It is autumn again in Buenos Aires. Yet it almost feels like printemps. I felt like leaving this city as soon as I could and go straight to summer in Turkey but a day before my scheduled flight I did something crazy, and postponed it to two months from now. I will be starting another autumn this year, in Istanbul but I am not even thinking about that right now. I am enjoying this, whatever that I am doing right now, here in Buenos Aires.
I started to know where I am and where to go, how to get there, what bus to take, which side of the tracks to wait for the subte (Buenos Aires copies the Brits on this, although they never agreed on the Falklands!), where to eat and where to have an amazing sunny autumn day: Costanera Sur.
After brunch with my new roommates (I am not sure if we qualify as roommates, I started to visit one of these guys, an old friend of mine since last week and then moved in with him a week later because it felt right for some unexplicable reason!) I suggested that we catch the day and take a walk on the biggest natural park in the city. It is amazing that seconds away from this city’s famous downtown lies a natural reserve, on the shore of the River Plate.
We passed by the avenues where big trucks carrying whatever comes and leaves this town through the port, reached the modern condominiums of the Puerto Madero, the cozy yacht club and finally the construction sites for new condos that are being build in this very yuppie ‘hood and walked through the chorizo cars and entered the park. Suddenly the sound of the city disappeared and came silence, if one could avoid my friend’s friend constant idiotic comments about anything. I wished we did not invite him, but I guess it would be really rude to do that.
We had mate, music, a joint and warm winter sun. My friend told us that he had a special spot inside where we can sit and enjoy the sun by the river. We followed him and I kept wishing the other one would take off to do something else and leave us alone, so I could enjoy the silence and the fresh air without a side of unnecessary chitchat. We walked for approximately 4 km into the deeper part of the reserve and arrived where he suggested. It was indeed a nice spot, as my friend seems so far that he is a man of certain taste. We could see the entry to the port, the fisherman’s bridge, and the rocky shore that opens to the widest river of South America. My sunglasses made the usually brownish waters blue, and when I closed my eyes all I heard was the sound of the waves—by that time I told the other one to shut up.
When we turned our heads we could also see the downtown lying after miles of vegetation. It looked almost absurd to my eyes but I appreciated this sanctuary once again. I decided to inhale as much as clean air and river smell before going back to what I can describe as the mixture of exhaust and cement, with a side of dog shit. Depending on the neighborhood, this mixture includes perfume, parillada, or bakery smells as well. I like the mixture to be honest with you, but every once in a while it is great to smell the air, nothing else.
We spend the next 3 or more hours there, drinking mate, listening to our music (we each had our ipods) and enjoying our afternoon. It was magical. I never enjoyed this part of town before, for those little details why one needs a partner in crime afterall!
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