June 9: Independence day with the Gauchos

Taking the "colectivo" (local bus) is an everyday adventure. Finding the bus stations is a miracle as they almost do not exist. A scratched number on a piece of wall, an unreadable sticker on a pillar or simply people waving in the street are important indications to grasp a hasty bus in the public transport maze. As soon as you reach the oppened frontdoor make sure to get in as fast as a flash since the bus never stops. Don't be surprised if you end up with a foot outside, a torn sweater, bent over to pick your falling coins up from the floor. Luckily, rear-view fluffy blue feather mirrors, driver whistling a Pink-Floyd song out loud, techno music coming out from the radio, impractical old-fashionned ticket machine, surely bring a grin on your face.

After a one hour bus ride, we finally made it to best-kept secret "Feria de los Mataderos", located in the poorest sectors of Buenos Aires (Barrio Liniers). Argentinians gather in this beautiful popular market every "finde" (week-end) to share home made typical food (humitas, tamales, empanadas, choripans, panchos (hot dog), sweets and so on), listen to outdoors folk concerts, dance "Zamba", attend the Gauchos-horsemen (cow-boys) show and warm up with a strong "Maté" (traditionnal herbal beverage). In addition to this, "Locro" (meat stew native Indian tribes used to cook during the Spanish conquest) celebrates the independence day (june 9). Some locals would discreetly point at their dissatisfaction: "Independent country?!" Censorship is apparently alive. While most people would rather let go, the walls are being talkative.