After a long night of drinking, we woke up later than usual but it was ok because our plan for the day was to relax. When we arrived at Ostinatto we noticed that they advertised a penthouse and you had to ask about the price. Turns out it costs AR$460 per night for the room and since we were already paying AR$200 for us to stay in the dorms we decided to book it for a night and relax. The view is really nice with the cityscape and it has a very nice bathroom, big bed, A.C. and TV. We felt so relaxed and happy!
We decided, however, to go to the San Telmo Fair for a bit because we had heard about how great it was and it was in our area so we really had no excuse not to go. We walked around for a couple of hours and saw a lot of artisan products and antiques, but even more commercial stuff. I guess over the years more merchants have started going there to sell random stuff for a profit so you can see a lot of the same things there. It is a still a nice fair to go to and explore and we bought a few gifts for a good price.
We also decided that we would go to a tango show that night so we went back to our penthouse to do some research. The most annoying thing is that all the prices that these places advertise is in dollars so you have to call to get the price in Argentinian pesos. We found a place called El Viejo Almacen that had an open bar and tango show for AR$500 and was considered one of the best in B.A. and they would pick you up from your hotel, so we made a reservation. However, we then talked to some people from the hostel and we found that they had a deal with a tango place nearby called La Ventana and it was AR$530 with dinner, so of course we cancelled our other reservations and arranged for this other one.
By 8pm we were out the door walking a few blocks to our tango destination and we were very excited. We arrived and right away I liked the place! I don’t know if it was old or made to look old but it had a lot of pictures of famous tango dancers and Argentinians from many years back along the walls. They also had the crests from all the provinces in Argentina and wine bottles lining the walls. It was a very cute place and the stage was a good size. The dinner includes an appetizer, an entree, a dessert, and a bottle of house wine for 2, anything else is extra, including tip (which we found out is customary in Buenos Aires). The food was good quality and it was a lot so we were stuffed by the time the show started.
The show began with two singers who were OK and we felt were unnecessary but they weren’t so bad, they just didn’t add anything to the show. Then the tango began and my eyes were glued to the stage. The moves these dancers can do are incredible, they make their limbs look boneless, it’s crazy! They were twirling in the air and doing crazy dips and I just couldn’t believe how talented these people were! In the middle of the show, we heard the Argentinian national anthem which was nice but the singer just seemed like she was trying too hard and, again, it seemed unnecessary. The second half of the show there was a band that was in between a Peruvian band and a Mexican mariachi band, we just assumed it was from northern Argentina but I think it was more of a touristy thing.
The band was good and they played a wide range of music and then the Gaucho dancer came out and I think he stole the show. First, he started with a crazy scarf dance which was OK but then he launched into this crazy dance with ropes that had rocks at the end of them. I wish I could describe what he was doing but it’s so hard. Let’s just say that at the end of his act he got the most screams and claps of the whole show, so it was definitely awesome. Overall we really enjoyed our choice of tango show!
###Numbers:
- AR$70
- AR$85 = San Telmo Fair
- 4xAR$10 = Magnets
- AR$54 = Argentinian plaques
- AR$18 = Handmade shot glass
- AR$87 = Market
- AR$1253 = Tango Show
- AR$530/person = Show
- AR$60 = 2 drinks
- AR$73 = Tip
- Total = AR$1494