The event, known as “El Juego de Estrellas,” is similar to the NBA’s all-star game, with a 3-point competition, dunk contest, legends game, and current stars game. The current stars game is played in a foreigner vs. national format.

Jeffries’ accomplishment adds some encouragement to his team Obras Sanitarias, which has bolstered its position to #2 in the national standings. The regular season resumes in less than a week, so look out for more highlights and scores to come.

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Mar Del Plata has always been popular and is revered amongst Argentines as a great beach getaway. It is a big city with plenty of hotels, shopping, and dining where tourism thrives and there are also plenty of people to share your vacation with. If you are a fan of privacy, peace and quiet, and nature, obviously Mardel shouldn’t be your choice of vacation spot. If you like to people watch and want a place with sites and activity, check out Mar Del Plata for a few days – before heading to another beach town along the coast that might give you a better opportunity to unwind.

The Hotel Provincial Casino has been beautifully restored. Its lobby is luxurious but its gaming room is limited to two tables of each of the major games including craps, black jack, roulette, and poker along with a few rows of slot machines. For a casino-hotel that takes up two city blocks, I wondered at the curious use of space – until I was invited to a concert behind the lobby in the theater and convention space, all on the first floor. The casino is the main event for the city and plays host to festivals and art exhibits. One side of the Hotel Provincial lines the beach and makes for a nice piece of architectural history along the shore.

The beach itself is by far the most crowded I’ve ever seen. It’s where people play games, sell jewelry, perform tango, rent cabanas, and, of course, sunbathe. Hawkers comb the beach selling ice cream and cold water with their particular auditory style that makes napping a challenge. Kids and dogs run wild. It’s a lovely sort of chaos if you’re into wild humanity at it’s sweaty best – otherwise, a short visit is enough to get the gist. The main activity of Mardel seems to be walking along the shop strewn avenues and enjoying the city’s pizzerias and clothing stores.

My favorite part of a visit to Mar Del Plata was the port. It’s a large, functioning, industrial port. Longshoremen work in the summer sun in orange jumpsuits (and made for some great people watching for a lone female traveler). The port is home to a colony of sea lions who’ve overrun the place with their unique odor. It is a stinky part of town, but worth the visit for the graveyard of rusting ships and blubbery mamals who make it their home.

Best part of Mar Del Plata? It’s an hour’s bus ride to Pinamar, a lovely seaside resort town that boasts acres of pine forest and uncluttered beaches.

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Since Mar del Plata is the beach destination for most of Argentina, known for its surf and sun, the idea of spending an afternoon tucked in a cozy cabin sipping tea may seem a little incongruous. But driving or walking through the woods of Mar del Plata is a peaceful and cooler alternative to the throngs of sweaty masses that flood the beaches everyday. A wealthy microcosm of Mar del Plata, the woods are sparsely populated and soothingly green. A small park with a playground sees families gather for mate and amusement, while a local artisan fair is held on weekend evenings attracting tourists and locals alike.

La Cabaña is located in the Bosque Peralta Ramos at the southern end of the city. Since the bus system in Mar del Plata is far from user friendly, you have to buy a card in advance and keep charging it up, you might have to take a taxi or find a friend with a car. But if you are spending the day at one of the many beaches south of the city, such as La Arena where many of the big summer concerts are held, then you are in the neighborhood and can easily pass through on our way back into the city. Look for a parking lot and a wooden sign with Las Cabañas carved into it resting in the ivy next to a large wagon wheel. There are very few restaurants in the Bosque so if you ask a local they will be able to point you in the right direction.

Aside from a selection of over a dozen tantalizing cakes served up with whip cream or dulce de leche, there are home made scones and fresh baked savory breads. They also serve a wide selection of loose-leaf teas, from lavender to citrus to green, and each arrives in it’s own special teapot. With each person ordering their own tea, and each tea arriving in its own individual and decorative teapot, the restaurant begins to look a little like the Mad Hatters tea party from Alice in Wonderland. The teas complement a thorough selection of coffees and hot chocolates so there is something for everyone in your party. Thanks to the location, the style and the amazing ambiance, the prices at this distinctive retreat are far from cheap; a pot of tea costs 5-8 pesos and a slice of cake is 9. But you can sit and sip your tea for hours, soaking up the atmosphere and pretending you are in a log cabin in the Swiss Alps.

The décor is truly distinguished, it feels as though the owners unlocked the attics of hundreds of Argentines and brought out all the antiques, random paintings and decorations they discovered hidden away. The walls are covered, all the way to the ceiling, with various styles of painting and textiles, statues and knick-knacks adorn the windowsills and shelves, and the bathroom is a world unto itself. The interior is cozy and kitsch and the surrounding woods are open for exploration, complete with a coy pond, towering eucalyptus trees, and tree trunk picnic tables hidden amidst the bamboo.

Afternoon tea is far from typical in Argentine culture, and an afternoon in a cabin in the woods may not be what you are expecting on your beach weekend trip to Mar del Plata, but don’t let that stop you. Take a walk through Mar del Plata’s woodland oasis and enjoy a scrumptious afternoon treat.

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We arrived at our hostel late Friday night. We stayed at the Casagrande Hostel, which was decent and recommendable. It was clean, fun and the staff was very friendly. However, due to so little time at Mar del Plata, we did not stay at the hostel long. We dropped our bags off and headed straight to the restaurants and bars.

The first place we visited was a Cuban bar called La Bodeguita del Medio. We arrived too late to eat dinner, (believe it or not!) but the waiter was really nice and brought us peanuts, bread and cheese. Fortunately, this bar is known for their Cuban-style mojitos, so it was well worth staying! We then went out dancing, and every club we went to was great. While techno music is very popular in Capital Federal, Latin music (which I prefer) is much more common in Mar del Plata. I was very excited about this, and we danced until the sun came up (literally!)

The following day, we all went to the beach. It was gorgeous, but it was a bit too cold to strip down to the bathing suit. We visited Mar del Plata at the beginning of November, so you might want to give it a few more weeks to warm up. However, I have also heard that Mar del Plata is so crowded during the months of December, January and February that you can hardly see the sand on the beach. In addition, there is a lot of traffic on the roads. Consequently, it is a trade off. You can go for the beautiful view and nightlife without any ocean dips, or you can fight the crowds for a few rays. It depends on what you want.

All of the restaurants we ate at were spectacular. One restaurant many Argentines recommend is Manolo. It has a great outdoor deck and is known for their churros con dulce de leche (caramel). Unfortunately, if you do not get there early enough, the line is out the door. We were too hungry to wait, but it is on the top of my list for next time.

Another important fact to know is that it is very cold at night, so bring a coat and close-toed shoes. I was not a happy camper with my flip-flops and heels! Overall, we had a marvelous time. Mar del Plata is close enough to go for a weekend. If you sacrifice a little sleep, you can do it all…the beach, the restaurants, the bars and the clubs at night! Soon, you too will turn green with envy when you hear the words…Mar del Plata!

Casagrande – Hostel and Student residence
Jujuy 947, Mar del Plata
54 (0223) 476-0805
www.casagrandealbergue.com.ar

La Bodeguita Del Medio – Bar Restaurante Historico Cubano
Castelli 1252, Mar del Plata
54 (0223) 486-3096

Manolo Churros
Rivadavia 2371, Mar del Plata
94-5671 ó 95-6201

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A group of friends and I went to a brewery in Mar del Plata called Cerveza Antares the other night. From the entrance, we could see we had quite a wait ahead of us, but one thing you will learn in Argentina is that no one is ever in a hurry! Even though it was 11pm and we were ready to keel over from hunger, our Argentine friends thought the hour wait was nothing. They led us straight to the bar for some amazing beer and a cheese platter to hold us over during the wait.

This brewery offered eight amazing beers to choose from as well as a sample of each to help in your selection. I had a very smooth and semi sweet pint of beer called Honey. We all shared a huge platter with an assortment of high quality cheeses, olives, and breads to go along with our beer. The hour wait went by before we knew it with the great food, drinks, and company!

We eventually did sit down and were faced again with the difficult choice of incredible entrée items. I decided on a cazuela (stew) that was full of lomo (filet mignon) and veggies. Our Argentine friends quickly ordered two amazing bottles of Argentine Malbec….a staple on any Argentine table. The wine was slightly dry and an amazing compliment to my steak cazuela! The whole experience was incredible!

As I said before, the best part is that we paid about $13 American dollars each for all of the food, drinks and incredible atmosphere! How could anything taste better than that??

Cerveza Antares
Córdoba 3025
Mar del Plata
(0223) 492-4455

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