viva la boca

la boca, buenos aires

i could fill a book with impressions since my arrival to BA 36 hours ago, but let's just say that yesterday was filled with the feelings of lethargy, confusion, wonder, bewilderment, and self-disgust that accompany any full day of air travel. i also, and i write this proudly, was able to keep it together through a meeting with our argentine counterparts and a pair of bars on only a couple hours of sleep. however, rather than try to tackle everything about these first days in this post, i'd rather expand about a little walk i took today.

there are 48 barrios, or neighborhoods, in BA and la boca may be the most proud. it sits at the southeastern edge of the city, at the intersection two bodies of water, the Riachuelo and the Rio de la Plata. with my roommates, mark and patrick, i walked down and was able to confirm that riachuelo may be among the most contaminated bodies of water i've seen. it's appearance wasn't so gross, but the smell was enough to discourage any thoughts of throwing a lit match into it.

la boca was settled by italians over a century ago, and this is not the only comparison to the bronx that i can make. we have been warned of certain don't-go-there neighborhoods, but by and large the barrio is just random. most of the people live at the southern cusp of the middle class, but are very proud of their barrio. today we strolled through the colorful caminita, a pedestrian mall flanked by sidewalk restaurants and buildings of every color (pictures forthcoming). beyond that, most of the people come and go, with a handful of churches, small stores, empanada stands, and cafes existing alongside empty buildings covered in graffiti. part of the enjoyment from the walk was trying to discern between which murals on the wall were sanctioned and which were the product of vandalism.

like the yankee following in the bronx, the locals are rabid about their boca juniors. it is the club where diego maradona played and we saw jerseys, shorts, flags, footballs, and even a porcelain penguin adorned with the club's crest. we have been warned about the debaucherous behavior of its fans on game day, but that's something that's better experienced in person.

until then.....hasta luego, and stay well