EricMBloggie

The whole family went on a tour of Buenos Aires today. Rudy served as the tour guide of our car load of Juan, Kelly, Adriana, and me. We went to the Plaza de Mayo, San Telmo, Plaza San Martin, and Calle Florida. Of most interest was our stop to La Boca. (”The Mouth,” which I´m guessing is named for the port.) Docked in the port is a dilapidated boat, which used to be the brand new ferry that took the family to Punta Del Este in the summers. The first thing you notice upon opening the car door is the thick smell of damp shit wafting in from the river. It´s strong and takes some getting used to. The houses in La Boca are painted in bright colors and look like a Disney-fied tourist spot, but it´s been that way since the beginning, and people live there. We stop by the shop where Rudy´s father paints, but he´s not there, and meander the streets. The setting sun makes the area especially vibrant.

I still don´t believe the thirty five foot banner that hangs outside Don and Pili´s house.

“Welcom Challenger, Columbia, and Family.” In small letters, it reads, “Nasas Failures.” El Don has really outdone himself with this one. I thought I knew how to take a joke to the extreme, but I am proven unworthy. The man had a banner painted and hung. It´s unbelievable and hilarious.

A few friends and family are greeted in the foyer as the party gets under way. The action moves to the tented area and adjoining the living room, which has been cleared to serve as a dance floor. The DJ plays lighter music, the wine and appetizers make their way through the crowd. Soon, everyone is dancing, the lamps in the living room off, in favor of a disco ball and colored lights. The party rages on, with a mix of latin and American music, and an endless stream of wine and food. I meet a fascinating ten year old girl who speaks better English than myself. She wants to know about “Happy Birthday, Harris Malden,” so I tell her the story. When I´m done, she tells me about her movies, “I’ve already invented like four, five movies. In my head. And I´m ten.” When I say, “That´s amazing,” I actually mean it. The movies are sequels to a series of movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “The Chronicles of Narnia,” and “Harry Potter.” She´s going to need a lawyer to sort out the copyright issues, but they´re clevered created stories. I also found a girl closer to my age to dance with. Denise was shy, spoke English, and most importantly, laughed at my jokes. We Twisted and Shouted, and I earned another nickname from Rudy, “The Shark.” He told me to stay away from Sophia. I told him he was crazy. We hugged. Slowly, guests left, and the DJ closed up shop. We sat around the dinner table joking around until maybe six in the morning. These Argentinians know how to party, young and old alike.

Slowly, guests left, and the DJ closed up shop. We sat around the dinner table joking around until maybe six in the morning. These Argentinians know how to party, young and old alike.