Henry the K joins the eternal, as does my shame. He’s not squiring Jill St. John nor even holding hands with Hillary, who proudly claimed him as a mentor.

My guilt by association resurfaces, decades after Henry and I hung out together.

It’s 1980. Here I am at F. Scott’s, a hip, upper-crust bar in Georgetown with an art deco motif. Looks like Reagan will win the White House. Winds of change are coming, particularly at über-liberal programs such as Action (Peace Corps, VISTA, etc…), where I’m in the legal office. 

Some occasion has brought my whole office, still wearing suits, to the bar for drinks. I’m with a girlfriend who makes her bread as a torch singer of Cole Porter and George Gershwin standards. She sings in a private nightclub called the Gaslight Club, where old-hand lobbyist types hang out. Rumors of deals cut during card games. The Gaslight’s Gay ’90s motif was legendary in the heyday of LBJ — dark rooms worlds from the see-me-now crowd of the brightly lit F. Scott’s.

I’m feeling no pain. Drinking rock ’em, sock ’em ice cream drinks, the sweet girlie kind that really sneak up on a man. Now I’m in the john, whistling a merry tune and thinking what a bright boy am I, ready to whiz in one of those marvelous marble stalls sticking out from the wall like angel wings, the urinal packed with ice like a weird snow cone.

As I unzip, a man slips into the stall to my right. Nobel Peace Prize winner Henry Kissinger. A spry 57.

Always loathed him. I had a lady pal whose good friend was the widow of a Chilean minister under Allende. The former minister, a foe of Pinochet and an opponent of foreign investment in Chile, was blown up while driving along Washington’s Embassy Row. My friend despises all things Kissinger, who helped usher in Pinochet’s dictatorship.

A great conundrum faces me. I have a chance to symbolically avenge the widow, and so many more, and thrill my friend. All I need to do is power-wash Kissinger’s shiny black left wing tip. With any luck, collateral damage to his left ankle. Easy to act very drunk, being very drunk, and make profound apologies about the accident.

A sudden wobbling of my knees. I know that, whether or not he believes me, Kissinger can get me good. Even if Reagan wasn’t coming to town. Knows people.

But the Peace Prize, what a travesty! Pinochet, murderous jerk. Cambodia. Nixon’s secret plan to end — prolong! — the Vietnam War. Bombing as a campaign strategy. Thumbs-up to massacres in East Timor and Bangladesh, civil wars in Africa, coups in Latin America.

And I didn’t know the half of it. The wink at Argentina’s disappeared. Undermining LBJ’s Vietnam peace talks – treason! Estimates of up to four million dead from his antics. Or more, consider just the fertile ground bombs plowed for Pol Pot. Kissinger lowered the bar for what our too-clever-by-half power players figure they can get away with, sowing seeds of chaos and shattered childhoods. His endorsing pre-emption and regime change in Iraq greased our Forever Wars. How many can claim a posthumous body count? I didn’t know all his somethings wicked coming our way. But I knew enough.

My thoughts race. Is revenge really a dish best served hot? How would the office react? Who cares, I can dine out for years on being the guy who was kicked out of F. Scott’s for pissing on Kissinger’s shoe.

I hold back. Realpolitik pressure builds like a fire hydrant. I so need to pee. I so want to pee on Kissinger’s shoe. I size up the trajectory, ready my aim …

And I stall out. My chilled gaze returns to the ice in my urinal. I hear Henry grunt and zip and he’s finished. With a glance my way and a nod, he steps back. I nod too, but in shame. Does he know how close he came? Does he ever even consider the possibility? Opportunity knocks. I hesitate. Opportunity moves on. I face my moment of truth — and clutch like a Jayhawk in the Final Four. Pissing on his grave wouldn’t be the same. Anyone can, under cover of darkness.

I lived haunted by this spectre, praying for opportunity’s redemptive knock. In cheeky mood, I sometimes sent a recollection of my Kissinger summit to sponsors of his public appearances, imagining Henry’s eyes scanning the crowd, him wary in the can. 

Now Kissinger no longer need heed my sporting notice: Fair warning, Henry. Wear your storm rubbers.

Skip Kaltenheuser is a lawyer & Traveling Boy writer in Washington, DC.

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As my taxi cruised down 9 de Julio Boulevard, the driver informed me that it was the widest boulevard in the world, named in honor for Argentina’s Independence Day. He added that due to Argentina’s fluctuating economy “BA” was really dirt cheap ten-years ago, but do not be concerned for today it is simply dirt cheap, and your Yankee dollar will go far. I’d ditch your gaucho costume if I were you, he laughed. It’s always seemed to me that the best information comes from a taxi driver who has seen it all and gives it to you straight unlike many PR firms who have a tendency to sugarcoat certain attractions. But sugarcoating was not required for I was already dazzled by this city proper of approximately 2,891,082 people, with a lifestyle and architecture that is more European than any other city in South America.

The cafes were filled by stylish-looking people speaking a unique dialect of Spanish with an Italian accent, with many words and phrases in Italian. Over 62.5% of the populace is of Italian heritage, and I could not help but notice porteños (locals, people of the port) gesticulating with their hands like Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in the Godfather film.  Mate (pronounced “mah-tay”), the national beverage of Argentina, is a tea made from yerba mate, courtesy of the Tupi People, who introduced it to the gauchos (skilled horsemen) of the pampas, the vast plains extending westward across central Argentina from the Atlantic coast to the Andean foothills.  Served communally in a gourd (squash rind), and sucked through a bombilla (metal straw) which acts as a filter, the bitter flavored tea seemed to be consumed everywhere I looked: shops, offices, saloons, picnics, even a bus driver on his route. Sampling this local tradition is an easy way to get a literal taste of Argentinean culture.

Beef from the pampas is also a defining cultural tradition. You’ll find the delicious steaks served at countless restaurants, but vegetarian empanadas are also widely available for those who shy away from meat. My first lunch was at a simple San Telmo restaurant where I consumed a steak with fries, an empanada and a local beer. The cost was a staggering $5. Didn’t my cab driver say something about my Yankee dollar going far.  Not to be missed is a tango show, a scandalous dance born in the brothels of Buenos Aires’ immigrant quarters. It gained respectability and popularity when Argentine students traveled to Paris and introduced it to the French, who proclaimed it a dance of great artistic value.

A walking tour of the vibrant La Boca (Italian for “the mouth”) barrio (neighborhood) was on my list.  Established by Italian immigrants from Genoa in the late 17 century, it’s a bit of a helter-skelter barrio, complete with colorful houses and a pedestrian street where tango artists perform and tango-related memorabilia are sold. It is also an unofficial national shrine dedicated to internationally famed football player, Diego Maradona, where his football career kicked off while he was playing for the Boca Juniors football club. It’s still a fairly poor neighborhood so keep an eye on your valuables.

My brief trip would end with a stop at La Recoleta Cemetery to pay homage to María Eva Duarte de Perón (1919 – 1952) at her simple black tomb. Born into a poor rural family, “Evita“ moved to Buenos Aires and secured a living as a B-movie actress. Her fate dramatically changed when she married Col. Juan Perón, later president of Argentina. Despite his dictatorial and fascist leanings, Evita dedicated her life to helping the poor, caring for orphans and the homeless. She was also a strong proponent for women’s rights. Even today, I noticed her passionate admirers placing flowers and notes at her tomb. Apparently on the anniversary of her death crowds grow to the thousands.

Well, my time was over. I did my best to explore Buenos Aires from a tourist’s perspective: wide boulevards, Italian heritage, mate, beef from the pampas, the gauchos, the tango, Evita; but I know I barely scratched the surface. I decided to contact Turismo Buenos Aires to get a wider perspective for our readers. And this is what I was told:

“Buenos Aires is a large metropolitan city with a lot for everyone. BA is home to over 100 parks, so it is very common to see groups of people at the park drinking mate picnic-style. For those that are night owls, locals really like to spend time at the many speakeasy bars around the city as well as bodegones – a typical neighborhood restaurant featuring local cuisine and popular selection of national wines. Also, for those that like to dance, milongas are very popular as well. These traditional social tango dance events are really popular with locals, and about 20-30 milongas take place in the city every night spread across different neighborhoods.”

There are actually a few things that most people don’t know about BA. Here are 10 really interesting ones:

• Buenos Aires has an official tea time – much like the UK.
• Tango (declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO) originated in brothels surrounding the city and the moves are meant to dramatize the relationship between a prostitute and her pimp. The tango is a fusion of cultural influences from Africa, Argentina’s native gaucho and colonial traditions.  Every August, the city hosts the Tango Buenos Aires International Festival and World Cup, with milongas, shows, classes, exhibitions and the most important international tango dance championship
• BA has the most bookstores per person of any city in the world according to a 2015 World Cities Cultural Forum report
• La Recoleta Cemetery is considered the most important cemetery in Latin America for its historical and architectural significance
• Avenida 9 de Julio is the widest avenue in the world
• Jardin Japones de Buenos Aires is the largest Japanese garden outside Japan
• The Buenos Aires Underground is the oldest system in LATAM
• The first ever animated feature film was made in Buenos Aires
• In 2002, Buenos Aires because the first Latin American city to allow gay marriage.
• BA has highest percentage of pets per capital.

For further information about Buenos Aires, visit Buenos Aires Ciudad

The post Buenos Aires: The Paris of South America appeared first on Traveling Archive.

1. Question: What are some of the “things” or activities that people in Buenos Aires do for fun?

Answer:

This is a tricky question because Buenos Aires is a large metropolitan city with a lot for everyone. BA is home to over 100 parks, so it is very common to see groups of people at the park drinking Mate picnic style. For those that are night owls, locals really like to spend time at the many speakeasy bars around the city as well as bodegones – a typical neighborhood restaurant featuring local cuisine and popular selection of national wines. Also, for those that like to dance, milongas are very popular as well. These traditional social tango dance events are really popular with locals, and about 20-30 milongas take place in the city ever night spread across different neighborhoods.

2. Question: What’s one thing the public probably does NOT know about Buenos Aires?

Answer:

There’s actually a few things that most people don’t know about BA. Here 10 really interesting ones:

1. Buenos Aires has an official tea time – much like the UK
2. Tango (declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO) originated in brothels surrounding the city and the moves are meant to dramatize the relationship between a prostitute and her pimp.
3. BA has the most bookstores per person of any city in the world according to a 2015 World Cities Cultural Forum report
4. La Recoleta Cemetery is considered the most important in Latin America for its historical and architectural significance
5. Avenida 9 de Julio is the widest avenue in the world
6. Jardin Japones de Buenos Aires is the largest Japanese garden outside Japan
7. The Buenos Aires Underground is the oldest system in LATAM
8. The first ever animated feature film was made in Buenos Aires
9. In 2002, Buenos Aires because the first Latin American city to allow gay marriage
10. City has highest percentage of pets per capita

3. Share some aspect of what Buenos Aires has contributed to the world.

Answer:

Declared intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2009), tango was born on the shores of the Río de la Plata in the 19th century through a fusion of cultural influences from Africa, Argentina’s native gaucho and colonial traditions, and the contribution of European immigrants, mainly from Spain, Italy and the Middle East.  Every August, the city hosts the Tango Buenos Aires International Festival and World Cup, with milongas, shows, classes, exhibitions and the most important international tango dance championship.

The post 3 Things We Didn’t Know About Buenos Aires appeared first on Traveling Archive.

You Gotta Know the Territory, Walk with Those Who Do

Free Detours Until Labor Day

By Skip Kaltenheuser

How often do we wander new territory, or even revisit places we’ve trod before, wishing we had a better sense of place we’re walking through, of its interesting backstories?

After Groupon parted company with its co-founder Andrew Mason, Mason decided to liven up walking explorations throughout many of the world’s great cities with downloadable audio tours. Starting with San Francisco as a testing ground, Mason built an app taking advantage of smartphone tech platforms, incorporating knowledgeable locals and GPS to guide walkers and enhance their observations with local lore that makes locales more interesting. Synching with small groups allows one’s posse to share an experience.

I borrowed a cell – I’m one of the endangered hold-outs who avoids them – to try out a tour in Washington, DC. It became one of those temptations that almost but not quite puts me over the edge toward a digital appendage and thought-interruptus. The app is pretty cool.

My particular tour was in the vicinity of the White House and focused on espionage tales. In DC since ’79, I already knew much of the scene and stories, but found them well-presented by a retired CIA officer and well-paced as I was strolled to a number of haunts where infamous betrayals took place, including swank hotels, restaurants and bars. If one slows the pace, it could easily turn into a drinking spree. And I was reminded of some things I’d forgotten, as well as the lesson that even the most banal of places holds potential for mischief. Other DC options include the day Lincoln died, Go-Go music’s history and Theodore Roosevelt Island. By the way, if you want to get closer to Russian intelligence, catch a vodka at a reception at the Russian News & Information Agency located between Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan. Friendly folk.

One can take these tours alone or sync them with a group of friends. Explore the site here.

Domestic and International cities thus far, many with multiple tours, include

• San Francisco
• Chicago
• Los Angeles
• New York City
• Savannah
• Boston
• Washington D.C.
• Portland
• Charleston
• New Orleans

International

• London
• Barcelona
• Paris
• Berlin
• Marrakech
• Rome
• Seoul
• Tokyo

Some voices leading you will be familiar, such as Ken Burns discussing the Brooklyn Bridge, Peter Coyote drifting through Haight-Ashbury and Joel Grey on Broadway.

No word yet on if Professor Harold Hill will lend his knowledge of River City, but he knew the territory.

New Luxury Hotel Orania.Berlin to Open in Berlin’s Edgy Kreuzberg District.

A Schloss Elmau sister property, the Orania.Berlin will be the first high-end hotel in the diverse and authentic district.

Los Angeles / Berlin – For 28 years, Berlin’s Kreuzberg district was in the shadow of the Berlin Wall, home to squatters, draft dodgers, anarchists, free thinkers and the largest Turkish community outside of Turkey. Graffiti strewn, edgy Kreuzberg is the cultural heart of the city – but also the antonym of luxury. Yet, the team behind the famous Bavarian Schloss Elmau spa hotel chose Kreuzberg’s Oranienplatz square for their new hotel, the Orania.Berlin. The 41- room luxury hotel will be opening in a many-times-repurposed historic building from the early 20th century and feature subtle but rather luxuriously furnished rooms, minimalist design, and wood floors throughout. Soft opening is scheduled for August 21, 2017.

Elegant and eclectic, Orania.Berlin reflects the lively district of Kreuzberg and aims to attract local residents as well as global nomads. Looking for a positive reception into this fiercely authentic, creative, diverse and non-conformist neighborhood, the Orania.Berlin is about understatement and bringing in the neighbors: it will not publish a star rating and it is sourcing from nearby businesses. Above all, the Orania.Berlin wants to warmly welcome its guests as well as the local crowd to enjoy the large ground-level bar and the Julien Quentin-curated nightly performances of classical and jazz concerts, D.J. nights, poetry slams, and readings by Berlin artists.

Managing director and culinary chef is the Michelin star-rated Philipp Vogel, who will serve cuisine from Kreuzberg & beyond from his 70-seat, open kitchen.

The Orania.Berlin will be Kreuzberg’s first and only luxury hotel to date. Kreuzberg, which is also home a large immigrant community from around the work, is trying to keep gentrification at bay and preserve its authenticity. After all, this is what attracts many visitors and locals alike to this lively district known for legendary nightlife, art- and entertainment.

Other higher-end venues opening near the Orania.Berlin include the ORA Café, located inside a former pharmacy (Oranienplatz 14), and the Voo clothing store, featuring Jill Sanders and other high-end designers (Oranienstrasse 24).

The Orania.Berlin affiliated with Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Kreuzberg is legendary.

More information on travel to Berlin.

Clear Your Schedules: Events Throughout Buenos Aires Fill Up The 2017 Calendar

South America’s Capital of Cool Abounds with Festivals Throughout the Year

Buenos Aires, a city renowned for its vivacity, cuisine, passionate people and unique culture gets even more thrilling and interesting in 2017, with a top-notch lineup of festivals and events. Travelers visiting Buenos Aires this year will have many things to see and do including agricultural festivals, tango competitions, design and fashion events, and gay parades. Festivals are also a great way to meet the Porteño locals, who are known for their warmth and welcoming attitude.

Upcoming events in the City of Many Passions during the second half of the year, include:

Exposición La Rural Country Show
Held from July 19-30, the Exposición La Rural is one of the world’s largest and most famous annual livestock shows. “La Rural” has taken place every July since 1886. Organized by the Argentine Rural Society, and hosted at the society’s exhibition center and showground, the event became a fixture on the upper classes’ social scene in the early twentieth century and remains a spectacle for the whole family. It features hundreds of stands and thousands of animals, particularly cattle, with competitions in various categories and displays of acrobatic gaucho skills. A little-known secret of La Rural is that it is also a gourmand’s delight offering national delicacies, specially crafted food, exotic honeys and other agriculture bounty. Click here for more information.

Tango Festival and World Cup 2017
The annual Tango Festival and World Cup 2017, held Aug. 10-23, is a jam-packed two weeks of concerts, shows, classes and milongas in honor of Argentina’s cultural gift to the world and UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: the tango. Visitors from across the globe will converge in Buenos Aires for the festival, with couples filling venue after venue. The annual event also includes the Mundial de Tango, the world’s most important international tango dance competition. For more information, click here.

August’s LGBT Diversity Events and November’s Pride Parade
Clearly, a city that is the capital of Latin America’s first country to legalize same-sex marriage knows how to put out the rainbow carpet for LGBT tourists and allies, with a variety of gay themed events. Diversa is the city’s celebration of diversity, held Aug. 14-18, with same-sex tango events, drag shows, the G360 LGBT Travel Conference and so much more.

Later during the year, on Nov. 4, the 26th edition of Argentina’s National Pride Parade kicks off in the heart of the city, Plaza de Mayo, and continues down Avenida de Mayo, with music, dance, floats and a kaleidoscope of color. The first march in 1992 was led by Carlos Jauregui, who was recently honored with the renamed and newly renovated Carlos Jauregui subway station complete with rainbow stairs, and attracted a mere 300 people, many wearing masks to conceal their identity. Today, Buenos Aires has become the LGBT destination of choice in Latin America and the Marcha del Orgullo – Pride March – attracts more than 100,000 people from all over the world.

Puro Diseño Design Fair
Held from Sept. 14-17, Puro Diseño is Latin America’s most important design fair. Born over 15 years ago as Argentina sought to recover from its economic crisis, Puro Diseño was a successful attempt by designers to showcase local designs. The small fair became the biggest in Latin America, and now attracts more than 400 exhibitors of the latest trends in fashion, accessories, jewelry, decorations, graphic design, home furnishings, textiles, photography and illustration. Click here for more information.

Vinos and Bodegas Festival
Held Sept. 15-17, the 16^th annual Vinos and Bodegas Festival is aimed at popularizing home-grown brands. Grape connoisseurs can enjoy four glorious days of wine choices with over 1,000 different labels to sample, as well as specialist tastings, seminars, and master chef demonstrations on wine and food pairing. The entry cost is about $15 USD, which includes event entrance and 12 tastings. More information here.

Ciudad Emergente Festival
The streets come alive from Sept. 20-24, during Buenos Aires’ festival of new and alternative music, dance, theatre and arts. Ciudad Emergente presents the best and latest of the city’s young talent, covering everything from alternative rock and electronic music to photography, film, stand-up comedy, poetry, and dance. It’s a window into the city’s latest cultural developments and guarantees something for every taste. All events at the festival are free. For more information, click here.

FIBA: Buenos Aires International Theatre Festival
One of the most important events in the global theatre circuit is FIBA, the Buenos Aires International Theatre Festival, held this year on Oct. 5-21. This bi-annual event celebrates international classical and contemporary theatre, with over 25 venues throughout Buenos Aires showing dozens of productions from companies across the globe. Click here for more information.

Buenos Aires Marathon
The Buenos Aires marathon is the largest event of its kind in the southern hemisphere, attracting up to 12,000 runners from around the world every southern spring. Taking place on Oct. 15, the route takes in some of the city’s most emblematic, historic and symbolic sites, such as the Obelisk, the Cabildo, the Teatro Colón, the Plaza de Mayo, the Casa Rosada, the Tres de Febrero park, and the neighborhoods of La Boca and Puerto Madero. This race is preceded by the Buenos Aires half marathon on Sept. 10, and followed by a 1/4 marathon (10.5km) on Nov. 19, and a 1/8 marathon (5.2 km) on Dec. 3. Click here for more information.

Argentine Open Polo Tournament
The 124th Argentine Open Polo Tournament takes place between Nov. 12 and Dec. 10, as the country hosts the best teams from around the globe. Boasting the highest number of 10-goal players in the sport, Argentina has long been regarded as polo’s mecca, and the annual Open in Buenos Aires is considered the most important international championship at club level. It takes place at the Argentine Polo Ground in Palermo. Restaurants and bars in the surrounding Las Cañitas neighborhood fill with celebrating players and fans during matches. For more information, click here.

Buenos Aires International Jazz Festival
Jazz lovers will find everything from classic bebop, to jazz fusion, swing and Argentina’s own special jazz hybrid – nuevo tango – celebrated at the annual BA International Jazz Festival Nov. 15-20. The festival inaugurated in 2008 and hosts some of the best international talents. Click here for more information.

With so many festivals on the calendar, it is always a good time to visit Buenos Aires. More information on festivals in Buenos Aires can be found at http://festivales.buenosaires.gob.ar and https://turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar.

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