plus, this is a business trip…so it’s not my money!
When I picked up my bags at Customs, I was shocked at how soaking wet they were. Apparently, American Airlines baggage handlers let my bags sit on the runway during the pouring rain in Miami. Now, all of my clothes were nice and damp; not soaking wet, but definitely not dry.
Once I cleared Customs, I was met by a driver holding a sign that read, “Roberto Doty.” I thought that was a nice Spanish touch. He helped carry my bags to a waiting car, and we were off to my hotel.
The first thing that caught my attention on the way from the airport was the military “pill boxes” that were placed on the main road every few hundred feet. In years past, these concrete bunkers would be manned by armed soldiers who could aim their weapons through narrow slits. They’re not in use today…at least, that’s what I’m told.
An hour later, we arrived at the Abasto Plaza hotel, which will be my home for the next week. I think I’m going to like it. It’s directly across the street from the Abasto Market, which was built in 1893 and originally served as a central farmers’ market. Today, it’s a modern shopping center. When I got to my room, the first thing I did was give the bed a thorough test-drive. I slept for nearly six hours straight.
In the evening, I was picked up by Tony Novoa and his beautiful wife, Betina. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at a traditional steak house. They served every type of beef and pork imaginable; sausages, steaks, chops, and even a house special “minced beef milkshake with crumbled bacon bits”.
OK, kidding about the milkshake. But let it be known that if there’s a national dish in Argentina, it’s going to have a large helping of beef. It’s also going to be served late in the evening, by American standards. In fact, dinner didn’t even begin until 9:30…and I was dropped off at my hotel at 12:30 a.m.
On Thursday morning, work began in earnest. Tony picked me up, and we headed to his office. The building was constructed in 1969…the same year I was born. It has the coolest elevator. To get in, one has to open a folding metal door and then a collapsing metal gate sort of thing. Then the outer door is closed, followed by the metal gate. As the elevator moves from floor to floor, the only thing that separates the riders from the elevator shaft is this metal gate. It would be quite easy for a careless person to lose a finger or two between floors.
That evening, Edi Alvarez and his beautiful wife Haydee picked me up to take me to yet another incredible restaurant. There, we met his daughter Carla and her fiancé Sebastian. Tony and Betina joined us a bit later. When I heard my hosts speaking Spanish, I could pick up the term “paella” being tossed about. I like paella. In fact, it’s one of my favorite dishes. Yet, on the English menu I was provided, there was no mention of the dish. There was “Seafood and Rice,” but that’s hardly the same thing. Finally, I had to say something. I asked Haydee if this restaurant serves “paella,” and she was a bit surprised that I knew what it was. So, we all ordered paella…and it was awesome!
I was dropped off at my hotel well after midnight, and enjoyed a deep and peaceful sleep with visions of Tango dancers, slabs of beef, and bottles of Mendoza whirling above my head.
When I landed in Miami, it was pouring down rain. Normally, this wouldn’t be a concern. After all, in modern airports, planes pull right up to the boarding gates and passengers never have to experience the weather. The problem is that American Airlines flies “puddle jumpers” between Jacksonville and Miami. These are small regional planes that are the red-headed stepchildren of the airline industry. In Miami, they’re not allowed to connect to a jetway. Instead, they park on the tarmac and a bus comes by to pick up the passengers to take them to the terminal. So, while walking from the plane to the bus, I got soaking wet. This meant that I’d be wearing wet clothes for the next ten hours or so.
A word of caution about American Airways…DO NOT FLY THEM…especially if you’re over 5 feet tall! As it happens, I am 6’4” tall and I have very long legs. I was flying coach, and there was simply no room for my legs. I had to spread my knees the best I could because the seat in front of me was so close! To make matters worse, the guy in front of me reclined his seat as soon as the wheels left the ground. The back of his seat was so close to me that I couldn’t even hold a book in a comfortable reading position.
To cram ever more people aboard their planes, airlines are quickly reducing the amount of “pitch,” which is the distance between the front of one seat and the back of the next. This reduces the amount of leg room, which is very important to tall people like me. American Airways is one of the stingiest airlines when it comes to “pitch” in passenger seats. If you don’t want to feel like the guy in front of you is sitting in your lap…avoid American Airways at all costs!
After a sleepless night, I arrived in Buenos Aires at 6:20 a.m. local time. Much to my surprise, the officials there demanded $131 U.S.!!! They had signs posted everywhere explaining that this was NOT a visa charge (which I believe would violate a treaty between Argentina and the U.S.). Instead, the money was a “reciprocity” charge. Basically, the U.S. decided a while back to charge Argentine citizens $131 to enter the U.S. Argentina decided to pay back the favor by charging U.S. citizens to enter their country. Actually, I can’t say that I blame them. Plus, this is a business trip…so it’s not my money!
When I picked up my bags at Customs, I was shocked at how soaking wet they were. Apparently, American Airlines baggage handlers let my bags sit on the runway during the pouring rain in Miami. Now, all of my clothes were nice and damp; not soaking wet, but definitely not dry.
Once I cleared Customs, I was met by a driver holding a sign that read, “Roberto Doty.” I thought that was a nice Spanish touch. He helped carry my bags to a waiting car, and we were off to my hotel.
The first thing that caught my attention on the way from the airport was the military “pill boxes” that were placed on the main road every few hundred feet. In years past, these concrete bunkers would be manned by armed soldiers who could aim their weapons through narrow slits. They’re not in use today…at least, that’s what I’m told.
An hour later, we arrived at the Abasto Plaza hotel, which will be my home for the next week. I think I’m going to like it. It’s directly across the street from the Abasto Market, which was built in 1893 and originally served as a central farmers’ market. Today, it’s a modern shopping center. When I got to my room, the first thing I did was give the bed a thorough test-drive. I slept for nearly six hours straight.
In the evening, I was picked up by Tony Novoa and his beautiful wife, Betina. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at a traditional steak house. They served every type of beef and pork imaginable; sausages, steaks, chops, and even a house special “minced beef milkshake with crumbled bacon bits”.
OK, kidding about the milkshake. But let it be known that if there’s a national dish in Argentina, it’s going to have a large helping of beef. It’s also going to be served late in the evening, by American standards. In fact, dinner didn’t even begin until 9:30…and I was dropped off at my hotel at 12:30 a.m.
On Thursday morning, work began in earnest. Tony picked me up, and we headed to his office. The building was constructed in 1969…the same year I was born. It has the coolest elevator. To get in, one has to open a folding metal door and then a collapsing metal gate sort of thing. Then the outer door is closed, followed by the metal gate. As the elevator moves from floor to floor, the only thing that separates the riders from the elevator shaft is this metal gate. It would be quite easy for a careless person to lose a finger or two between floors.
That evening, Edi Alvarez and his beautiful wife Haydee picked me up to take me to yet another incredible restaurant. There, we met his daughter Carla and her fiancé Sebastian. Tony and Betina joined us a bit later. When I heard my hosts speaking Spanish, I could pick up the term “paella” being tossed about. I like paella. In fact, it’s one of my favorite dishes. Yet, on the English menu I was provided, there was no mention of the dish. There was “Seafood and Rice,” but that’s hardly the same thing. Finally, I had to say something. I asked Haydee if this restaurant serves “paella,” and she was a bit surprised that I knew what it was. So, we all ordered paella…and it was awesome!
I was dropped off at my hotel well after midnight, and enjoyed a deep and peaceful sleep with visions of Tango dancers, slabs of beef, and bottles of Mendoza whirling above my head.
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