some will say coffee, as much as fixer, stop, dev, and ink and dyes, is the lifeblood of photography, much less everything else.  just returned from south america with some observations regarding coffee:

- when you order a cafe at the il candil serviceria in montevideo, uruguay, you get a small but spectacular silver tray with a strong and excellent cup of espresso, a cup of orange juice, a cup of mineral water (agua con gas), a small basket of sweet popcorn, and a small chocolate treat.  one of the most pleasant experiences with a cup of coffee one can have.  the il candil is unassuming, open late, and is rather easy to find on avenida san jose.

- the first starbucks has just opened in buenos aires at the alto palermo shopping mall.  opening night had an all inclusive v.i.p. party in which one needed a suit and tie, and an affiliation with either starbucks or the the alto palermo business bureau to enjoy a caramel macchiato.  walking by in the following days, the customer line was consistently out the door and around the building to the mcdonald’s nearby.  as tempting as it seemed to wait 2 hours for a  tall coffee (or alto cafe?), it is only a three hour ferry ride for a real cafe noir at il candil.