Our Aussie friend Ida said we mustn’t come to Buenos Aires without going to a tango show so we splashed out and booked a dinner and show for Saturday night.
We booked it through the hotel with pick up included. All went well until we arrived. Through a misunderstanding we thought the payment was to go on our hotel bill but in fact the hote had actually only made the reservation. As a consequence we were asked to pay on arrival. Unfortunately we hadn’t enough money and cards were in the hotel safe ! We weren’t happy but when they phoned our hotel the matter was resolved. It actually turned out rather well as we were upgraded to the VIP seats with table right at the front next to the stage, up close and personal you might say. It was a small and intimate theatre setting 1920’s style.
We sat next to a French couple and enjoyed a three course meal with some good free-flowing Argentinian wine to accompany the beef.
The show started, wow, I felt a bit breathless to be honest. There were musicians on piano, violins, ‘accordian’ banjo like guitar and double base playing traditional music. There were only seven dancers and two singers, not a show full of razzmatazz but so professional and quite exhilarating. Wonderful, didn’t want it to end. Chris thoroughly enjoyed it too, his review of it, ‘brilliant’.
Everyone left the theatre on a high looking for transport back to hotels. Our minibus couldn’t set off as there were two people more than there should have been, obviously on the wrong bus. No one owned up, names were checked on lists and still not resolved. It was all very amusing so they had to offload two, who did they choose....US !!! Well that caused more amusement because folk recognised us as being on the original bus and protested on our behalf. We just went with the flow and got off ....anyway not knowing what was going to happen next a chap took us across the street and ushered us into a large TAXI, just for the two of us....yeah, we were back at the hotel in 5 minutes, you know how long drop offs at hotels take and it was already after midnight. Another bit of luck to end a fabulous VIP evening.
Thanks for the recommendation Ida.
Skip this if you don’t want to read about the history of Tango:
It began in the 1880’s in the port of La Boca, you saw the photos, district where working class immigrants entertained themselves with shared music and dance around the brothels. Women were few so the men would dance with other men to attract them through their prowess on the dance floor. It is said that the leg flicking comes from the men trying to trip each other up in their dance/fight. It was frowned upon in the wealthy parts of town until it found its way to Paris in the early 1900’s. It suited the risqué, Moulin Rouge era and quickly became a sensation across Europe. Of course it then became respectable throughout Argentina where it has developed along with the music and singing of tango.
P and P have a super trip. Cannot wait to hear what Brooke thinks of Colombia
Susan hope Jonny has a fabulous birthday . Love to mum xx