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An Afternoon with Horses (Polo Game)

I’ve been wanting to go to a polo match ever since I saw that there were fields here in Buenos Aires. Our recent move into the life of luxory brought us just blocks away from the two fields in Palermo. So, one afternoon in March at the suggestion of our friends, we got together for a little free polo action.

Before the action started, I was taking pictures of the horses from outside the fence on the sidewalk. One of the guys brushing and braiding their tails called over to me and told me to come in for a closer look. I couldn’t believe that just feet from one of the busiest avenues in Buenos Aires I was standing even closer to 30-plus horses ready to chase a ball around. They didn’t look as excited about it as I was.

That’s our new neighborhood, Las Cañitas.

It was pretty funny as we tried to learn the rules by watching the game. I was trying to cheer for the black team, but got confused when the blue team was scoring on their goal. Apparently, after every point scored, they switch directions!

Even though it took us a while to figure out the basics of the game, watching the horses sprint across the field, stop on a dime, and bump one another entertained us plenty.

If you’re in Buenos Aires during the summer and fall (Dec – May) there are many games at the fields in Palermo (Campo Argentino de Polo). Many of them are free and it’s a wonderful outing for families in a relaxing setting. Here’s a Spanish search results page of “Palermo” on the official polo site that is helpful in finding about games and tournaments.

Tags: Argentina, Buenos Aires, horses, polo, sports, travel

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Life in Buenos Aires
Author Stephen

Meat, Cheese and a Photography Lesson

5 Apr

One of our new friends, Jaco, recently took Maggie and me out for lunch at one of his and our favorite restaurants in Buenos Aires, Las Cholas. We loaded up on the “Parrillada Completa” (complete grill) and “Provoleta de Cabra y Rucula” (Argentine provolone goat cheese and arugula).

In the US, we’re not accustomed to eating the non-muscles parts of a cow. Here in Argentina, they eat just about everything, so we ventured out and tasted “morcilla” (blood sausage) for the first time. It got one thumb down from Maggie and two thumbs up from me.

After stuffing our faces, Jaco gave us an amazingly in-depth and helpful photography lesson in crayons. Just in time for Maggie’s mom and sister’s visit!

: The surprisingly tasty blood sausage.

Tags: Argentina, Buenos Aires, food, travel

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Food
Author Stephen

Buenos Aires: When Race Cars Replaced the Buses

2 Apr

For two days the streets in the heart of downtown Buenos Aires were no longer filled with buses and taxis. Instead, a track had been constructed and race cars circled at record speeds.

The noise was piercing, the speed was thrilling, and the smile on my face wouldn’t go away. I felt like a kid.

The Video

The Photos

Tags: Argentina, Buenos Aires, race cars, travel

Categories Life in Buenos Aires
Author Stephen

A Buenos Aires Coffee Guide (with pictures)

5 Feb

There is a procedure to ordering coffee in Buenos Aires – part explicit, part understood.

While living in San Cristobal, our favorite hangout was La Helvetica, a top-of-the-line café and confiteria. There, and with the help of some Porteño friends, we received our B.A. coffee education.

With one week left before a move to Las Cañitas, we decided to compile a list of the variations of coffee that are ubiquitous in all cafes around the city. In our efforts to assist fellow travelers, we put in our due diligence and helped ourselves to a different type of coffee every day this past week.

Most Porteños know what they want as soon as they sit down. As a result, menus aren’t usually offered, you have to request them (“Podrías traerme la carta?”). While extensive, it doesn’t offer much in the way of descriptions or sizes. Here’s some information the menu doesn’t include, which we found helpful:

First, the sizes (left to right):

Chico – small, popular for afternoon or evening drinks

Jarrito – probably the most popular size

Doble – double the pleasure (of the chico)

Café con leche – An odd name for a size, but only café con leche (or crema) drinks are served in this cup.

Cappucino – Similar to the café con leche, only cappuccino is served in this cup – although you’ll see many places get creative with the sizing and style of this drink.

The glasses in the back don’t have names that we know of. They are used to serve specialty drinks like the submarino listed below.

Next, the drinks:

Café – Espresso, straight-up. (Comes in chico, jarrito, and doble)