Aha! There's the ocean....sorta

I'm now in my last week of TEFL classes, which is amazing because it seems like they just began.  And although the course has been quick, it has also been time-consuming.  Last week I had my first taste of teaching and all the nit-picky details that come with it.  I would just like to say to the full-time teachers in my life, I have a brand new respect for how much time it takes to think of a lesson, plan it and prepare the materials— whew!

To make a long story short, I was too zonked this past weekend to make any day trips or explore the various barrios.  However, the Sunday before (Jan. 17), I did check out Puerto Madero and the adjacent Ecological Reserve.  It was great to have a little solo time and check out the "natural" areas of the city.  Fortunately I wore sunscreen on this outing.

Historically, Buenos Aires was an import port city for the Spanish Empire during and after its conquests in South America.  Given this background, you might expect an elaborate port area chock full of merchants, boat tours and assorted catches of the day.  But as usual, Buenos Aires surprises: Puerto Madero is quiet with some restaurants,  brick buildings-turned apartments and a old ship, the Frigate President Sarmiento, that now serves as a museum. Crossing over the Star Trekkish bridge, the silty breeze from the Río de la Plata was actually refreshing albeit a tad smelly.

Once across the river, a smattering of modern buildings (think Miami- and Dubai-modern) stand in contrast with some open areas and a walking strip.  I grabbed lunch at one of the many grill carts, or parillas, and paid a mere 10 pesos for a giant sirloin slapped in between two slices of bread with my choice of fillers and condiments.  The cut is called bife de chorizo, and has nothing to do with the Spanish sausage.  It was delicious and quite messy!  There is certainly an art to eating a whole steak in a sandwich with no plate, and I'm relieved none of my friends were there to witness me eating like a cavewoman.

Once inside the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, I split my time between finding one of the coveted shady spots to read and exploring the shore.  The point at which the river meets the sea isn't the prettiest sight; brown water, a cement-specked "beach," and nearby oil rigs created an interesting ambiance.  I won't be joining the brave swimmers anytime soon but the reserve itself was green and more tranquil than the city.