a different kind of traveling…

my favorite thing about this traveling experience has been having time.  being able to put the guidebook down and just go explore and experience life here without having to worry about missing things.  i have gotten more out of this method than i ever thought possible.  last night we went for a run in the park near our house and when we got there this usually tranquil pathway around the park was filled with people enjoying a beautiful thursday evening with friends and family.  there was an area where people were skateboarding and had set up jumps and bars and other skateboard “stuff” and a big truck with argentine rap music blaring from it.  there were these little cones set up in almost an obstacle course for roller-blading.  we stood and watched with wide eyes at what these people could do on roller-blades.  it’s like nothing i have ever seen in the states- roller-blading is very popular here and they take it very seriously.  there were chorizo stands all over the place cooking up popular “choripan”.  another day we headed out to explore and came across the “Dakar” finish line just blocks from our apartment.  this is a big race that was from buenos aries through chile and argentina and ended back in buenos aires.  it’s done in all types of motor vehicles and is aparently a really big deal.  It is so exciting to be so submerged in the culture.  Instead of feeling like a tourist that walks around trying to get a glimpse of what life here is like, i am really living it.  i have never felt this way when traveling before.  we have found our favorite “panaderia” (bakery), our favorite park, how to have the best chance at getting a seat on the always dreaded subway, our favorite time of day, our favorite place to while away an entire day, our favorite people, our favorite pasta shop and place to buy an empanada and none of these places can be found in a guide book.  we’ve had the time to have “hits” and “misses” and i wouldn’t trade any of this because of the experience this has afforded us.  the hidden gems we have come across are priceless and have imprinted memories in our minds that will be with us forever.