la feria de los mataderos

Located in the southwest barrio of Mataderos, this Argentine fair is held every Sunday where local and foreign alike gather to celebrate all things Argentina. I've hit this feria up twice now, and each time has proven to be a sensory "wow". This past Sunday on the 50 minute bus ride over, I asked my neighbor if she knew how close we were...she wasn't sure, but 2 minutes later, she sniffed the air and said, "Ah, we shouldn't be too far off. You smell that?" I wasn't quite sure what she meant, and she went on to explain how the air in the area of Mataderos carries a unique scent, "It smells of dead animals- from all of the livestock killing that goes on in these parts...." Although I was unable to smell the bloodshed (thankfully,) my senses were on overload as I reentered that bustling market...I saw a colorfully clad llama, came real close to devouring a salchicha sandwich (total regret,) did about ten rounds of dulce de leche testers, and purchased three wooden spoons, a dream catcher and some mate. A divine day it was.