Buenos Aires

Arriving in style (a plane!), we reached Buenos Aires and were met by a much cooler 25 degrees temperature. This was such a welcome change from the past few weeks, Navita and I cheerfully donned our back packs and headed for our hostel. Our hostel was located right in the middle of ´micro-centro´, near the landmark Obelisk, which divides the super-wide Av. 9 Julio. First impressions were of a large developed european city, like a Paris or Rome. We felt immediately comfortable due to the familiarity of such a city and as a result safer than Rio.





Our 1st few days were very much FoT (feel of the town), taking in the bustling pedestrianised streets and wondering why Argentinean food consisted solely of steak and pizza pasta. Buenos Aires (BsAs) has a rich history, evident in it's colonial architetures, many museums and a deep passion for music and dance (tango and milonga to be precise). BsAs is a very tourist-friendly and walkable city. Together with it's developed commerce industry, it's no wonder several travelers we've met wish to live here. The very favourable exchange rate can't harm either!



BsAs is divided in to several different neighbourhoods, each with their own look and feel, much like Toronto or San Francisco. Our 1st day was in the micro centro, taking in the obligatory tourist sites of the Pink Palace, Congress building and several old churches and museums. Walking around, it really was hard to tell that we were in S. America - it could have been any European city.



Our 2nd day was tp the very plush and ritzy neighbourhood of Recoleta - full of boutiques, cafes to watch the world go by and professional dog walkers. Our walking tour started at the famous cemetery. Well known for its mausoleums packed in like terraced housing, each grander and more opulent than the one before. It´s also know to be the resting place of Eva Peron (aka Evita) - we didn´t stick around to check it out though, walking around people´s graves is kinda creepy. Suprisingly, just around the corner from the plush streets of Recoleta, we found beautiful open lush-green parks. One had this gigantic metallic flower statue in it - quite bizarre and yet strangely captivating. Another day´s outing took us to Palermo - not as swish as Recoleta - but a lovely part of town with small high streets to amble down and watch people shop in stupidly expensive clothes stores and furniture outlets. We stopped to enjoy a drink and lovely meal here.



One of the highlights of our time in BsAs was taking in a local football game. We were fortunate enough to have the local side of Boca Juniors playing on their home ground, against Estudiantes. Some of you may know that football is BIG in S. America and so the opportunity to see it live couldn´t be missed. It didn´t disappoint - the crowd was the most energetic we´ve ever seen. They were singing and cheering throughout the entire 90 minute game, supported by thunderous drums and a trumpet or 2. (Note from Navita - in the last few months I´ve seen my first ever live sporting event (Basketball in Toronto) and now my first football match as well... woohoo!!)





Yesterday, our last full day in BsAs, was another great insight in to Argetine culture - the TANGO. We met up with 2 of our traveller friends from Rio who were in town also. We spent the day in San Telmo, known for its Tango and Sunday Antiques market. The streets were packed with people, and sellers lined the street flogging everything from mate tea pots to antique gramophones and much much more. It was a really nice change for Alkesh and I to meet up with ´known´ friends... we enjoyed a coffee and good chat, exchanging stories of past hostels and planning our next adventures. After soaking up the market atmosphere, we plonked ourselves in the main square for some free Tango performances. Neither of us have seen tango live before - it was quite a treat. Obviously a very sensual and passionate dance, what surprised us was the fancy footwork and kicking between each dance partners legs - check out the video.







Following on from the afternoon tango, we´d booked tickets for a formal Tango show in the evening. This was a definite step up from what we´d seen in the market - fancier costumes and even more impressive moves. Backed by a live band and old croonies singing, we were shown how Tango had evolved since 1900. The dancing was very impressive and it was a good treat.



We´ve really enjoyed our time in Buenos Aires - a very accessible city with a good vibe. Now we leave city breaks behind us - we leave tonight on an overnight bus to Cordoba for a few nights before heading on to Mendoza for 5 nights: that is right in the wine country with beautiful scenery offering walks and bike rides. Can´t wait...