A New Home

Well, we’ve been to 12 countries over 7 months and our rooms have come in all forms – crappy, comfy, cozy and cush. We've had loud fans, bed bugs, mildew smells and perfect balconies. I felt like we’d seen it all. That is until we arrived in Cordoba, Argentina.

Andy and I had just finished a 2-country whirlwind adventure with my parents. We spent four magical days in the lake district of Bariloche where we stole ashtrays, sipped cappucinos and marveled at my mom’s ability to drive stick after years of inactivity. On one driving excursion, we went to see Argentina’s most famous, posh hotel – The Llao Llao Resort. Another day was spent exploring Villa La Angostura, a ski village that morphs into kitsch hell in the summertime. Our hotel was nice and our rooms looked out onto a pristine lake and mountain view. It was a very peaceful way to start our vacation together.

Move over Jeff Gordon, there's a new driver
in town - and her name is Andrea Rubin!

Upon arrival back in Buenos Aires, we realized it was the weekend of their famous Tango festival and Andy and I, being as relaxed as ever about finding accommodations, did not book anything prior to arrival. We had a hard time locking down a place and just as we were about to lug our bags to a hostel outside of Palermo Soho, my parents’ generosity kicked in. They scored a 2-bedroom suite at their ultra modern city escape, complete with leather couch, a balcony overlooking our perfectly busy street, and a shower that had the pressure of a firehose. Despite having to sleep on the couch, I was in heaven. They provided yummy blankets that reminded us of home and sheets with, according to Andy, an extremely high thread count. (One extra special addition was that The Oscars were on that weekend and we got to have a little party in our hotel room. Unfortunately, everything was dubbed in Spanish and it didn’t end until 3 am our time. But I stayed up for the whole thing and if Peter O’Toole had won, I would have been $60 richer! Oh well.)

Out on the town in Buenos Aires with my beautiful wife.
And you wonder why everyone automatically
talks to us in Spanish?

We spent our days in BA checking out new parts of the city. We went to San Telmo’s antique streets and saw Tango dancers cutting a rug. We checked out the city’s modern art museum as well as the famous cememtary in Recoleta that is overrun with stray cats. I was even able to grab some alone time that I used to go see a movie. (I saw Borat. I laughed hard but was also uncomfortable at times. A must see for any fan of film as I consider it a cross between Spinal Tap and all the Monty Python movies.)

I would describe some of the meals we ate, but I think my dad covered that subject in the previous post. Although, I must mention Social Paraiso’s medallions of meat. It was the most tender, juicy, tasty piece of beef I’ve had so far in Argentina – hands down!

Similar to Arnold and Danny Devito in the movie "Twins"
Dad and I realize we are cast from the same mold.
(Like the beard? I'm not cutting it
until we get home in June. ZZTop or bust!)

Anyway, we headed to Uruguay for a four-day side trip to the elite beach area of Punta del Este. It is where the rich Argentinians go for vacation. And of course, without knowing it, we were there on what amounts to their version of Labor Day Weekend. We arrived after a five-hour taxi-ferry-bus jaunt and during our negotiations with the cab driver at the bus station, Andy and I got in our first loud argument with a local. Apparently bargaining is not that accepted in Uruguay and my mangled Spanish seemed to set off hidden rage in this portly driver. He blew up at me. Cursing me, throwing our bags out of his trunk, gesturing rudely. I didn’t know what to say except, “Facil, facil, facil.” (Easy, easy, easy). We took our stuff and found another driver who took us to our hotel for the price we wanted to pay. Welcome to Uruguay!

The view of the rainbow from our room. A crazy storm
had just blown over our hotel and we were left
with this incredible sight.

The rest of our time there was lovely. We had an amazing room that overlooked a near, empty beach in a Bed & Breakfast just outside the main busy center of Punta. We sipped wine and watched intense sunsets every night from our room. We even got a killer rainbow one night! Their breakfast was amazing as they included huge watermelon and cantaloupe slices every morning along with a tray of tasty pastries. We rented a car again and mom handled it perfectly, despite torrential rains that literally flooded the inside of the car. We were even able to sneak in a sunny day lounging on the beach and swimming in the Atlantic Ocean.

Dad poses in Uruguay with La Bluette's owner Hugo. This guy
was a blast to talk to. he would recommend restaurants
and draw little maps so we could find it.
Show us those pearly whites, Hugo!

We made it back to BA and finished up our trip together in style. Great meals, belly laughs and hugs dominated our final three days. It was two weeks of my life I will never forget.

Just as my parents’ flight took off for Las Vegas, Andy and I were preparing for an overnight bus to Cordoba, the second city in Argentina. Considered the Boston of this great land, Cordoba boasts numerous colleges throughout tis city limits. If you aren’t a student in Cordoba, then you are a teacher. We made a reservation at an Israeli-run hostel, Baluch Backpackers, and stayed two nights, as we had loftier ambitions. We were coming to Cordoba for two things.

First we wanted to take a Spanish immersion class. Andy and I had heard this is the place to do it in Argentina and it was time to learn how to speak properly – or at least how to say “Can you wrap up these leftovers so I can take it home?” And second, we wanted to settle down for a month and find an apartment.

Instantly, thanks to Lonely Planet, we found an awesome school that caters to foreigners looking for intensive Spanish lessons. The director of the school was incredibly friendly and helped us call around the city looking for apartments. What we found was that everything was way out of our budget. After giving up our search for the perfect flat, we made a reservation at a hostel near our school. It was cheap, hip, quiet and livable – not what we wanted but it would work. It only cost $14 a night so we were happy. We went to the school to take our placement test, which Andy failed miserably, and the school director called the last number we had on our list of potential apartments. After our test, we went to meet the property manager at the building. And as we walked into the space, we knew we were home.

Can you tell that I'm happy with my new couch?
We lucked out big time with this place!

The large, 1-bedroom apartment in hip Nueva Cordoba is brand new. It has a leather couch, a full kitchen, an ultra-comfortable bed with a down comforter and pillows. There is a shower, a patio and, of course, a biday. We have Direct TV and a free wireless connection, as well as maid service twice a week. And, to top it all off, it only costs $18 a night!! We were in heaven – absolute heaven. We signed a month-long lease and moved our minimal belongings in Friday. Immediately upon unpacking, Andy and I both came down with a nasty cough, flu, cold. We are spending the weekend before our class begins with tissue in hand, sniffling, sneezing and watching movies.

Despite the nasty sickness, it feels incredible to be in a place that we can call home. As previously stated, we’ve been all over the world in the last 7 months and what we are calling home, in many places, feels cold and uninviting. But now, in Cordoba, we have found a place bursting with warmth and coziness. The city is alive with students and young professionals and Andy and I are excited to begin our Spanish immersion journey in this city that feels like a town. We’ve got a sock drawer, a routine to follow, a couch to sit on, and a doorman to say hi to. It’s the first place on this trip that we feel like we can call home and truly mean it.