Greetings from Denver, CO

Here I am at the tango festival in Denver. It was a very last minute decision, and I’m glad I made it.

It was very easy to get here - Frontier Airlines was good. Very friendly service and they don’t charge for snacks. Imagine that. I got off the plane, hopped the shuttle to the hotel (where most of the festival events are being held), checked into my room, changed my shoes, and went downstairs to the alternative milonga. I never, ever do alternative because the whole reason I started dancing tango was for the traditional music, but I enjoyed this. Quite a lot of French music, which usually works for me. I saw many people I knew right away. I didn’t feel that I danced very well because like I said, the traditional music is exactly what inspired me to start dancing in the first place, so I just don’t “feel” alternative music. For the sake of having fun though, it’s fine.

The “Elegant Milonga” went last night until 3am. The DJ was Shory Myers, who I’ve always found has good taste in music. She played a few things I hadn’t heard before and it was really enjoyable. It was nice to dance with some friends that live elsewhere (Hawaii, Canada, etc…) The crowd was wonderful, as everyone danced close-embrace and everyone danced relatively calmly. I wasn’t feeling too energetic so this suited me just fine. Every invitation I received was done via the cabeceo, I’m happy to report. The setting was good for using such codes.

Being a cranky traditionalist who has a thing for dancing with milongueros, I was quite content with the quality of the dances. For the most part, I was able to seek connection and find it very easily. Steps were not important so much as just sharing in the romance of the moment. I felt very well taken care of (meaning, didn’t get bumped into or kicked. I felt safe.). I wasn’t in the mood for fancy footwork, just a nice relaxing time, and I’m glad to say that I got it.

Today there is a milonga and BBQ in a park, and then tonight, the all-night milonga - after which I will pack and head to the airport. I plan to spend Monday sleeping.

Denver is quite the foody town. I went with a couple of friends from Seattle for a couple of food adventures. Last night we ate at a restaurant called Potager, which had a very industrial-chic feel to it. The menu was a little weird (there were peaches in everything!) but the ingredients were local, the beef grass-fed, everything organic, and the wine list, fabulous. Today we ate lunch at Bistro Vendome, where I ordered steak frites… again, grass-fed beef. Let me tell you, beef tastes SO much better when the cows eat what they’re supposed to eat (grass, instead of cheap grains). Everywhere we went downtown, I saw all kinds of beautiful restaurants with incredible menus. My friend has been here many times and knows a lot of the restaurants and he can vouch for the fact that one can eat well here. So I think I’ll be back in Denver, if only for the food.

On another note, as if you couldn’t decifer it from my previous post entitled, “Febrero”, I’ll be back in Buenos Aires in February, which will be my 5-year Tango anniversary. Woohoo!! I’m spending this entire upcoming week (with the exception of my birthday) getting my translation career moving a little faster, re-establishing connections with some agencies, and I hope to be doing more of that freelance so that I can keep working while I travel. Wish me luck!
Oh great. Now I have an annoying song from Evita in my head… I have Madonna’s voice singing, “Rio de la Plata… Florida… Corrientes… 9 de Julio…” It wouldn’t be so bad if she didn’t have that gringa accent that I probably have as well. (You think that being fluent in Italian, I’d be able to speak Spanish a little better than I do…)