STAGE 1: Friends on vacation

BEFORE ARECO

When Mark gladly announced he was coming to Buenos Aires on vacation, I was immensely happy. I hadn´t seen him for four years and it was the only way for us to spend some quality time together as I couldn´t afford a trip to his city, Seattle.

We were soon discussing via email what to do together. He was looking forward to visiting a beach resort and suggested Mar del Plata. I was eager to support his idea as I like this city and I hadn´t beeen there for quite some time. I even went on to suggest spending New Year there, which we eventually did. He then wished to spend some time in the countryside and started exploring websites like Trip Advisor. I was in for a surprise again when he chose San Antonio de Areco. We had considered Salta, Jujuy, Cordoba but they were quite unaffordable. Areco sounded like a good idea as many people I know had been there and spoken highly of it.

I explored Areco´s main webpage and found interesting places to visit and the promise of spending a relaxing week. From the US, Mark booked accommodation in a hostel called El Puesto. Entering its webpage I was able to see the place in photos and got even more enthusiastic. An old, traditional house a few blocks from the main square, called Arellano, renovated and turned into a cozy hotel offered a lovely backyard/garden with an inviting swimming pool.

After Mark´s arrival in Buenos Aires, and a few days relaxing in the city, Mark and I spent the New Year weekend in Mar del Plata, where we enjoyed the good weather, the beach and the hospitality of a wonderful hotel near the city´s lighthouse.

But the best was just about to happen ...

Introduction: I am a new Areco fan

HOW I GOT TO KNOW ARECO

Hi, I am Maria Darcy, a teacher of Spanish as a second language. I am a native of the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, but, because of my profession, I get and keep in touch with a lot of people from all over the world. My best friend, Mark, lives thousands of kilometres away in the city of Seattle. It is precisely through my pupils and friends abroad that I have got to know many places in my own country.

I am always in for a surprise when it comes to visiting villages, towns and cities. It is usually foreigners who appreciate and eventually see another aspect of a seemingly ignored place, a habit that we Argentines usually take for granted like eating a good steak, or listening to a great musical ensemble such as Bajofondo.

I became surprised again less than a month ago when I happened to travel to one of the most picturesque and traditional towns in the province of Buenos Aires, the unique San Antonio de Areco. It was Mark who, out of curiosity and eager to experience a place with folk traditions, encouraged me to visit Areco with him. I am so glad I accepted the proposal. I hope those who read this blog will some day make a point of coming to Argentina and go through this experience themselves. They will never regret it.

Let me tell you now how I became a fan.