SCENES FROM BUENOS AIRES

I flew down to Buenos Aires for a week to catch the end of their summer, check out the club/DJ scene and visit my old friends Craig and Celeste who've lived there for a year now. Days one and two were spent cycling around the crazy boulevards and forgetting my camera.


On day three, I made it to the cemetary. This is the number one tourist attraction in Buenos Aires cuz its all ostentatious mausoleums.


Including Eva Peron's grave site, which isn't particularly special-looking but gets lots of attention, as you can tell from the flowers and plaques. Don't cry for me Argentina.


I liked this hobbit-esque dungeon masoleum and couldn't help but think of the kids who sneak in and play hide and seek here at night.


Food cart right outside the cemetary, which coincidentally was playing Guns 'n' Roses' I Used to Love Her (but I had to kill her) as we bought waters.


MECHANICAL FLOWER! This sculpture has built-in electronics so it can point toward direct sunlight and close up its petals when the sun goes down, which happens at like, 9 or 10pm.


Remnants of a kiddie birthday party at the MALBA, the Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires.


Chris M. put me in touch with his British buddy Elias (right), who had befriended a gang of Colombians earlier in his travels, including Lordes (left), who has a room with a view.


The view! Sunset over Buenos Aires. The city so doesn't feel this sprawling from street level, until you take, like, a 30 minute cab ride somewhere.


My hostess with the mostess Celeste, who took me out to a Friday morning "breakfast." Since all the clubs and bars get going at 2am, however, breakfast is really lunch and happens at like, 3-4pm. And all the food is Italian.


Anime-influenced street art is everywhere. Note that I went out to Kim Y Novak and Club 69 Thursday night (northern soul DJ in the side room?!), Brandon Gay Day and Cocolicha Friday night, Ambar la Fox (my favorite club) Saturday night and Amerika on Sunday. So there wasn't too much daytime activity going on.


Just lots of street art on the way to "breakfast."


Celeste in front of some stencil graffiti over in Palermo Hollywood, where all the film and television shows are taped.


Music and visuals installment at a downtown gallery. At every music event/club that I went to in BA, there were ALWAYS 4-6 DJs behind the DJ booth at any given time.


Former theatre or opera house that has been converted into a bookstore. We drank coffees on the stage while looking out onto the rest of the store from behind a parted curtain.


Bookstore ceiling fresco realness.


Saturday night we also hit up Korean barbecue with Celeste and Craig's Argentine friends and coworkers (they work for idealist) before belting out some good old fashioned karaoke. I wore my special Tina shirt for the occasion.


I think Celly did Gangsta's Paradise at one point.


Did I mention that every store sells cutesy anime-inspired tshirts, keychains and stuffed animals?


We attempted to go to this massive Monday afternoon drum circle thing but apparently it sold out way before we arrived. Good people watching though.


Doggie driving a car and gawking at the hot Argentine men and their unusual hairstyles.


Craig (in the green plaid, Celeste's boyfriend) and I waited it out but to no avail, so we headed home and grabbed yet another yummy steak dinner.


Elias, Celeste and Craig (from left) bid me farewell at their favorite Argentine ice cream shop, where I tried dulce de leche despite my JBS--jewish bowel syndrome. Hasta luego Buenos Aires!