Visitors, Ubers, and Arias, Oh My

It’s been almost two years (!) since we left our beloved Seattle community, and almost two months since we left our new friends in Ecuador. Therefore, it has been a real treat to have some familiar faces around us the past few weeks.

My friend Don and I

First off, in early March my friend Don and his husband David [D & D] arrived for their own Argentinian adventure. D & D left Seattle about 6 months before us; unlike Erik and I, they have spent much more of their time traveling, and Argentina is their (I think) 8th country. Getting to have local friends for a bite to eat or to go to a show has very much been great.

On top of that, last week our friends David and Jeremy [D & J] visited Buenos Aires for 5 days, as part of a multi-city trip. We played “tour guide” during D & J’s stay, which allowed us to both revisit some of our favorite spots so far and have some new experiences.

One of those new experiences was taking multiple Ubers around town. Although all the drivers were safe(ish), wait times were long, and traffic in this city can be a nightmare. Prior to D & J’s arrival, we used a combination of subways and walking to navigate the city. But since they were staying near us, we decided Uber would be easier. Moving forward, I think we much prefer the subway.

We revisited the EcoParque, the former BA Zoo that has been transformed into a free park, garden, and animal sanctuary (for those animals who were unable to be re-housed upon the zoo’s closure). This time we saw more animals, I think because it was a lot less crowded than on our first visit.

We also got to revisit our beloved Palacio Libertad, that Erik wrote about last week. There were fresh art exhibits, to be found, as well as others we’d missed on previous visits…. It really is a new experience each time we go there.   I continue to be amazed at the amount of free activities that are available for the residents of Buenos Aires.

The highlight of our time with D & J was a trip to Teatro Colon, first opened in 1908. We saw a production of Aida, which was a 100th anniversary celebration of the inhouse choir, orchestra and ballet troupe, specifically highlighting these three groups. The building, both inside and out, is a sight to behold. I’m not sure if I’ve ever been in a theatre with 6 balconies before.  Like many of the older buildings here, there was a lot of gold, filigree, pomp, and circumstance. That said, amongst the fancy-dressed Argentinian grand dames and gents was a healthy mix of young people in casual clothes, equally enjoying both the performance and the architecture around it.