"Don't cry for me Argentina.."..Ciao Latin America!

My final port of call in my Latin American adventure is Buenos Aires and what a place to finish. Every traveller I have met who's been to this country has said this city is their favourite in South America. With such an expectation to live up to I was of course worried that coming here would be a let down, that Buenos Aires had been over-hyped. Thankfully I was proved wrong. For me this city ranks alongside Rio de Janeiro - they are my two favourite cities on this continent. Rio pulls ahead only slightly because of its beautiful setting, but loses against Buenos Aires in the fear factor.

This is definitely the most European of all the cities I have been to. That could be one reason why travellers love it so much - a little reminder of home. But it's more than that. Not only are its people on average more beautiful, stylish and bohemian than any others in South America, its boulevards are wide, light and flanked by elegant buildings, its shopping malls are heaven to a shopaholic and its nightlife beats with an energy unlike any other I've come across while out here. And it's cheap. Perfect.

Still, I have spent an absolute fortune in the four days I have been here (I've been shopping like there's no tomorrow, it's so easy here). As I've repeatedly told myself (in attempt to reduce the feeling of guilt), the 7 months I have spent in Latin America could well be the only time in my life when I will be looked at and regarded as a filthy rich person. It is only right I continue the dream right up until getting on my international flight out of here!

So. Did I mention the nightlife? Where else in the world could we do what we did the other night and turn up to a club at 3.30am - for the start of our night. We could continue drinking round the clock if we wanted (they have a 24 hour drinks license here), but my liver and head won't take that sort of abuse any more and they punish me painfully for such bad behaviour. No-one eats out until at least 10pm and the bars are empty till about midnight. Turning up to a club before 1am, even 2am is just very uncool. If I was here any longer this city would take its toll on my body and my purse in a very serious way.

In four days we only really managed to lightly scrape the surface of Buenos Aires: It's varied districts - uber posh Recoleta, working-class, colourful La Boca (home to Maradona's old football team and the birthplace of the tango) and bohemian San Telmo.
Its great shopping - the weekend hippie market in Recoleta, the antiques in San Telmo and the huge malls in Florida street.
Plus its food; huge juicy steaks, more meat than I've ever seen in my life and the best and cheapest buffet I've ever had. 4 weeks instead of 4 days would be more like the right amount of time here.

So as I write this last entry I'm sitting in Houston airport killing time before catching my connecting flight home. 7 months of travelling are over and I can't quite believe it. While part of me is happy to be going home, to see everyone again, there was a big part of me that felt very sad taking off from Buenos Aires airport. For anyone planning their own Latin American trip - it's a fantastic continent, seven months is so not long enough.

I like to think I (and my blogs) will be back here one day, although there are many other countries now jockeying for first position on the long list of "next countries to visit" - so it may be a while and that makes me sad.

As any traveller reading this knows, travelling is a bug and it's one for which there is no cure. The only way to alleviate that niggling feeling of itchy feet which comes and goes in waves, is to travel more. So in the words of The Terminator because, given the language, it seems appropriate here:

HASTA LA VISTA (baby)!

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