Que Bueno

Our first experience to surfing ended up being 5 nights in Devoto (deh-boh-toh). That is a barrio about an hour outside downtown Buenos Aires. Not surfing in the way we initially think of surfing, but “Couch Surfing.” If you are not familiar with it a quick explanation of couch surfing is a network and website in which you create a profile and post it for other travelers to view in search for a place to stay or “couch surf.” Everyone with a profile is required to give certain information and whatever background info they want as well as list whether they have a floor, couch or bed to host. Surfers and hosts are in all parts of the world. You do need to have a few other “couch surfers” validate you to prove you’re not a lunatic before you can really get started. It is an excellent way to meet locals and learn more about their city, country and culture. Just be sure to not overstay your welcome and be sure to return the favor when you are home from your travels and someone is passing through.

Stepping off the subte (subway) and walking down the street to the isquina of Corrientes and Leandro N. Alem, Jen and I could feel the adrenaline start to pump and the nerves become more prevalent. We thought to ourselves, “Was this going to be a good experience? Awkward? Uncomfortable? Awesome? What if these guys are loco and want to kidnap us or try to harm us?” We had no idea who or what these people were really about and had just exchanged a few emails and one brief phone call. They seemed nice. After all, they said they were going to make us “home made pizza” that night.

We stood on the corner of the intersection studying several bystanders for the girlfriend of the couple’s house we were going to be staying at. It was nearly 5:30 and downtown BsAs was alive with the workday coming to an end. Hundreds of people determined to get home were racing in every direction to try and catch the next taxi, colectivo, or subte. I don’t believe anyone near to us missed the opportunity to curiously eye us both from head to toe. I’m not sure why as we couldn’t have stood out - Jenny and her two bags she travels with; one small backpack which carries both our necessities and then pulling her large bag behind on rollers (also transforms into an actual backpack, but is too heavy for her). Then me - wearing shorts, a t-shirt, my large red backpack, and to top it off my signature upside-down, backwards, visor!! Oh the wonders of what these “Portenos” thought as they walked by us! 

Scoping out the crowd for any possible matches of who we dreamed up emerged a very pleasant looking, bonita chica, with long hair wearing a light black coat and scarf. She began waving happily and smiled a warm comforting smile as she approached. I looked to “mi amor” Jen and I could see in her eyes she was already feeling much more secure. The person we had been waiting for arrived and did not even remotely resemble what the two of us wondrously imagined. We were greeted with “Hola, como estan?” and then she gave us each the customary Argentina kiss on our cheek. It was a refreshing feeling.


Waiting for the train to Devoto at Retiro station we were becoming somewhat anxious from the growing crowd gathering around the platform. It was our first time to ride a train here in BsAs and we quickly realized it was going to be quite adventurous. People were escaping the huge mass forming by jumping off the platform onto the rock where the tracks lie and crossing over to the other side to make boarding less of a competition for the approaching train. I looked over to Natalia after I realized what was happening in nervous anticipation of possibly not being able to board with our large backpacks. As we made eye contact I could see in her eyes she was thinking the same. Natalia told us when we got there it was the busiest time of the day besides morning as thousands of people use the train each day to make their commute to and from work downtown.

The train began to slow and before I even had the thought of boarding (because of the speed it still had) people in front of us and to the side of us began jumping into the stairwells of each car nearly being knocked violently back to the platform. All to ensure they had a spot on the train. Jen and I looked at each other in awe and then to Natalia. She glanced back at us speaking with her eyes that it was now or never. We knew exactly what we had to do next and that’s when the adrenaline pumped full force. Following Natalia’s lead, Jen tossed her big bag into the next stairwell simultaneously as we both quickly jumped from the platform.

As we road the rails the extremity became known when we saw people literally on the outside of the train holding on as it whistled down the tracks. They were packed in the stairwells with a few only having half of their foot on the bottom stair while gripping the handle bars (for boarding) to keep from falling off! I couldn’t comprehend that this one departure time was more important than waiting 60 minutes for the next train. One slip and that was it!


Staring out the windows wondering what was to come and thrilled with all the adventure so far (I speak for myself here) I began to witness the poorest areas I may have ever seen in my life. Passing by what must have been the slums of Buenos Aires. I could not believe my eyes. There were blocks and blocks and blocks of housing made from old pallets, plastic, scrap metal, tree branches, anything you could find along side the train tracks. Clothes lines were tied from the make shift roofs of these throw together shed houses to the fences that divided these communities from the tracks. Sheds in the U.S. are complete luxury compared to what was before my eyes. Huge bond fires of what looked to be trash and whatever could possibly burn were every few hundred feet with several people standing around them. A family outside their front doorway – as there was no door – sitting on buckets and old broken, thrown away chairs they must have discovered while eating from tables made from scrap pieces of wood and metal. It seemed as though they were content and enjoying the nice afternoon and didn’t even notice a train flying by less than 40 yards away. I fought back sorrow as I saw kids standing around wearing only old, dirty, raggedy underwear and filthy from head to toe. Wow, these people didn’t have electricity, running water, bathrooms or let alone ANYTHING really. All the housing was like a large Lego city made from trash and old junk connected from one home to the other as one long constant maze of a scrap city.

Several miles up the tracks from this community I peered out to see yet another city formed in the ruins of old brick buildings from 1 to 3 stories high. The poor inhabited these ruins and made homes out of them. Many of the small brick buildings had only few walls left and were hardly standing. The residents reinforced them with old boards wedged up from the ground at an angle. Windows were what came out of the large holes in the brick walls and sloped plastic tarps were used as roofs. Patios were created out of the floors where the brick only went up a couple feet.

In the middle of the ciudad de ruins must have been the nicest place to live. It was rectangular in shape and 3 floors up. The floor must have been designed into 2 identical squares side by side. The square and end wall on the 3rd floor facing me was no longer there – the brick remaining along that edge fluctuated between 1 and 2 feet tall. The roof of that half was no longer there as well. The family had made it into there patio/ deck and had strung a close line across attached to each of the two good walls. The mother was hanging clothes to dry and two small children were playing next to her. I could tell behind them in the other half of the rectangular floor must have been their one room of shelter. For what I had just been viewing for the last several minutes I thought this place actually looked quite comfortable and homey. They even had a good view!


That night around 10 pm sitting in the living room of the 1 bedroom apartment playing with Tobias (their 8 week old Golden Retriever) and growing hungrier by the minute the sound of a key jiggling the lock drew our attention and in walked Natalia’s boyfriend. It was a fun moment as the four of us were now together and it seemed all were at ease – especially Natalia now that Guido was home.

“You hungry?” he asked with a big friendly smile. Jen and I replied with smiles, a friendly nod and broken Spanish. Within a few minutes Guido was busy in the kitchen rolling out fresh dough for homemade pizza.


Little did Jen or I know that couch surfing could actually be the means for lifelong friends. I don’t think the thought ever even crossed our minds that we could become such good friends with people who agreed to host us. On the flip side – I’m not sure they had that thought surface either. The dynamic that grew among the 4 of us over the course of the next 5 days was simply incredible! It truly only took about one night for us all to click and feel extremely comfortable with each other. Jen and I both couldn’t believe the generosity, respect and trust they showed to us instantly. The first two nights they insisted we sleep in their room as they wanted to sleep in the living room on the loveseat. They claimed it was normal for them from watching movies late anyways. Despite our efforts of declining the offer they prevailed with every excuse imaginable and we finally had to accept. One of the days we came to the apartment early afternoon while they were still at work to find $50 pesos on the table with a note from them telling us to go buy ourselves some lunch. The generosity just kept coming...

In the short stay with Guido and Natalia we created many fun and meaningful memories. We had dinner each night, breakfast a few days, drank “Mate” several times (the cultural and traditional herbal tea of Argentina) which is something you do with family and friends – some days – for hours at a time.


We got a glimpse of their weekly routines by seeing Natalia come home from hockey practice one night with a friend and hanging out for a bit; taking a taxi across town one sunny afternoon to see Guido’s outdoor “futbol” game where he scored 3 goals because of excellent footwork.

We enjoyed a Saturday night with dinner at a restaurant on a rooftop patio followed by a few fun competitions of tennis at an arcade! Sat around and ate “helado” (ice-cream) I believe every five minutes!  They do love their ice-cream! We also went and saw Guido play in a “Baby” (bah-bee) tournament (5 v 5 soccer). It’s played on concrete with goals that are 7x10 and with a smaller, dense, soccer ball so it doesn’t bounce uncontrollably. It’s amazing to watch as it’s fast paced and has numerous goals and fancy footwork. For those of you who are familiar with futsal – it’s practically the same thing.


I was even lucky enough to experience a night out with Guido and his friends when he took me to an “Asado” (grill out), for one of his friend’s birthdays (Jen had movie night with Natalia). What a great time! Two friends of his picked us up and from that moment on I mainly sat back and just observed the conversations, games, laughs and stories while eating several selections of tasty meat! They honestly spoke SO fast it all sounded as if it was only a couple words with each sentence (maybe the alcohol got their blood flowing quicker)!  Guido took me under his wing and translated the whole time and was sure to introduce me to everyone. Each of his friends individually came up to greet me with the Argentine kiss on the side of the cheek. I truly felt honored.


It was an amazing experience to be in a room with people from a totally different culture celebrating, laughing, playing cards, drinking, telling stories and overall having a great time while all at the same time I really didn’t understand a word. I laughed a ton and just felt great to be able to see all of them in their element. They were really curious of me as I noticed all of them staring at me periodically throughout the night. A few would come up and try to talk with me – thank goodness we had Guido to translate!

Something very meaningful Jen and I got to do for them was add a painting to their back patio wall. It has become a wall of happiness for them and is now one large mural from different friends and family who have left their mark. We both new right away the marking we wanted to leave – the triangle. 1) God at the top with Guido and Natalia on each side – we believe the closer we get to Him the closer we’ll get to each other and the triangle is a perfect symbol of that. We saw the love in Guido and Natalia as a couple and wish only the best for their relationship and wanted to share a belief of ours. 2) We also wanted to represent where we are from – the United States of America. 3) We wanted to share the best definition for Love. It turned out great and we really enjoyed painting it!


We are happy to have left them something from our hearts they can view for years to come. Hopefully we will see them in Denver one day and can return the hospitality, respect, and graciousness they showed us.

Today we depart from Buenos Aires after 6 weeks here and are heading to Iguazu Falls. It’s been incredible and the Spanish is slowly improving.

Chau – AA