Puerto Madero’s Filthy Containers are Recovered to Make-up Buenos Aires Posh Area

Since Buenos Aires’s Puerto Madero was built for the first time by Pedro de Mendoza in 1536 and named it Puerto de Nuestra Señora del Buen Ayre,, the port and its area have been remodeled, reconstructed and re-inaugurated more than five times.

The last reconstruction started in 1992, after the Ministry of Public Services and Public Affairs, The Minitry of Interior and The Government of Buenos Aires agreed to stimulate this port’s area urban development November 15, 1989.

To select the model that they would use for the remodeling process, they called for a “National Contest of Ideas for Puerto Madero,” where they established they wanted to: transform the area, reorganize its urban character, promote the installation of commercial outlets and offices, and re-conquer the riverside.

February 1992, the jury chose the three best proposals (out of 96 presented) and selected three people of each group to work jointly in Puerto Madero’s uplifting project. According to Puertomadero.com, this group was made up by: Juan Manuel Borthagaray, Cristian Carnicer, Pablo Doval, Enrique García Espil, Mariana Leidemann, Carlos Marre, Rómulo Pérez, Antonio Tufaro and Eugenio Xaus.

These people were able to transform a place that held huge rusty containers, dirty and neglected buildings infected with rodents and cockroaches, into a beautiful river walk with prestigious bars, restaurants, ice-cream shops and cafes; a very romantic place where you can retreat to take a peaceful walk under the moonlight with your honey.

Timeline

Constructions and Port’s Reconstructions
1536- Pedro de Mendoza
1580- Juan de Garay
1855- Construction of New Customs Building that reactivated the Port’s movement, done by the English engineer Eduardo Taylor
1887-1897- Ing. Eduardo Madero
1911-1925- New Port
1992- Last reconstruction

Presented Projects
Between 1580 and 1887 many projects where presented. However, they were not completed due to Spain’s resistance.
1755- Juan de Echeverría
1761- Francisco de Vianes
1777- Ing. Francisco Rodrígues y Cardoso
1795-1802- Pedro Antonio Cerviño (partially constructed)
1805- Ing. Eustaquio Gianni
1810-1811- Mariano Moreno and its first committee
1823- Ing. Santiago Bevans
1825- Guillermo Micklejon
1853- Ing. Carlos Pellegrini and Manuel Tudury
1859- Ing. Coghlan
1871- Ing. Juan Bateman
1872- Ing. J. Revy
1975- Ing. Guillermo Rigoni

How to get there:
Buses:
Lines: 2, 4, 6 , 20 , 22 , 26 , 33 , 54 , 56 , 61 , 62 , 64 , 74 , 93 , 99 , 105 , 109 , 111 , 126 , 129 , 130 , 140 , 143 , 146 , 152 , 159

Subways:
Line B: Station: L.N. Alem
Line A: Station: Pza. de Mayo

Palermo, the Forever Creative Neighborhood of Buenos Aires

When I was small I used to walk through Palermo Viejo so I could go play in the park. With my small legs, it was torturous to drag my tricycle through broken sidewalks with old and neglected houses.

Around that time, the architects Jorge Hampton y Emilio Rivoira had already started to remodel the area, although most of the changes were unnoticeable. It wasn’t until the mid-90s that those early XX century houses with ample spaces, high ceilings, picturesque balconies with forged bars, began hosting decoration stores, clothing boutiques, specialized restaurants, and boutique hotels.

Little by little the neighborhood started to change until it transformed itself into the epicenter of Buenos Aires’ bohemian-contemporary movement; an area where artisans, clothing-designers and artists get together at Placita Cortazar to sell their accessories, paintings, bijouterie and other crafts.

Some people believe this artisans and artists are a new addition to the neighborhood. However, Palermo’s neighbors say that since the beginning, this neighborhood was tranquil and creative; a place where people got together to chat and have intellectual talks in plazas, cafes, clubs and neighborhood associations.

At the same time, there are stories that try to explain how the neighborhood got its name, although there is no official story. Some say Palermo carries its name because years ago they used to venerate the Virgin of San Benito de Palermo there.

Others say that the Chief of State Juan Manuel de Rosas gave this name to the first lands he bought in the area because his mistress thought of Sicilia every time she looked at the stream that ran through it.

The most popular story assures that the neighborhood carried this name to honor chacarero (person that dances chacarera) Juan Domigno de Palermo, the first owner of these lands.

I doubt we will be able to ever know the exact precedence of this neighborhood’s name, a neighborhood that has been parted and renamed in the last couple of years into: Palermo Holywood to the North of Av. Juan B. Justo, Palermo SOHO, to the South of this avenue, and the rest, simple Palermo.

Nowadays, it is fun to walk through Palermo during the weekends to live and experience the subculture that has been created in this neighborhood. At the same time, there are good and varied restaurants where you and eat and spend some pleasant time with your friends.

My favorites:
La Baita–Italian Restaurant
Thames 1603 (Thames y Honduras)
Price: Around $25 per person

Gardelito – Argentinean food
Thames 1919
Price: Around $25 per person

How to get there:
Bus
Córdoba and Scalabrini Ortiz / Cabrera and Scalabrini Ortiz:
140, 106

Plaza Italia / Güemes and Borges:
12, 29, 39, 68, 152

Plaza Italia / Charcas and Borges:
111

Placita Cortázar:
34, 36, 55, 93, 161

Metro
Line D to Plaza Italia


More about the neighborhood:

• Palermo’s day: June 25. Decree 43.653 (B.M. Nro. 18.587 of 02/08/89).
• Story of how Julian Gallo’s house turned into a restaurant.

Jorge Gobbi interviewed me for blog.despegar.com

This Thursday, Jorge Gobbi from blog.despegar.com Publisher an interview where I talk about my experience as a blogger and express my opinions regarding the blogosphere.

You read it by clicking the following lik: Blogs sobre viajes: Vida Surrealista de un Viajante Sin Guía.
Hope you like it.
Have a nice week.
Suerte!
Laura

Flying Men at Cumple el Tajin, Mexico

By María Luisa Villegas

The Cumbre Tajín is a cultural event that takes place in Veracruz, Papantla, Mexico. During the celebration a group of men climb to the top of the 30-meter-high “flying stick” for the dance of Los Voladores de Papantla to honor the sun invoking the four cardinal spots: North, South, East and West.

Dance of the San Miguelitos, where good and evil meet for a battle where they try to delimit their kingdoms.

Dance of the Flying Men.



Weaving typical Totonacas’ outfits.



Mud Sculpturing workshop at the Cumbre El Tajín.




Sculptures made with vanilla flower; an old legend says that the flower first emerged from the blood of one of Tonacas’s princesses. Vanilla means “Caxixanath” hidden flower.

Maria Luisa Villegas’ Personal Experience with the Virgen

Mexican journalist María Luisa Villegas, narrates her personal experience with the Virgen of Guadalupe from Mexico:

From a personal point of view I can say that, taking into consideration that I am not very religious, let’s say: I don’t go to mass son Sunday, I don’t even celebrate the traditional religious holidays. A couple years ago I went to Guadalupe’s Basilica, as a tourist, and as I walked in front of the religious image, and took a close look at her, I experienced a sentiment that I had never felt before, and I doubt I will ever feel again.

I know you probably won’t believe me, and I might even sound like an exaggeration or a resemblance to a cheap soap-opera script from Televisa, but it is true: when you see it, a feeling of peace runs through you, and you feel so small! As she told Juan Diego, “the smallest one of my children.”

It is possible that mixture of feelings in connected to faith, that blind devotion that all Mexicans show the Virgin for a day, when they forget about their differences and they come together to celebrated the day of our “madrecita”, the one that fulfills all of their petitions and takes care of them throughout the year, the one they offer sacrifices to, profess their love for, and thank for their blessings.

Peruvians Prepare “Tanta Wawas” to Celebrate the Day of the Dead

By Pablo Solorzano

Pictures by Leonor Crespo

After I told you about the celebration for the Day of the Dead that takes place in Mexico, Pablo Solórzano from Torres de Lima, Peru, wrote to describe how they celebrate this date in his country:

Here we have more similarities with our Latin-American neighbor. I see we share similarities in negative aspects, as well as in more elevated levels: our identity.

In my country, Peru we celebrate the Day of the Dead with much happiness. Everyone celebrated it, but those people with Andean ancestry do so in a more special way.

Following traditional thought held by Peruvian ancient cultures (I am not only talking about Inca culture; we had an infinite number of cultures), that believed in life after death, people buried their deceased relatives along with their possessions and specific utensils that could be useful for them in the afterlife.

Even though today we no longer burry people in this way, we still take the things they like the most to their graves. That way, when you walk down the cemetery, it is possible to listen to musical groups playing the dead person’s favorite tune; we take food in casseroles, drink to “toss” with the dead person, we talk to them, we decorate their tombs and we also give them updates about what happened after they died.

In Peru, we don’t have skull-shaped breads like in Mexico, but we do have Tanta Wawas, baby-shaped breads. However, in our case we share it among our living relatives to strengthen our family ties and to communicate reciprocity.

My mother, during her infancy in the beautiful town of Ayacucho used to take these Wawas to her relatives. At that time, they usually gave Wawas to girls, and little horses to boys.

These Wawas are made of flower, and its baby eyes with raisins. At the same time, they also adorn them with sugar-coated candy, and sesame seads. The exact significance of the Wawas is unknown. What’s the purpose to give “babys” as a gift on the Day of the Dead? (which is celebrated November 1).

It is possible that you offer them to commemorate the memory of the dead person with something that represents a new life, a continuation, that is a baby, a a Wawa. Yet, this has not been confirmed.

Nevertheless, I think Peruvians will continue to celebrate the Day of the Dead to remember our loved ones, and to continue with the traditions of our ancestors.

Bellow, you will be able to observe the fabrications process of the Tanta Wawas, through Leonor Crespo’s photographs:

First, you prepare the dough.

Then, you knead it.

You knead it good.

You make the “Tanta Wawa” with the though, and decorate it.

Then you bake it, and once you take it out of the over, you let it cool and it is ready!

Enjoy!

Create Online Photo Albums to Share for Pictures

Reading Clarin Newspaper’s Technology Supplement “NEXT”, I found an article by Monica Garcia called “Each picture in its place ready for you to enjoy them”, that described different free tools that allow you to organize and improve your digital pictures.


Those who like photography can “fix” their pictures, add effects to the, eliminate “red eyes”, among other things by downloading some of the following free software:

• Picasa


• XnView

After “fixing” your pictures you are use some of the following sites, to create your own online photo album. These are some Argentinean websites:

• Fotoalbum de Ubbi


• Imagena


• Imprimi tus fotos


• Magic-Photo


• Revele Ya


• Sin Rollos

These are some international sites that allow you to create online photo albums:

• Club Photo


• Jalbum


• Kodak Gallery


• My Album Maker


• My Photo Album


• My Pixmania


• Photo Box


• Photo Site


• Photos Yahoo


• Picasa


• Pixelin


• Web-A-Photo

German Christmas Spirit at Christkindlesmarkt

Christmas spirit arises in December, and with it I revive my memories from my trips to Germany.

Before I visited Germany for the first time, I thought it was a grey and cold place where people spoke a harsh sounding language. However, these erroneous concepts collapsed once I arrived at Germanic lands.

As I imagined, when I got to Dresden it was raining. But since everything was adorned with Christmas decorations, even Prager Strasse, Dresden’s ugliest area built during Stalin’s rule, look pretty and joyful.

I got to the city center following the Christmas decorations. There, locals had set up the Christkindlesmarkt’s (Christmas market’s) stores. Each person sold different things from: Lebkuchen (ginger cookies), hot dogs with various types of sausages, sauerkraut (fermented cabbage), lamb hamburgers and other non-edible products such as aromatic candles, wooden decorations, and handmade toys, among other things.

Despite the large variety of stores, there is no doubt my favorite was the one that sold Gluhwein (sweet spiced wine) and Feuerzangenbowle (spiced warm rum-based beverage). Mmmm! I can still feel the smell that emerged from the hot pots where the cooks mixed the wines and the spices. A small sip was enough to appease the strong German cold.

Even though this year around this time I will be in Argentina and I won’t need a hot beverage to keep me warn, I hope I will be able to enjoy a similar spirit that exists in German Christkindlesmarkts.

I give Thanks for Thanksgiving in Argentina

I had always thought Thanksgiving was a celebration that revolved around food. In fact, the last time I celebrated it I drove 13 hours, from Fort Worth, TX to St. Louis, Missouri with a group of college friends, to celebrate it with home cooking.

However, this year I realized that food is only a plus; the celebration is not the same separated from family traditions.

Hoping to relive the experience, November 24 of 2006, I celebrated Thanksgiving with a groups of American friends at “Kansas” in Buenos Aires.

We enjoyed stuffed turkey with cranberry sauce, smashes sweet potatoes with nuts, creamed spinach and mashes potatoes with gravy, and we gave thanks for everything we have.

However, it didn’t really feel like Thanksgiving. Even though our palates had traveled to the US since the restaurant’s cooks had perfectly achieved traditional Thanksgiving recipes, the spirit of camaraderie was missing. You couldn’t sense that fraternal spirit that is born while everyone prepares the food together, pealing potatoes, baking casseroles, beating eggs for the cake, checking the oven, etc.

On top of that, we only had two choices for dessert: either pumpkin pie or pecan pie, while in St. Louis, my friend’s mom had prepared 12 pies, one for eat person.

Even though I am not American, and this celebration does not affect me directly, I think it is nice to reserve a day (in this case the fourth Thursday of November) to give thanks for all the things we have been blessed with.


A Piece of History
Pilgrims from Virginia were the first one to celebrate Thanksgiving to thank Squanto for his collaboration, back on December 4, 1619.

Squanto had learned to speak English on one of his trips to Europe and he helped the pilgrims to interact with the natives. Squanto also thought pilgrims to fish for eels, to harvest corn, which enabled them to survive the adversity of the new land.

Maracuchos Celebrate La Feria de La Chinita in Venezuela

Picture by Antonio Cuauro

Maracaibo is Venezuela’s second most important city, located in Zulia, a state bordering with Colombia. Even though this city lays within Venezuelan borders, it appears to be a different country, with its own rules, language and culture.

Over there, “la ley Guajira” rules over Venezuelan rules, its inhabitants speak “maracucho”, which hardly classifies as Spanish, and they follow their own regional traditions.

In Novemver, maracuhos honor their city’s patron La Virgen de Chiquinquirá (or Virgen de la Chinita) with a celebration that lasts several weeks. During this time they display all characteristic traditions that make them unique.

Maracuchos begin celebrations of the Feria de la Chinita with the lighting of Christmas decorations that adorn Avenida Bella Vista until January. Then, they continue with novilladas and bull runs at Plaza de Toros Monumental de Maracaibo.

During this time, it is impossible to find a silent place in Maracaibo, since maracuchos proudly play gaitas in every city corner through potent speakers that incite you to dance to the rhythm of traditional gaita instruments like: furro, maracas, cuatro, charrasca and tambora.

The Feria ends with the Amanecer Gaitero, where zulianos dance until sunrise listening to different gaita groups.