Ya no vendrás Raúl Palma

This is about as sad as one becomes, when thinking  about leaving Argentina again....

Gran Milonga Nacional and other Tango Outings

Avenida de Mayo - closed for the duration.
'Argentinos salen a las calles para celebrar su Gran Milonga Nacional'
Argentinos hit the streets to celebrate their Grand Milonga National
And they know how....every bar/resto/kiosko brings out the furniture and places it on the pavement, in addition to the many plastic chairs the City of Buenos Aires provides for the celebrants.
A Celebration of Tango lasting from 8 p.m. until the next morning at 3 a.m.

Three stages are erected along the five blocks of this Segment of the Avenida de Mayo, with Casa Rosada illuminated in pink at one end and the venerable Avenida de 9 Julio at the other.
One stage concentrates on live performances of tango greats which does not prevent the onlookers to dance wherever they find themselves

Furthest away is the area of the milonga (dance) proper. Live orchestras succeed each other, interspersed with well known Stage Tango performances of Champion Dancers and famous and iconic Tango soloists.
A large space is reserved and cordoned off for the serious dancers, who want to use the stage instead of the pavement for their dancing

Dancing all along the avenue....

For a better view, two ladies place their plastic garden chairs right in the middle of the street

At Boedo Tango at the milonga 'Sueno Porteno' a birthday celebration.
89 years old, still elegant, still beautiful, and still dancing with style and stamina, a milonguera is moved to  tears by the manifestations of love by all of her old and young tango friends when presented with her birthday cake

Charming and lively, 89 years did not prevent her from dancing from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m.

In good milonga tradition, the men lined up to dance part of a tango with her

Back at Avenida de Mayo...time for me to head home.
One block away from the avenue, the whole city centre is stone dead - not a bus, taxi, nary a person in sight. Scary...
It took another hike toward the Avenida 9th Julio, where traffic never stops to catch a taxi.
Back in Palermo, where I live, things just started to liven up...1 a.m. and every restaurant is packed and tables overflow with people occupying the side walk tables and chairs. Even if I would be interested, there would not be a free spot anywhere to be found, the whole area swarms with people enjoying a Saturday night out.

120th Campeonato Argentino Abierto de Polo



Two coveted tickets for the FINAL....had to stand in line for these three times, last time lucky...
However, when I turned up at the Game and looked up the tribune towards the dizzying height of row 17, accessible by stairs without the benefit of any hand rails, and a steepness that would challenge a mountaineer, my fear of heights put a definite stop to using my hard fought for seat.
Luckily, one of the main ushers to pity on me, and put me into the first row at the bottom of the stands - temporarily - which to my surprise turned out to be for the whole tournament. Must have been the only unsold seat in the stadium, or the real owner disappeared into another seat. My tango friend, enjoyed the rarefied air way up on her seat in 'fila 17' - not me, I stay grounded. The price of $1000 is in Argentine Pesos, which presently exchange on 'El Dolar Blue' market at about 9.4 pesos to 1 US$.  

 

La Catedral de Polo in Palermo.
Today it is the showplace for the most important Polo Game in Argentina, the 120th Argentine Open Polo Championship, played on the 7th December 2013 in this impressive stadium a short bus ride away from 'home'.
The Contestants: La Dolfina and La Alegria Polo Teams
These are the 'cheap seats' on lower stands, on the 'sunny side' of the field.

This is the 'shady side' where somewhere in the upper regions it Row 17, where I was supposed to spend my time as a spectator. But, as mentioned, I finished up beside the field in row one, where the only danger could come from being hit by a stray polo ball - an unlikely event along the side of the field...

Starting off the opening ceremonies with military brass bands and parachuters descending onto the huge polo field.



Many well known faces in the crowd, here the most popular actor of Argentina, Ricardo Darin, who wandered past my seat to reach his own...
As well a number of politicians attended, which did not look quite as handsome as Ricardo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZknunQ3LQx8
This is a trailer to Un Cuento Chino, one of his many movies, which for anybody who has psent time in Buenos Aires is a must to see - typical Argentino and very very funny...



A sunny day, temperatures in the mid 30 centigrade, on a day like this one pays extra to sit in the shade. However, shade was slow in coming, but at least one had the sun at one's back.

And the game begins...in total 16 chukkas to be played to decide the winner

Just like in hockey, except quite a lot more dangerous and incredibly fast, opponents cover each other.

The polo ponies are full partners and get the same billing as the players, albeit there are only four players per team, but a huge string of ponies, as they are changed after each chukka (6 minutes) and sometimes even during a chukka

They are definitely not 'ponies' but incredibly fit and strong animals, with an enthusiastic attitude to their work, agile as can be, and running flat out most of the time executing tight turns, stops, starts - all that and ignoring flying balls, 'body checks' and swinging polo sticks

Goals happened in rapid succession, with the crowd cheering and chanting and waving flags

Three 'Alegrias' (pink shirts) in hot pursuit of a 'Dolfino'

It gets pretty crowded at times, where it is hard to make out where one horse/rider team ends an another starts

Here are the 'Dolfinos' making a run for the goal

Flying across the field...

The ponies are incredibly agile, however, the riders move on their horses, as hockey players move on their skates. Except skates don't weight more than a ton, do not have to be controlled 'single handedly', and are 'part of your foot'. The horses are decidedly willing partners in this game, and seem as competitive as race horses

The hind quarters of these animals appears to be all solid muscle...

Bringing a 'spare' to the end of the field, where the riders change almost with a single movement to dismount from one pony and jump onto the next

Racing along the field

Losing a stirrup - no problem

Losing one's footing  - big problem. The downed horse was not hurt, and his rider was up in minutes and continued on another horse, whilst this one had a rest

6th Chukka - 9 goals for Alegria, and 10 for La Dolfina

All for one and one for all...

Another collision, this one was called a foul not an accident. Alegria rider (in pink) made an unintentional error, got off his horse and immediately apologized to the downed rider (in black and white). Neither horse nor rider were hurt

Hard turn

By now La Dolfina's fans had something to cheer about, their team was leading 16-11, and only a few minutes to go.

Last victory race to the goal....whilst the sun is slowly providing long awaited shade

..and it's over, La Dolfina was celebrated at the new Champion

El invicto en toda la temporada alta 2013 (11 partidos), La Dolfina Hope Funds (38 goles), venció a Alegría Sancor Seguros (34) por 16 a 11 y ganó el torneo más importante del mundo, el 120º Campeonato Argentino Abierto de Polo HSBC, en un encuentro disputado el sábado 7/12 en la imponente cancha 1 de la Catedral del Polo en Palermo

La Dolfina: Adolfo Cambiaso, David Stirling, Pablo Mac Donough, Juan Martino Nero - average age 33 years,  handicap 10 and 9 totalling 39, 6 titles in the 'Open' and 14 Triple Crown titles - the winning team with  trainer Milo Fernandez Araujo.

Alegria: Pablo Pieres, Hilario Ulloa, Lucas Monteverde, Frederick Mannix - average age 29 years, total handicap 34, zero titles in any championship - definitely the underdog, but nevertheless supported by enthusiastic fans and even more enthusiastic horses.

Buenos Aires - Primavera 2013

There is Life apart from Tango. Here is Plaza Italia, my bus and subway stop for 'home' with its Jacaranda trees not only in bloom but adorned with pink ribbons, an agreeable sight surrounded by interminable traffic and noise

Plaza Congreso, when the protesters give it a day of rest

Palacio de Aguas Corrientes, the most over the top water treatment plant and offices ever. The architecture cannot be labelled with any particular style. The building occupies a whole block, houses not only offices and control rooms, but one of the most funky museums: a museum of sanitary installations - i.e. toilets. I have yet to see it, however, as Argentina's 'banos' are quite often an astonishing experience, this museum should be worth its admission price. Being spring, the jacaranda trees skirt the building with a curtain of blossoms

It's official...and built about a hundred years ago

No Smart Meters here...

The elaborate tower above Palacio de Aguas Corrientes

Apartment building in my 'barrio' Palermo

Botanical Gardens cat. A lot of these feral felines are being 'adopted' the rest are being fed by caring neighbours and maintain a pretty healthy state.

One wanders around Buenos Aires centre and runs into various 'historic' sites, this one - location for a number of weekly milongas - is dedicated to Anibal Troilo, one of the classic tango composers, who penned many of his well known tangos in this very place.

And if one walks around Esquina Gardel, where the greatest tango singer ever spent part of his short life, one may run into this pooch, who guards a second hand store from his doggie bed on the side walk. Somewhat looking like a senior citizen, as he eyed passers-by with half blind eyes, and moving his upper body from side to side to enjoy as much of the tempting odors around him as his debilitated state allowed.

The great Plaza Italia round about - during a red light stop

Second Hand Book Fiesta...a permanent line up of small side walk stores filled with reading material, and all decorated with a mural of some well known author.
Jose Saramago's quote on this mural: They say, that curiosity killed the cat. But they don't say if that what it discovered was worth the trouble.

The Other Bookstore, El Ateneo, a historic theatre, which now houses instead of applauding audiences, thousands of books....

Rush hour traffic on Borges Street in Palermo...

Of course, there is tango, dozens of milongas to choose from...so the afternoons are spent gliding through tandas (sets of 3-4 tangos before changing partners or 'sitting out') to the music of tango, valse and milonga. Even the odd chacarera or salsa is thrown in to lighten up the otherwise elegant dance. Here and afternoon at El Arranque, comparatively casual when thinking of the later sessions...

Rietto, a small boutique hotel and restaurant with a wall mural depicting historic events and personages of Buenos Aires - downstairs and across the street where I live in Palermo

Club Gricel, one of the oldest tango venues, here with a 'final' photo of a tango class group on the final day of classes

And one has to resist buying more of these crazy tango shoes....