It is starting to look like deja vu for Argentina. The country came out of a terrible financial crisis only a few years ago. The 2001 slide seems like a distant memory for residents of Buenos Aires, who crowd into restaurants and spend their money freely. The government has been busy spending too. They are in debt after revamping the country with new schools and other civic projects.
And, unlike neighboring countries, Argentina did not build up its financial reserves for a rainy day. Now, with inflation at nearly 25% according to economists (the government says its only 10%), there are storm clouds on the country’s horizon. Could there be a repeat of 2001, when the economy came crashing down and tourists became targets of kidnappers seeking ransoms? It’s possible. The US and the IMF, who basically bailed out Argentina in ’01 might hesitate before doing it again. But the chaos of ’01 has not yet hit again. But, with uncertainty in the air, travelers might want to opt for a bit of Southern Hemisphere sun in Brazil, rather than B.A.
Welcome to The Sounds of Travel, music that reminds of you travel, the places you’ve been and the things that you’ve seen. We’ve all got that favorite road trip song or mix tape that brings us back to the open road, to the hills of Patagonia or to the rolling waves of the Mediterranean. Listening to these pieces back at home brings us vividly back to that same spot, years later, daydreaming about the beauty of travel, the wonderful landscapes and the luster of freedom.
Here at Gadling we’ll be highlighting some of our favorite sounds from the road and giving you a sample of each — maybe you’ll find the same inspiration that we did, but at the very least, hopefully you’ll think that they’re good songs.
Week One: Great Lake Swimmers — Backstage with the Modern Dancers
Great Lake Swimmers’ third album, Ongiara, had just been released the week before I touched down in Buenos Aires, Argentina for a week long trip with a few close friends. On the bus from the airport into the city, I happened to meet a young Canadian woman en route to her hostel. Knowing that we had a large apartment already booked I invited her to join us and with little deliberation she ended up staying with us for the entire week.
Architecture in Buenos Aires is shockingly beautiful, with narrow cobble stone streets lined with tall ceilinged, ornate buildings on either side. Apart from the exquisite ironwork and stained glass featured on many structures, you could pick up many blocks from Paris, drop them in Buenos Aires and not know the difference.
Our apartment was no exception. With tall ceilings, a broad front room that opened out into the street, an entire wall of stained glass and three bedrooms, the unit was not only one of the best but also one of the least expensive properties that I have ever stayed in.
Throughout my visit I began to explore the depths of Ongiara. At times when the others were napping, out finding groceries or buying antiques, the haunting voice of Tony Dekker filled the tall corners of the rooms, echoing through the hallways and shimmering through the bedrooms.
Now, when I hear Backstage with the Moden Dancers I’m taken back to Buenos Aires, to the young woman I met on the bus and to perching out over the apartment ironwork, peering onto the street as the fall rain blanketed around us. I see the yellows and blues of the stained glass windows, feel the black fabric on her shirt and taste the Malbec that I drank every night for dinner.
“And all of these things I don’t think they should be — released” — Tony Dekker, Great Lake Swimmers.
A few years ago, I was asked to be a guest speaker at a conference geared towards teachers. Each session had to do with either Japan, Germany and Africa. So, there you have it. A vast, diverse, complicated continent with the same billing as two countries. I narrowed my topic down to comparing Nigeria and The Gambia.
To really see Africa’s impact all one needs to do is see which of the world’s countries can fit inside it.
The statistics are staggering. Africa’s square miles are hard to wrap ones mind around. The first time I went there, I thought it would be easy to country hop from The Gambia to Kenya. Yeah, right. Going back to the U.S. was easier. What other countries could you add into the 29,843,826 of the countries represented here without going over? Singapore for sure. [via A Welsh View]
Whenever I travel, I always come back with a few door pictures. I don’t know what it is about doors that I find so fascinating. I would get into some metaphysical thing about spaces behind closed doors, but I will spare you.
This is a photo by tysonwilliams, taken in Buenos Aires. I like the kitschy yellow job on the door. I never know how these things are done. Do you first make the photo black & white, then color the door yellow? Or, do you start with a color photo and make everything–but for the door–black & white?
***To have your photo considered for the Gadling Photo of the Day, go over to the Gadling Flickr site and post it.***
Argentina is seeing a comeback of tango, according to the International Herald Tribune. The so-called tango economy is growing 25 percent a year, which experts attribute to the jump in tourism to Argentina after a deep economic slowdown in 2002. Because the peso currency plummeted, travel to Argentina suddenly became cheap.
When tourists visit Buenos Aires, they want to see tango. That is the “it” thing to do. The easiest way to do this is by booking a diner table at one of the dinner theaters, such as Esquina Carlos Gardel, and eat steak while watching tango. Most such shows go for $60-80, making the tango business a $450 million a year industry. Industry of primarily observers and dinner-eaters, not dancers, that is.
I guess you’ll have to bring all that passion back to the hotel room if they won’t let you butcher the dance on the floor.
