Well I suppose we should say hello South America and Argentina (country # 10 and the city of Buenos Aires, BA).
There was a chill in the air as we exited the international airport but this was expected as it was now in the midst of winter. Feeling a little jet lagged and wondering what day it was we started the 4th July for the second time. It took us a little longer than usual to leave the airport as we were on the hunt for change. We learnt our first lesson, if you manage to get hold of change keep hold of it as it is like gold dust and it’s hard to come by. We were expecting Argentina to be more expensive that what we have been used to but we will see.
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| Time to leave BA airport |
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| Argentina football shirts for sale as soon as possible. Football fanatics |
We hopped on a local bus for the 35 km, two hour journey into the city centre of BA. Having already planned where we wanted to stay we jumped on board the metro green line out to Plaza Italia and the Palermo district where we checked into Palermo House Hostel. It was time for a six bed dorm room and our first bunk beds of the trip, 55 pesos a night which is about £8 each for a bed but at least it included breakfast.
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| Middle-class district of Palermo |
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| In BA you instantly notice graffiti & dog poo! |
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| Our first bunk beds of the World Adventure |
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| Palermo House |
The hostel was geared up with communal kitchens which we think is the way forward but for our first meal in Argentina we went out for a Milanesa de Pollo, which was delicious, a bread crumbed chicken steak covered with a mountain of ham and melted cheese.
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| Milanesa de Pollo + Chips of course |
Planning to have three days in BA it was time once again to start exploring a city on foot after a great breakfast of fresh sweet pastries. We stayed local on our first day and checked out the area of Palermo and down into Parkland Central (Parque 3 de Febrero) where we visited the Italian Plaza, Jarden Japones, The Lake and Polo Stadium as well as peeking through the fence to see the Flamingos in the Jardin Zoologico. After a day wandering the streets BA had a nice big city feel and it seemed very European.
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| Plaza Italia |
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| Parkland Lake |
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| Japanese Gardens |
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| BA Polo Arena |
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| We had heard about the gangs of fat cats... |
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| ...in the Botanical Gardens. Not the best |
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| Didn't pay for the zoo but some Flamingos through a hole in the fence |
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| Big European city feel about the place |
During our time in BA we managed to cover a lot of the city and a good way to do this was to follow the walking tour from the Lonely Planet. It helped to navigate the huge city starting at Plaza San Martin, which was designed by French landscape architect Carlos Thays where you pass the Museo de Armas and then head down to the elegant Galerias Pacifico which is one of the capitals most beautiful malls with ceiling murals. The walk allowed us to see some amazing architecture including the Teatro Colon and the Templo de la Congregacion Israelita. With it being pretty cold once we had passed under BA’s famous 67m Obelisco a flocking destination for the diehard sports fans when a major success is to be celebrated.
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| Plaza San Martin |
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| Museo de Armas |
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| Posh shops inside... |
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| ...& great ceiling murals |
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| The walking tour continues this way... |
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| Templo de la Congregacion |
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| More amazing BA architecture |
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| Great day in the city |
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| Where the fans celebrate just not at the moment. The city is recovering from a relegation |
We came off the walking tour at Catedral Metropolitana next to Plaza de Mayo the city’s main area for public protests. At the plaza the impressive Catedral Metropolitan was beautiful and contains the tomb of General Jose de San Martin, Argentina’s most revered hero. Outside the Cathedral is a flame keeping his spirit alive.
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| Plaza de Mayo |
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| Outside Catedral Metropolitana |
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| Beautiful interior |
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| General San Martin's flame burns |
Like a lot of major cities around the world the waterfront had also been developed with bars, shops and restaurants which gives BA a modern feel. This is why it was nice to come across the cobbled streets of San Telmo District which gave you an understanding of how the city may once have been, very pretty, full of charm and personality.
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| The developing BA riverside, a very modern feel |
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| Cobbled street in San Telmo, charming character |
During our first few days in Argentina the beer and especially Quilmes was put on hold because something about the place made you want to drink red wine at any time of day. An Argentine steak was also a must and we weren’t disappointed as we had a great night at a restaurant in Palermo. The waiter told us to share the steak as it was that big and he was right, it went down particularly well with a bottle of red. It looks as though our diet for the coming month is going to include lots of red meat and Empanadas. We quickly became addicted to Empanadas and worked our way through the different fillings and different styles.
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| OK then... |
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| ...don't mind if I do. Is it past lunchtime yet? |
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| My bro has kept this a secret! |
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| Hello Argentinian Steak House, Palermo District |
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| Half portion was enough. It was amazing and can taste it just looking at the picture |
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| First steak of many I am sure |
We ticked off a lot of the ‘must do’s’ but we had one more to go which was a Tango Show. The Tango Shows are on offer all over BA but we chose Cafe Tortoni which is the oldest coffee shop in Argentina founded in 1858. It has a very rich history visited by intellectuals, politicians, artists and now us. The show was a small and intimate affair which was amazing and we were educated that Tango is not just about the dance but a collective of musicians, singers and dancers. We enjoyed the show with another glass of red wine; our visit to Cafe Tortoni was a great way to end our time in the capital.
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| Our tango evening started with an intro to Empanadas |
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| The face of addiction-WOW! |
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| Live Jazz on the Metro getting us in the mood |
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| The oldest cafe in the whole of Argentina |
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| Very posh. A glass of vino before the show |
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| Let the show commence! |
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| Now this is Tango in BA. Wonderful experience |
We had quickly got used to dorm life in Argentina and it was very different to hostels in Asia. Palermo House had Graffiti walls and a cool decor. Brekky was good but often shared with people still up from the night before and the occasional bathroom rendezvous while trying to get ready in the morning but it was a nice place to stay and maybe the party atmosphere was something to do with Argentina hosting the Copa America which unfortunately we didn’t get to go to.
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| Copa America 2011 fever... |
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| Football (Soccer) Fan Park |
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| GOD or Hand Of? |
BA was a vibrant city which was full of life, music, dancing, laughter and wonderful buildings.
Having had a great time in BA it was time to head south to Puerto Madryn which was a twenty hour overnight bus journey. This is probably a good time to explain that Argentina is going to be an expensive place to travel and we started to worry a little if our budget would last. Buses have tripled in price over the last twelve months due to Argentina’s inflation and our first bus journey set us back £150. Time to get our thinking caps back on so we can save money and still see everything we want to see and slip in a few steaks now and then. The up side was that the Semi Cama buses in Argentina are pretty amazing, especially when we compare it to the transport we have been used to in Asia. The journey came with movies, hot evening meal, tea & coffee and an introduction to Alfajores. The twenty hours on board was not going to be a problem for us with us being seasoned professionals. Lets finish on a bus tip, the men who put your bags on the bus ticket your luggage and give you a receipt so you can claim it at the other side, if you don’t keep the receipt you don’t get your bag back & if you don’t tip your tag is likely to be ripped off!
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| Bus you better be worth £150!!! |
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| Kate partaking in a bus terminal questionnaire (In Spanish) we have only been in the country 3 days |
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| Good start lunch onboard |
It’s time to see some Southern Right Whales and get back on the Beer Trail because I feel like I should be a wine writer at the moment but have no fear.
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| Have no fear we have plenty of time to get through these bad-boys |
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