People in Argentina don’t sleep. Restaurants don’t even open their doors until 8PM, and even then most people don’t go out to eat until 10. Going to bed on a full stomach isn’t healthy, so luckily clubs don’t get busy until 2 or 3 and go until the morning. Needless to say, this lifestyle didn’t quite fit into our schedule of getting up for our 9AM Spanish class. Since our class ended on Fri. we decided to sample some Argentinian nightlife. After the obligatory 11PM steak, we went to Peña Los Cardones. Peñas are grass-roots get-togethers showcasing popular folklore – which usually means locals meeting up for traditional-style dancing and music over drinks. In German beer hall fashion, wooden tables dominate the floor space accommodating the lively crowd taking in a hearty share of live folk music and Quilmes brew (the domestic beer in Bs As). The performance part of the evening lasts until 2AM, culminating in a big sing along on stage.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO5mFMHQqKQ[/youtube]
Then each table has a guitar and a songbook and everyone spends the rest of the night singing traditional folk songs
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJp0Ky3GccA[/youtube]