Have you ever noticed when you travel, that sometimes places start looking alike? Maybe not the whole town, but sections, shops, restaurants?

The trouble I find as I slip closer to dementia (or at least finally acknowledging it) is that after awhile, the similarities really mess with my memory of where the heck I was when I saw, bought or ate something.

For instance, I’m pretty sure that if I wasn’t blogging about the following photos, later in life I’d swear I was in:

…or Spain.

But nope. Considering that I just got off the boat from Antarctica and I ain’t Matt Lauer (as in: Where in the World Is…?) with a corporate jet, I’m back in Buenos Aires.

This was the jumping off point last week for the trip south and because of flight delays, etc. on the return I’ve ended up with a couple more days here than I expected. Luckily, as it was HOT HOT HOT here 10 days ago. If I ever get around to posting the Market video I shot here…and anyone ever gets around to looking at it…thanks to editing you’ll see my face alternating between flushed red from heat (last week’s footage), and the scarred, bloated phenomenon it’s become since sliding my mug down a glacier and eating myself into a stupor (today’s shots).

But then and now I’ve been on a mission to scour the city for something to talk about and images to film. It’s been a great way to make myself feel like I’m working instead of goofing off. If nothing else, it gives me a way to kill a couple of days (though you wouldn’t know it from the footage since I wear the same clothes to make it look like I’m quick on my feet and able to do all that mileage in one day). And besides, hopefully I’ll find some worthwhile travel tips to help someone plan their shopping itinerary.

Buenos Aires is big and cosmopolitan with great neighborhoods filled with antiques and architecture and a main street with intersecting pedestrian malls.

And the thing about Buenos Aires that really makes it worthwhile for budget travelers with champagne tastes is that it’s about the only place these days a dollar will buy you anything more than a pitied smirk.

Shopping opportunities abound (both actual and “window”), and I did my requisite “flea market”ing slash “is it time to eat yet?” shopping. All over town. Which has turned out to be a GREAT way to shop a city…

…and, as is the case in this here burg, clog my arteries.

I don’t know how they eat steaks we would actually label roasts and still look as good as these people look, dang ‘em. Well, maybe I do. Word has it that the locals are among the world’s highest customers of plastic surgery. After eating a few of the steaks around here I can see why. Liposuction anyone?