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Archive for July, 2008

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

La Cabrera – Beef Extraordinaire, BA-style

Brendan
The Global Nomad

For those of you already hooked into the Buenos Aires food (read: “beef”) scene, recommending La Cabrera is like suggesting you check out this little place La Scala if you’re into opera—it’s only news if you’re just off the plane. That having been said, if you aren’t already a member of the cult of La Cabrera, come join us. It’s happy in here.

One caveat: if you are not a fan of comiendo carne, res, le biftek…stay at home. Have a celery stick or something. But for those of the committed carnivore set, glorious La Cabrera represents all that is possible from the meat of the humble cow, the pinnacle of that oh-so-Argentinean obsession, scarfing down some serious steak.

I will let the photo speak for itself, as well as the fact that the intimate but busy restaurant has spawned a sister restaurant down the street (don’t worry, if there’s no room at the main one they will walk to you to your table at the next) as well as a special event space around the corner.

La Cabrera is not the cheapest beef in BA—although for about $35 a person including wine, it’s not the most expensive. Nor is it the fanciest—tables are notoriously close together (which adds to the lively atmosphere), and waitstaff are gregarious and casual. But oh, the meat….

Although the menu runs the meat gamut, including dishes such as pork shoulder wrapped in bacon, the ojo de bife (rib eye) and lomo (tenderloin) are the most popular choices; the mollejas (sweetbreads) are legendary. Mains come with the chef’s signature collection of sauces and side ‘dishes’ served in small bowls so numerous as to almost take over the table, consisting of everything from purees of potato or squash, roasted peppers and mustard sautéed mushrooms, to eggplant, couscous, garlic, olives, tapenade and much much more. One could eat well on the side dishes alone. The lesson? Be very careful about over-ordering, and take the staff’s advice regarding portions and extras (one night we had part of our order vetoed—and rightly so—by our waiter!)

It’s important to note that La Cabrera does not take reservations during normal (Argentinean) dinner times, so your best bet is to just head down to the main restaurant and speak to the maitre d’. Diners are served champagne or wine on the street while they wait for their tables—an impromptu sidewalk cocktail party (a civilised BA practice I dearly wish others would adopt.)

Meat lovers of the world unite! All hail our leader….


La Cabrera
Cabrera 5099
At the corner of Cabrera and Thames
Palermo Viejo, Buenos Aires
(La Cabrera Norte is down one block at. Cabrera 5127)
4831-7002
Sunday to Thursday 8:30pm to 1am; later on weekends.
Also open for lunch

Friday, July 25th, 2008

A Quick Thanks to the GN Supporters

Brendan
The Global Nomad

Just wanted to say thanks for all the positive feedback I’ve gotten over then last 7 months. This blog was a bit of an experiment, and we weren’t sure how it would look as I got into it. The good news (for the Global Nomad anyway) is that I will have more time than usual to focus on the blog and photos, as I have wrapped up three writing contracts I have been working on simultaneously while travelling (yes, an entry or two about working remotely will definitely come along after the trip is done.) This means Global Nomad will be front and centre in my brain for a while!

Other reasons to be thankful:

Global Nomad added to AllTop
Planet Eye’s Mark Evans wrote recently about the Global Nomad being included on the travel section of AllTop:

“It is gratifying and exciting that Global Nomad has been added to the travel section of Alltop.com, alongside respected blogs such as Travel Rants, Lonely Planet, Peter Greenberg, Write to Travel and The Lost Girls.

“If you’re not familiar with Alltop, it’s sort of a like a “digital magazine rack” where you can quickly get information on a wide range of topics. Each blog or Web site listed on Alltop includes headlines for the last five posts/stories. Check it out.


Vagablogging Nod
Vagablogging, a leading travel blog, was kind enough to put the spotlight recently on the Global Nomad as a “cool new travel column”…which is always nice. I hope to get way cooler - wait till Galapagos!

“I’ve been enjoying Planet Eye’s new Global Nomad blog that is written by Brendan Powell as he travels around the world with his girlfriend. He began writing in January 2008 from Costa Rica and has worked his way through Belize, Brazil, Uruguay and now he is in Argentina. His writing is revealing and fun, and he’s good with photos. A must check out!”

All in all, a good start, I say. Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s a bottle of Malbec with my name on it waiting for me…and some serious piranha fishing to do after that….

…well, you should see the one that got away…

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008

La Bomba de Tiempo - percussion in the city

Brendan
The Global Nomad

Bomba de Tiempo

A cool live music experience in BA is to attend the now-legendary Bomba de Tiempo concert/live improvised jam sessions.

Performed in an open-air art space (but closed with a modest entry fee) the Bomba de Tiempo sessions are basically huge percussion jam sessions that have grown and developed over the years. The musicians sit on a huge staircase rising from the middle of an open square thronged with people drinking, passing the occasional joint, dancing, socialising or just nodding their heads. Each week there is a guest musician or two—the week we were there it was a Brazilian jazz guitarist. Music is a mix between rehearsed rhythms and off-the-wall improvisation. There are a couple of busy bars serving massive cups of beer (and wine—this is Argentina after all) and the atmosphere is casual and fun, with plenty of international travellers mixed in.

So if you like live music that’s unpredictable and want to see a different side of BA from the bars and clubs, check it out. It’s cheap, and the whole thing is over with plenty of time for a BA-time dinner and some late-night bar hopping.

La Bomba de Tiempo
Ciudad Cultural KONEX
3131 Sarmiento near Abasto Shopping
AR$10
approx 8pm to 10 pm every Monday night
rain or shine, holidays included
ticket window opens at 6pm
La Bomba Percussion school students entertain from 7pm

www.labombadetiempo.blogspot.com for details of who’s playing (Spanish only)
www.ciudadculturalkonex.org
www.flickr.com/photos/labombadetiempo for great photos of their concerts

Saturday, July 19th, 2008

Ayres de Español

Brendan
The Global Nomad

One of the most rewarding things to do when travelling (and perhaps the most useful) is to take local language lessons. This goes extra for travelling in Latin America; seeing as Spanish is so incredibly useful, it’s easy to justify the time, effort and cash. Spanish is spoken in more countries than any other country in the world, including the vast majority of South and Central America.

As in much of the Latin world, there are plenty of Spanish schools in Buenos Aires, some better than others. Don’t be put off by the Argentine reputation for having their own unique version of Spanish. It’s true, they do. But if you’re a beginner, it won’t really matter; if you’re advanced, you’ll know the difference. Plus any good teacher will steer your towards the universal while alerting you to any exceptions.

After some shopping around, my girlfriend chose Ayres de Español, a small boutique school based in the heart of Palermo Viejo. Aside from the location—which means a world of cafes, restaurants and shops are at your doorstep—she particularly liked their flexibility, as she didn’t want to be stuck in a classroom (they ended up—surprise!—shopping a lot).

Ayres works with some high profile students, namely Francis Ford Coppola and several embassies, so they are somewhat more expensive than the average. However, Mel was more than satisfied and would definitely recommend them.

Ayres de Español
Gurruchaga 1851, between Nicaragua and Costa Rica

60 pesos/hour private – can be done in your place (5 pesos/hour extra)
40 pesos/hour group (up to 4)
www.ayresdespanol.com.ar | info@ayresdespanol.com.ar

TELEPHONE:
From Buenos Aires: 4834-6340
International: 011-54-11-4834-6340
Mobile: 15-4074-6378
011(international access)
54 (country code)
11(city code)
4834-6340 (local number)

Tuesday, July 15th, 2008

Thank You to the Cows – Buying Leather in BA

Brendan
The Global Nomad



SO, we’ve already talked about beef. And shoes. But at the prompting of my leather-lovin’ girlfriend (no jokes please), I should add my two cents about leather jackets (and purses, ok, fine).

There may be no better place in the world to buy leather jackets than Buenos Aires. Yes, yes, I know what you’re thinking, Italian leather is amazing. But you pay for the quality you get. And I’ve bought some incredibly cheap leather in places like Bolivia and Ecuador (which had surprisingly good quality & style for the price btw). Got some awesome leather luggage in Greece, too.

But for my money no place compares in the price-to-quality-to style department to Buenos Aires.

I’m almost embarrassed to admit how much leather we bought on this last trip, but the top-quality workmanship, great leather and unbeatable Porteño style meant that the opportunity just couldn’t be passed up. Plus, with prices at about a third what they might be at home (as usual), it was a chance to buy more avant-garde styles you might love but be scared to pay $1000 for—prices keep us conservative at home. (Hell, if I were prepared to pay a grand for a jacket, I’d make damned sure I could get as much use out of it as I could.)

Enter BA leather. In our experience, most guidebooks and tourist folks will tell you to go to Florida Street, the long pedestrianised shopping avenue downtown (aka Microcentro). We disagree. Sure, there are tons of stores, but most of them have inferior quality (read: tourist trap). Plus they all have the same damned things. Worst, you get hassled—a lot. (“Hey man, buy leather jacket?”) Who needs it?

Unless all you are looking for is a cheap souvenir or a casual present, skip Florida. For the good stuff, head to Palermo. Again, prices are higher, but you always get what you pay for. Stores are beautiful, there is incredible selection, the atmosphere is great (with tons of cafes and restaurants when you need a break).

Our picks:

Mainstream/chain stores
Prune – mostly leather bags, great design and prices. www.prune.com.ar
Prototype – Men’s clothing, not primarily a leather store but my favourite for guys. prototype.com.ar
Lazaro – bags, purses, accessories. Repeat. www.lazarocuero.com.ar

Note that just north of Palermo there is an area where these and many other great Argentinean chains have their outlet stores—check it out for bargains.

Custom
Our hands-down favourite is Maru Guerberg. Mel bought three jackets here (see pics). Pick the style, pick the leather, pick the lining, let them measure and come back in a few days—voila! Prices range from $200-$300. Nothing for guys, sorry. www.maruguerberg.com.ar

A final note: if you need to ship stuff home and don’t want to take a chance with the regular post (which can be a bit dodgy), courier companies like DHL who will make it simple, if more expensive. Make a detailed list of what there is, don’t seal it before you bring the box in, and keep the value under $1000 unless you want to fudge the numbers as DHL won’t carry/insure it above that.

Thursday, July 10th, 2008

Cafayate, Argentina

Brendan
The Global Nomad

Quebrada de las Conchas

Head south from Salta and you enter a twilight zone of ochre rock eroded into crazy shapes that close into tight canyons, opening out dramatically into vistas carpeted with green. The drive to Cafayate through the Quebrada de las Conchas takes the better part of a morning, and is pretty damned winding—if you are prone to carsickness then take it slow, or take something to make the bus stop spinning!

Organised tours tend to focus on the rock formations, which, don’t get me wrong, are cool. However, after a couple of hours of “on the right you will soon see the rock that looks like Elvis…” you’ll be begging for a building. However, there’s certainly enough to shoot as a photographer—see below.

No, the main reason I wasn’t as interested in the rocks can be summed up in one word: Torrontés.

The Calchaqui Valley (in which Cafayate sits) is the largest and best producer of white wine in Argentina. The area’s signature grape is Torrontés, which does better here than anywhere else, as the grapes like the dry, windy climate. Makes you thirsty, doesn’t it?

Unfortunately, Cafayate as a town has much less going for it than, say, Mendoza (which we will of course get to shortly). Not that it’s a bad place. But after you’ve taken enough photos of the red-brown rock formations on the way in, your time is best spent touring wineries. (This was another problem I had with the organised trips—only one short tasting. You mean I came all this way just for the Elvis rock?!) Next time I would do it the same way we have done Mendoza—with our own vehicle. Did I mention I forgot my driver’s license in BA…?

On a side note, we really enjoyed our lunch at Baco Pizzeria. It’s no secret place, but they make a fine pizza, the location is convenient, seats outside are comfy, and they naturally have a great selection of wines you won’t likely find outside the area. Plus the owner makes really neat carved wooden ashtrays out of leftover construction material. He might even give you one if you ask really nicely.

Baco
On the corner of Guemes and Rivadavia
Cafayate, Salta, Argentina
www.cafayate.net

Monday, July 7th, 2008

Salta, Argentina

Brendan
The Global Nomad

Salta colours

If you’re mostly familiar with the Andean side of South America, one can be forgiven for thinking you’ve left the continent when you’re in BA. An easy reminder of where you really are is to head up to the northern city of Salta, the gateway to Argentina’s most Incan influenced region. Bordering on Bolivia to the north, the province of Salta has familiar sights for the Peruvian or Bolivian traveller: indigena towns, coca leaf-chewing or tea, and markets overflowing with tipico textiles.

The land is stark, strange and beautiful, with a landscape of multicoloured rock strata that make it on to many a postcard. The famous quebradas (gorges) of Humahuaca and the Quebrada del Río de Las Conchas are eerie, dry and worth a day each to explore.

Salta cacti

Two other cool things to do in the area are to go see the mummies at the MAAM, on the main square in Salta, and drink some Torrontés in Cafayate. The second I will get into in another post. As for the mummies:

The Museum of High Altitude Archaeology (MAAM) was established (in the words of the Museum’s site) to “preserve, investigate, and make public the finding of the “Llullaillaco Children,” one of the most important archaeological discoveries of recent times.”

“The three Inca children were found frozen at the peak of Mount Llullaillaco, 6,700 m. above sea level, on March of 1999. One hundred and forty-six artefacts, which formed part of their trove, were found together with the children: a miniature treasure that accompanied them in their journey to eternity. Studies reveal that they lived more than 500 years ago, during the height of the Inca rule, a short time before the Spanish Conquest.”

“The museum exhibits this wonderful discovery through a scientific perspective and in a didactic way to help us appreciate and further understand a culture that is still alive today.”

A more detailed and interesting explanation of the mummies can be found here and here:

mate

Friday, July 4th, 2008

Artisan Chocolate, vol. 1: La Cumbre

Brendan
The Global Nomad

Love Chocolate?

If you read my earlier post on La Cumbre, the cute town north of Cordoba, and end up there, there is one essential little place I forgot to mention.

We found La Casita del Chocolate completely by accident, while wandering the country lane-like back streets of residential La Cumbre. Mel saw a sign with the word Chocolate on it and the mission began.

Turns out La Casita del Chocolate is actually an artisanal homemade chocolate shop run out of the front of a private home. Jorge and Patri, the couple who run it (we wandered around the little shop for a while before they came out of their home!) are two of the loveliest people we met in Argentina: warm, friendly and enthusiastic about their country. Both spoke some English, and both were trained as psychologists!

In any case, the chocolate they made was fantastic, in cute little shapes and many varieties, including the ubiquitous alfajores (see photo) - an Argentinean obsession, a variety of which La Cumbre is known for. Other treats include dulce de leche (see my Feb 23rd post about eating like a local in Costa Rica), and home made liqueurs.

As it was a complete accident we found it, I didn’t have my camera but I’ve taken a rough photo of their flyer, as I think it would be worth the walk to go find them!

La Casita del Chocolate
a.k.a. Jorge y Patri
Runciman y 12 de Octubre
La Cumbre, Argentina
tel (03548) 452693

Tuesday, July 1st, 2008

28 Sport – BA’s Groovy Shoes for Guys

Brendan
The Global Nomad


One of the nice side benefits to Argentina’s massive appetite for beef is that leather is ridiculously affordable. Add to this the Argentinean sense of style (inherited from their Italian cultural ancestry) and you have one great shopping opportunity.

In a sea of women’s shoes, jackets and purses (don’t worry ladies, I have suggestions for you too) one men’s fashion mecca stands out: 28 Sport, home of some of the world’s grooviest handmade leather shoes. And they’re overwhelmingly for men.

28 Sport’s style sits somewhere on the more hipster end than the traditional. Imagine heavy leather high-top bowling shoes. Handmade. In gutsy combinations of mustard, burgundy or dark green.

All 28 Sport’s shoes are handmade, and it shoes (that was originally a typo but it made me laugh so much I left it in!) in the attention to detail. Because they only make one pair of each style for each size, have them check your size before you get attached to any particular style; they’ll then go into the back and tell you which styles they still have available in your size. If you’re feeling lucky they also have a shelf of one-offs—experimental styles they only made one pair of each.

The guys that run the store speak perfect English, and have travelled widely, bringing their wares to runways and stores from Japan to Germany. And although not cheap by Argentinean standards (prices range from US$120 for nubuck sneakers to almost $300 for heavy-duty higher boot styles), you’ll never get handmade quality and style like this for better value anywhere.

A last warning: 28 Sport is addictive. The pair I bought on my first visit quickly became my favourite shoes; this trip I bought 3 more pairs. We have one friend who came home with seven pairs.

28 Sport
Gurruchaga 1481, Palermo, Buenos Aires
www.28sport.com

Note that the store moved recently, so if you see another address on FitzRoy in guidebooks or the like, don’t waste your time like I did looking for the old store–this is the new address. Promise!

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