It was a brief encounter, maybe 90 minutes or so, but for two people, neither of whom really spoke the other’s language, we managed - through gestures, facial expressions and the few dozen words we knew - to share some insights about each other and our respective cultures.
When I rang the doorbell of the Espacio Glow salon in the Recoleta section of Buenos Aires, Sylvia greeted me in Spanish with a big smile. Whereupon I gave her my best “no comprende,” and merely displayed my fingernails with their chipped polish and broken tips.
She ushered me in with a gesture that said, “no problem.”
“Cuanto, por favor?”
“Trente y ocho pesos.”
Fine with me.
Over the next 45 minutes, Andrea, her cousin, worked on my hands - repairing my torn cuticles, massaging my fingers and painting my nails a lovely shade of pink.
Sylvia returned to chat while they dried and offered me a coke.
Somehow I managed to convey the name of my hotel, that I had visited the glaciers in Calafate, and had just returned from Salta to spend a few days in Buenos Aires before heading home. I explained that I had family in the city.
She seemed delighted and told me that the salon was a family run business and that Andrea was the wife of Federico, the owner, and that they had a three-month old baby, Facundo Tomes. Sylvia herself had two children, a boy, 13, and a daughter who now lived with some girlfriends.
Democrata or Republicano? she asked when the inevitable subject of politics came up, a favorite topic for Argentineans.
She smiled when I gave her the answer she was hoping to hear.
“Bien.”
We spoke of the sorry state of affairs in both countries, the economic turndown, the foolishness of elected leaders, the crazy traffic in big cities, the high cost of living these days.
“Argentina and America are equal,” she said.
We then turned to sports and I asked her about the insane rivalry of the two local teams, River and Boca.
But Sylvia said she was an independent, a fan of neither, and cautioned me to forget about trying to get tickets to an upcoming game because it could be dangerous for a single female. The fans were lunatics.
She said petty crime was a problem in BA like in other cities and told me to
to take taxis everywhere and be aware of my surroundings.
“When they hear you speak English, watch out,” she said.
Good advice.
And when we finally hit the subject of the country’s outstanding food and wine, she told me she didn’t drink, but like many Argentineans, was a fan of coke.
“Coka Cola and pizza,” she said smiling. “Tout le monde.”
She excused herself when the next customer arrived and I made my way to the front desk to pay the bill.
By this time, Fecundo had awakened and was crying to be fed. Andrea quickly took my pesos and then discreetly offered the baby her breast. I was pleased that she felt comfortable enough to do this in my presence.
I left with a big smile, admiring my pretty nails. But a few feet from the door, I suddenly realized I was starving and stopped at the corner cafe.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.