After a 24hr bus ride and a bottle of $2 wine, Or and I, my gay Isreali boyfriend that I kidnapped from Bariloche, made it to Buenos Aires!! The bus ride, like all bus rides in South America, was an adventure within itself. It was us and about thirty 10yr olds. I felt a little guilty sitting in the back of the bus passing the bottle of wine between us while the kids starred confused, but hey! What can you do? I needed something to do to pass the time.
I had set us up a place to stay with a couchsurfer, but I got the date wrong so we actually ended up in Buenos Aires a day too early. It wasn´t that big of a problem, Or and I just took the subway downtown and went looking for a hostel for the night.
Where we ended up was the poshest hostel I´ve ever seen. It was like a Gringo resort or something-- filled with plasma screens & computers, it had a lounge bar in the bottom, AND you got a free dinner and a beer every night you stayed. Usually, not my kind of place, but for $40 pesos a night there was no way I was going to say No.
The whole reason Or and I decided to burn our tentative schedule of going to the southest city in the world was because of the Gay Pride Parade. I found out about it a month ago and had been contemplating whether or not going because it was really out of the way. But of coarse, I couldn´t pass up the largest Pride event in all of South America!! It was an opportunity, a responsability, one beautiful romp of a good time to be had! And it became definetly clear that the stars were all in favor of my going once I met Or. It was love at first sight.
When you get to a new city-- especially a very large one-- it is important to get
yourself a map. We decided to wake up, grab some coffee, and hit the streets in search of a map and anything exciting to do. The city was gridlocked. All the people who work the Subway were on protest because the president is an idiot. Or and I managed to walk across 2 different barrios until we found one large tourist information center.
Do you have a map? Or asked.
Sure.How about any info on the Pride Parade? He added.
On the what?You know, Pride Parde. The thing where Gay people go. He pleasently informed.
Hmmm, I didn´t know we had it. What?!! And you work at the tourist center?!! Here, honey, I´ll make you a sign to put in the window. It´s important we get the word out. After Or educated the lady at the tourist information center we were a little discouraged about how this could be. Did we get the dates wrong? Does Buenos Aires actually have that big of a Pride Parade? Had we been lied to?!!
We took the streets.
We need to find a gay map. Or said.
They have those? What do you mean do they have those? Of coarse! Tel Aviv has like 3 of them. Don´t you have them in the States Dunno. I live in Texas. He gives me a sad look.
After 15 blocks of wandering around we managed to end up in the Recoleta cemetary. Oddly enough, however, we found another info center who we hopped would have more information.
Frusterated and tired, Or marches up and knocks on the window. An old lady looks up from her newspaper and smiles. I´m thinking the poor lady is going to know less then the young one.
Hey! Do you have any info on Gay spots of Buenos Aires?After a 2 minute stare-over of the both of us she smiles and says
Gay for you? Yes, doesn´t matter, gay for anyone.The old lady pulls out a map and after each place she marks with her cute red pen she says,
You can find
the gay here. and
the gay here. and I think this place has
the gay.I about pissed myself from laughing so hard. Here we were, in the middle of a cemetary, talking to an old lady about pride events, who keeps referring to everything as
the gay.
There better be more then one person at this parade. He said.
Don´t worry-- it´s going to be huge. I tried to comfort him.
What do you wanna do now?
Let´s go to
the gay coffeeshop the lady recommended.
Both laughing, we walked, and it began to rain.
