Dancing with the Drill Instructors

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Truth is Argentinians simply LOVE to dance. And yes, this is absolutely a true cliché. I have seen many people--young and old alike--shaking their bones in public places at day or night or in between. This must be their favored way to "de-stress" from the hectic but exciting life in Buenos Aires. I love watching them! This bunch of Porteños, however, was rather exercising than dancing "drilled" by some demanding dance instructors. Everybody could participate in this lesson for free. The guys did a wonderful sweat-inducing job and, obviously, everybody had a great time. They definitely rocked the crowd!

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Colón de Santa Fe Fans Flock to the Game

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Soccer is the glue that binds the Argentine society together. The popular sport has, like nothing else, great powers to integrate different social groups and classes. When it comes to soccer all are equal. These fans of the Club Atlético Colón de Santa Fe had just arrived at their hotel in Buenos Aires to support their team in the match against the Boca Juniors. They were waving flags and singing and chanting out loud in anticipation of the game. That's the way real fans cheer and stand up for their team, right? The match took place yesterday in the Estadio Alberto J. Armando in La Boca which is also known as La Bombonera (The Chocolate Box). It ended in a draw (0 - 0).

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Fun Sport at Plaza Serrano

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What do Argentinos do when they are bored? Any idea? No? Frankly, me neither. What these three guys were doing at the Plaza Serrano in Palermo Soho, however, caught my attention. I was observing the trio for awhile while sitting in the sun, but I was not able to figure out what these funny activities were all about. Then my mind came up with an explanation so simple and yet so profound! The girl asked the kneeling guy to hold up the leg of her boyfriend so she could check his shoes for dog poo. Luckily the newly bought Nikes were still clean and tidy. Boy, what a relief!
Well, I'm kidding. I still have no idea what they were doing! I guess it was some fancy relaxation method -- Reiki, Shiatsu, T'ai-chi, Tae Bo ... whatever, you name it!

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Showdown in Montevideo

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Sundays are for hitting the ball with your buddies -- not just in Argentina but also in Uruguay. Last Wednesday, however, soccer attracted an even greater attention in both countries as it came to a crucial battle between their national teams: La Celeste (Uruguay) vs. La Albiceleste (Argentina). As you may be aware, it's Fifa World Cup qualifying at the moment. Soccer fans in Montevideo's Estadio Centenario got to see an exciting and nail biting match virtually until the last minute. When in the 84th minute Mario Bolatti scored the 0-1 to punch Argentina's ticket for South Africa in 2010, national team coach Diego Maradona was bubbling over with joy. What a relief! The battle was rather a bogey match for Argentina because they had last won 1975 in this stadium. Uruguay now has to go into the playoffs against Costa Rica on November, 14 and 18.

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L is for Laissez-faire in the Parque Centenario

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While the girls were playing tag around the boys, the boys were sitting calmly and coolly on the grassy ground of the park sipping their mate gourd. If you want to soak in some authentic Buenos Aires, then the Caballito neighborhood awaits your arrival. San Telmo is historic, Palermo is trendy but Caballito is authentic. There are several parks in this neighborhood for all kinds of leisure activities. The picture was taken in the Parque Centenario which is the biggest green space in this barrio. The park is perfectly fitting for a laissez-faire afternoon.

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K is for Kite Surfing

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The sport of kite surfing has become very popular since its first appearance in the late 1990s. In fact, the sport has become a mainstream sport, also known as kite boarding, all over the world. Primarily the water sport is a combination of speed, power, agility and reaction. It can be seen as a cross between water skiing, skateboarding, and windsurfing. Argentina with so many climate zones and such a wide variety of terrain is heaven for outdoor sport enthusiasts and offers some great spots not only for wind and kite surfer. The surf location in the picture is to be found in Rosario along the small islands of the river Paraná.

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Buenos Aires, City of Sidewalk Potholes

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Isn't the main purpose of sidewalks to provide pedestrians with a certain kind of safety by keeping them off the roads and out of danger? But how safe is it to stroll over cracked tiles during your afternoon walk? Obviously, there are lots of opportunities in Buenos Aires to break your legs, ankles or worse. Many of the cracked sidewalks and broken curbs were patched recently but I guess you will need several more stimulus packages to fix all of them. Be the potholes on the sidewalks ever so bad, the streets seem to be in a better condition. At least in the city center the main streets are fine. You lucky car drivers!

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Fabulous Beaches near Punta del Este

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Buenos Aires is a great city and a perfect home base to discover South America. From here you easily reach the beautiful and interesting surroundings as well as remote destinations. Punta del Este for instance, the luxury beach resort in Uruguay, is just a short flight away. Punta is a very popular meeting point for the high society mostly from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay but also from all other countries of South America. The beaches in Punta del Este are absolutely amazing and you will find crowded or secluded beaches, whatever you prefer.
When it comes to summer fun, what kind of a beach babe are you?

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Outdoor BMX/Skate Spot in Buenos Aires

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Skateboarding is more popular than ever, so in Buenos Aires. At the entrance to "Parque del Centenario" you'll find a skating facility which is ideal for skateboarders, roller skaters, in-line skaters and stunt bike enthusiasts.

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