Painted Wild Life in Argentina

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Recently I have learnt something about rhinocerotidae. As a matter of fact, rhinoceroses are three-toed, either one or two-horned and the smallest of their kind is Sumatran. These animals are native to Africa, India and southern Asia.
I have reasons to believe there is an Argentine subspecies, too. For those who don't trust me I have photographic evidence to prove it. So, it is my honorable duty to aptly name it and I proudly cognominate it diceros bicornis argentiniensis coeruleus. Attention, the big blue guy looks like he is about to launch a running attack targeting you. Because of his size and the fact that the Javan Rhinoceros has only one horn, I put two and two together and conclude this specimen is closely related to the African type. In the end, rhinos and graffiti have one thing in common: Both may be extant one day and extinct the next!

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Working Hands: Confitería Argentina

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Today I'd like to introduce you to facturas, one of Argentina's sweet delights. Facturas is how pastries are called in South America, especially in Argentina and Uruguay. Basically, there are bigillions of these sugar-carb bombs out there in Buenos Aires. Three at a time, however, were more than enough to satisfy my munchies. I'm not ready to become a tubby yet. ;)
So, what do we have here? The black one is called tortita negra, the piece between the tongs is a medialuna con dulce de leche and, last but not least, the one in the basket is a medialuna de manteca dusted with powdered sugar. Medialunas are the Argentine croissants and are exceedingly tasty. It's needless to say that this sweet stuff is best accompanied by a hot café con leche. Enjoy!

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Buenos Aires’ Building Boom

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To build or not to build is not always a matter of demand. There is an increasingly high number of newly accomplished buildings popping up on the real estate market of Buenos Aires. I don't want to know how many of these office and apartment buildings will stand empty after completion forming a deserted ghost town. Frankly, there are thousands of people who would and could fill these buildings with life but cannot afford it. I do know these buildings are not projected to make the world a better place, but you can't stop me from dreaming.
Apropos, this isn't a phenomenon that arises only in Argentina. Have you ever heard of the new ghost towns in Spain? Ciudad Valdeluz, for instance, is a completely newly constructed city for approx. 30,000 inhabitants, but has in fact not more than 197 after all. — And it doesn't look like it's going to get any better.

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Selling Burnt Almonds

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I like these street scenes telling you a story of the city. The guy in the red jacket was waiting, maybe for his wife, his kid, or Godot, to come out of the polyclinic right behind him. While doing so, he observed the world around him; once in a while he small talked with the guy beside him who had a stand with pistachios and burnt almonds to sell to passer-bys. Obviously his business went so slow this morning that he decided to become his own best customer. The pack he was just about to open was for himself. I caught him in the act.

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Creative Elevator Door Decoration in Centro Cultural Borges

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How to pimp a plain, boring looking elevator? Just take a paintbrush, some color and, most importantly, be creative when painting some ornaments on its doors. Well, lift decoration has become very popular over the last few years. You see these artistic works more and more often, at least in Buenos Aires. Even the advertising industry has discovered that elevator ads are one of the most innovative and unique advertising mediums today. This fancy lift door decoration, however, is no advertisement. The elevators are located in the Centro Cultural Borges and were artfully adorned with some black line drawings. Very eye-catching!
What do you think about using lift door for advertising?

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In Commemoration of the 57th Anniversary of the Death of Evita Perón

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Today is the 57th anniversary of María Eva Duarte de Perón's death. The principal remembrance plate to honor her was attached to the mausoleum of her family in 1982; 30 years after Evita had died. It says (roughly translated):

EVA PERON
Q.E.P.D. (Que En Paz Descanse)
1952, 26 de Julio - 1982
No me llores perdida ni lejana,
yo soy parte esencial de tu existencia,
todo amor y dolor me fue previsto,
cumplí mi humilde imitación de Cristo,
quien anduvo en mi senda que la siga.
SUS DISCIPULAS

EVA PERON
RIP (Rest in Peace)
1952, 26 of July - 1982
Don't cry for me being lost and distant,
I'm an essential part of your existence.
All love and pain for me were predetermined,
I accomplished my humble emulation of Christ.
Who pursued my example shall carry on!
Her Disciples

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Giant Key Sign Advertising Safety-Deposit Boxes

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Looking for a bank with a safe-deposit box section in Buenos Aires? Well, almost there. At least you've found the sign you have to watch out for. Frankly, my first impression of that sign was this is a key service where you can duplicate your home keys. Banelco, an acronym for Banca Electronica, is an ATM network that is affiliated with the VISA/Plus system, and probably the most widespread in Argentina. By the way, it can be pretty annoying for foreigners to access their cash in Buenos Aires. The limit for a single withdrawal is subject to change and differs from one ATM provider to another and depends also on your debit or credit card. In addition, they might charge you a withdrawal fee. The good news is the limit on ATM withdrawals seems to have been raised to A$R 750, at least at Banelco machines.

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