Total Immersion

Looking to improve your Spanish?  Think your verb conjugation could use some fine tuning?  Try spending a night in an Argentine prison (let me preface this by saying that I´m nowhere near creative enough to make something like this up).  Last night after having a great barbecue with good friends and good wine a big group of us decided to take in the night life at Puerto Iguazu´s club Cubra Libre.  Below follows a list of what to/not do:
Upon exiting the free shuttle from the hostel the thumping base of the reggaeton beats consume the surrounding area.  Grab your ticket and wait in line to enter.  Once inside proceed straight to the bar to collect your complimentary rum and coke.  Hit the dance floor in the main room for a bit and sweat it out with the locals.  Then around 2 or 3 make sure you´re in the front of the queue of people heading into the airconditioned back room.  In there you´ll hear a broader mix of house, techno, and trance.  Dance, drink, do as you please.  Once you´ve had enough revelry for the night abandon your partying hostel mates on the dance floor and head out to grab a quick taxi back to your room.  But keep your wits about you...space out for a second and you might stumble across the wrong corner where 3 Argentinian policemen happen to be shaking down a few local vagabonds and your night is in for a dramatic turn.  If you´re lucky you´ll spot them and pull a quick u-turn before they even know you´re there.....or so you think.  Next thing you know you you´re the most important student in AP Spanish at a really, really shitty public school.  Once the smell of piss and shit has brought you fully into reality and your cell mate informs you that you are, indeed, in an Argentine prison and will definitely be spending the night, and possibly the weekend, start working through those verb tenses in your head otherwise you´re in for a long night.  First order of businesss: become good friends with Antonio and Gonzalo, the two guys you´ll share your 10 foot by 10 foot cell with for the next 13 hours.  Step two: in your broken Spanish belligerently plead with the guards to take your watch, camera, and/or 700 pesos if they´ll please just let you go back to your hostel and go to bed.  Why not....you haven´t done anything illegal anyways, have you?  Step 3: give up on all your other futile efforts and just try to get comfortable, you´re in this for the long haul.  Spend the next 10 hours or so really practicing your Spanish with your cell mates (to this day this was definitely the most important and useful day of Spanish speaking I´ve ever experienced in my 28 years). 
Finally, after about 13 hours you´ll be lucky enough to get a visit from the "doctor".  He doesn´t bother to actually enter your cell but instead just asks your name, age, any pertinent health info, and requsts that you remove your shirt and pull up your shorts to show any tattoos and/or scars.  Being that he is the first semi-sympathetic figure you´ve seen in the last half day make sure you impress upon him the importance of the fact that you have a bus to Brazil at 1 this afternoon (it´s really at 8 but you´re already in jail, lying probably isn´t going to make this situation any worse) and would be really disappointed if you missed your trip. 
After hearing conflicting stories about your possible release being in anywhere from a few hours to Monday afternoon rejoice when you hear the words "Yon Carrterr" coming from the head guard´s mouth.  Proceed with 2 other young guys who had the pleasure of spending the night at Forte Iguazu to 2 or 3 processing rooms.  Stand quietly with your arms at your side and your head while waiting for them to do whatever the hell they´re doing.  Don´t react when the new guard (likely still drunk from the night before) replaces one of the other guards and for no reason punches the guy 2 people away from you first in the balls and then in the face for trying to re-lace his Converse sneakers.  After an hour of standing quietly at attention for an hour or so get released - sans camera, belt, watch, and the 700 pesos you came in with, and wearing a different pair of sandals than the ones in which you entered.  For some asinine reason make a huge deal about getting your belt (which was a gift from an old friend) back.  If you´re lucky they´ll happen to find it in the draw under the TV.  Just your luck though, your money, camera, watch and hostel key are nowhere to be found. 
Quietly ask the seemingly nicest of all the policemen if there´s any possible way you can be provided with 1.50 pesos for the bus ride back to your hostel and get told by the ball puncher (in English) to "get the fuck out of the estation anow".  Walk out dejected, in your prison sandals, and wait half an hour for the bus.  When it gets there plead with the driver for a free ride.  Get denied.  Ask how far you hostel is from the station.  6 kilometers, huh?  Aren´t you a runner?  Isn´t this what you do?  Don´t you claim to be passionate about this sport?  Unbutton your shirt, kick off your prison sandals, and make like Forrest Gump.  Enjoy one of the most amazing, important, introspective, and weird runs of your life.  Upon arrival at the hostel proceed directly to your room to grab some money to buy eggs for breakfast.  When the guy at the counter refuses to give you change for your 100 peso bill tell him you just ran home barefoot from jail and threaten his life if he doesn´t let you have some goddamned scrambled eggs.  Win the argument.  Eat said eggs.  Go borrow change from friends and pay the guy back (thanks for understanding, amigo). 
Maybe it wasn´t what you´d planned on for your last night in Iguazu Falls but hey, you wanted to work on your Spanish, right? 
Fuck, I think I have some glass in my toe.

Talk to you guys in Brazil...

It's Official - The Run Around is going to Brazil!!!

After an 18 hour bus ride over Wednesday night into Thursday instead of just relaxing by the pool with a beer and a good book I did the responsible thing and spent my first few hours getting myself organized.  The first item of business was thoroughly washing everything in my toiletry bag (and the bag itself) because my shampoo bottled exploded while in the luggage compartment of the bus.  Once that situation was taken care of I took it upon myself to go through the process of booking travel and accomodation in Brazil.  First stop is Florianopolis then probably a couple of places I don´t know how to pronounce and most certainly can´t spell.  While Brazil was never in consideration as a stop on this journey I´ve met too many extraordinarly nice Brazilians who´ve told me so much about their country that I decided I had to give it a shot.  While I probably won´t make it to the pristine beaches of the north, the beaches on Ihla De Santa Catarina, of which Flori is the main city, are apparently very impressive.  The twelve hour bus ride starts tomorrow evening.  Stay tuned for further updates.  I had intended on putting up a few pics of Iguazu Falls today but am having technical difficulties with the computer.  While picture could never even begin to do the Falls justice any post about them without pictures would be insane. 

See you in Brazil...

Heart On My Arm - Great New Running Product

Running a marathon, half-marathon, a 5K or doing a walkathon for charity?  Looking for an extra source of motivation during your training and during the race?  Check out these new wristbands: Heart On My Arm.  As an avid runner who´s been heavily involved in charitable work for years, Ryan Bennett, a good friend of mine, developed a product that provides anybody running/walking/cycling for a cause with something to give them that extra boost of motivation while also providing functionality.  The Heart On My Arm wristbands are made from sweatwicking material and have a 3.5 X 2.5 inch window perfect for displaying a photo of the person you´re honoring by running, or a motivational image or quote that will help you accomplish your goals.  Aside from added motivation the wristbands also provide functionality in the form of a small zipper pocket perfect for storing keys, money, or an MP3 player.  I really could´ve used one of these around mile 42 of the 50 mile day of the Gobi March in 2009, and now I never leave for a run without one.  In addition to producing a great product the Heart On My Arm company also donates 5% of its profits to non-profits.  This aspect is very important to Ryan who aside from being an avid marathoner, the sole proprietor of Heart On My Arm, and working a full time corporate job, also runs his own non-profit organization that provides scholarships to graduating special education high school students: FAB For Life Foundation.  Get one before the first batch is sold out!

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil...errr....Roses.

Disclaimer:  The below does not actually refer to goings on at midnight, more like 8 to 11.

 If you ever find yourself staying in the Palermo section of Buenos Aires (or any part of BA for that matter) consider yourself lucky.  But if you´re a runner looking to get out and stretch your legs consider yourself extra lucky.
After a long day of taking in the sights of Microcentro, windowshopping in upscale Recoleta, or just chilling out at the cafés along Puerto Madero put on your running shoes and head for the Rosedal (Rose Garden) in Palermo.  With a beautiful pond, kioscos where you can buy water and other drinks, and lots of open space to sit, stretch, do sit-ups, or whatever, the Rosedal is the place to be for runners on weeknights.  To get there take El Subte (the subway) line D to Plaza Italia.  Exit the subway and head northeast on Avenida Sarmiento.  The Jardín Zoológico (the zoo) will be on you´re right (you´ll smell it).  When you reach Avenida del Libertador head northwest across the massive intersection.  Once you´ve crossed the intersection the park will be on your right.  As stop signs, headlights, and picking up after your dog are apparently optional in BA, getting to the park can be a bit dicey (comparable to running the gauntlet on a Japanese gameshow) so stay alert and keep your eyes open.  Once you get there you´ll realize the trip was worth your while.

Upon entering the park you´re likely to hear bagpipes - that´s your cue to jump in and start running (counter clockwise).  While running the loop you´ll pass plush grass fields, the serene pond in the middle, and the beautiful footbridge (pictured) that leads to the actual rose garden.  But the real scenery is the hundreds of porteños out for their nightly exercise.  Keeping your eyes open here won´t be a problem - your head is likely to be on a proverbial swivel!  While the loop is only about a mile long it´s easy to do 7 or 8 laps while checking out the gorgeous porteños (girls and guys alike - we here at The Run Around are equal opportunity chauvinists).  You´ll also see numerous running teams out training for various races, marathons, and triathlons (be careful - these groups run against traffic and don´t stop for gringos that stray into their path).

After your workout leave the park the way you came in (this time on the opposite side of Avenida Sarmiento) and stop to stretch while watching the skateboarders "shred" the half pipe at the small skate park.  Once cooled down and stretched take the money you brought to buy a post-run water and spend it on beer (let´s maximize the benefit of our exchange rate, people).  Head to Plaza Serrano (see pic right) in all your sweatiness to have a drink at one of the many outdoor bars packed with people (to get there, pass by the Plaza Italia subway stop and continue southwest on Avenida Jorge Luis Borges for about 10 blocks and you´ll come across the plaza).  After a few beers you might actually stop sweating.  Once loose and ready for dinner head back to your hotel/hostel to shower (or don´t) and make your way to Caracas Bar on the corner of Jorge Luis Borges and Guatemala.  The "Ensalada Caracas" is a great post run meal consisting of mixed greens, sundried tomatoes, higos (a sweet South American fruit), grated cheese, sliced almonds (none for me, soy alérgico), and loads of jamón crudo (similar to prosciutto).  It´s how the say in Argentina - freakin´ delicious.  The salad with a beer and bottle of water will run you about 40 pesos (10 bucks).

Now that you´re fed and lubricated go back to Plaza Serrano to drink outdoors until the wee hours, or to the Las Canitas area, or make your way downtown with your Brazilian hostel mates to club Bahrein and drink overpriced cans of beer while dancing to crappy music with a bunch of sweaty, wasted, 19 year old Aussies and Brits on their "gap year" (don´t do this). 

If you do end up going to club Bahrein until 7 in the morning it´s doubtful that the hostel breakfast (i.e. staled untoasted bread, and a coffee-esque liquid) is gonna cut it in the morning.  For something more substantial try Tonno on the corner of Thames and Charcas and get the "Desayuno Americano" - scrambled eggs, bacon, toast with cheese spread, orange juice, and a cortado (coffee with milk).  Add a water and the damage will be 22 pesos.  Go back to bed...

So...I have a blog...

Ugh...I always swore I wouldn´t become one of "those people". By that I mean the thousands of people who´ve gone on one or two extended vacations armed with a Lonely Planet guidebook and decided that they were now an authority on international travel and started up blogs to "give travel advice" (no offense to the people I know that do this - you guys are alright. Keep up the good work. Some people would never be able to find that hostel with the "friendly and vibrant staff", or the "out of the way authentic, non-touristy trattoria nestled quaintly on one of ¨name your city"´s hidden corners" without your blog). But as this interweb seems to be the best place to keep in touch with friends and family, here I am, entering the blogosphere. (By the way if you´re lucky enough to locate the aforementioned trattoria be sure to ask Donna Maria for a small cup of the homeade pistachio gelato to go with your cappuccino - it´s not on the menu but they always have it!). As a pretty passionate runner who only got into the sport a couple of years ago I like nothing better than finding a new path, trail, or course to explore. And after only a few days in Argentina I´ve already been exposed to a few that I wanted to document and share with whoever may read this crap. So I don´t really have any idea or plan for how this blog is going to evolve, or even if I´ll actually keep up with it, but if I do my guess is it will end up being: part journal, part running log, part "running travel advice", part "regular travel advice" (aka Lonely Planet regurgitation/paraphrasing), and if you´re lucky maybe even some restaurant reviews (there really aren´t enough of those on the internet). I hope to take may camera along on some of the better runs and share a little info and some pics. Maybe some of you will find it interesting.

Good running & good reading.

- JMC