Tango Show and ...

We just heard about the tragic accident at a nightclub in the Once district here in Buenos Aires. It was reported that 175 people were killed and over 600 injured. Some flares were shot off inside the club causing a fire. And it appears that there was some negligence because emergency exit doors were tied shut so nobody could enter.

We've noticed that there is a general lack of regard for health and safety in Argentina. The most visible signs are the mass smoking and careless driving. Although accidents like the nightclub fire have happened in other countries (including the US), this is one other example of poor safety conditions in this country. ...


With that said, I'll talk about the Tango show we saw last night. First, when Diana called earlier and spoke to someone at the club, she was assured multiple times that smoking was not permitted in the club. Well, when we arrived, people were lighting up. We were ready to walk out when we spoke with the owner and he said they weren't allowing smoking near the stage area. So they didn't tell us the truth, but I guess some obfuscation of it.

The Tango show was in El Viejo Almacen club in San Telmo, the birthplace of the Tango. It's a nice, small & quaint club with a small balcony (reminds me of a smaller version of the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco), the most popular Tango club in the city according to Frommers. The show began with a 6-piece band playing some Latin pieces (2 violins, bass, 2 accordian players, and piano). Then the entire Tango troupe (4 couples) did some Tango.

Throughout the night, the various couples did their suave moves. They were great. There were classic twists & turns, crossovers, lifts, and dips; but the most impressive moves were the dead-drops where the female drops towards the floor and the male partner catches her just before she hits the floor. There were a couple of incredible dead-drops.

Interspersed throughout the show were singing by a couple of old-timer Latin crooners singing some Spanish pieces. It seemed like Buenos Aires' version of our lounge lizards. The most pleasant surprise was the appearance of a Peruvian quartet who played a few pieces. They really fired up the crowd. The music was great and they played with a lot of passion.

So as you can see, this wasn't a pure Tango show; however, it was a very good show. Our chief complaints were the false advertising about the non-smoking and the show was only 75 minutes (we were told 2 hours, and we paid $35 dollars each).

Surprisingly, we ran into the Israeli couple we met on the boat trip in Bariloche. It was good seeing them again.

Today is our last day in Argentina. We fly back at night. We hope to do something during the day (maybe go to another museum). I'll talk about it later. Ciao, for now.

Happy New Years, Feliz Ano Nuevo ...