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Published: June 12th 2013
Buenos Aires
Next to Palermo underground stationI originally planned to take the bus over the Andes from Chile to Argentina and stop in Mendoza for a few days on the way to break up the journey. However, roadworks meant that the crossing was only open at night, and so I would see nothing of the scenery, so I settled on the slightly pricier but faster option of flying direct to Buenos Aires. On arrival at the hostel, I met up with Alice, a lifelong friend from back home who was undertaking her own round the world trip in the opposite direction. It was great to see Alice and an ideal opportunity to exchange notes - she had just completed an excursion in South America, taking in attractions such as Machu Picchu and the Salt Flats of Uyuni and was heading to New Zealand next.
Unfortunately, I was still feeling the after-effects of my food poisoning and could only manage a few hours out of bed on the first three days, while our hostel-mates were making the most of the Buenos Aires nightlife. We explored Palermo, the district in which the hostel was situated, which had shops to keep the Porteños (which is how the locals are
Casa Rosada, Buenos Aires
Presidential Headquarters known) looking fashionable and innumerable stylish cafes and restaurants - it seemed that fine dining was standard here. We went to nearby Recoleta, where there was a cemetery which was literally a city for dead people, with rows of ornate buildings housing the remains of some of the most distinguished Argentinians (including Eva Perón, aka Evita). I found it quite spooky, particularly after I managed to lose Alice and got lost at the far end as they rang the bell to signal that they were about to lock the gates. Fortunately we found each other and made it out in time. We also explored Centro, including the Casa Rosada (Pink House), the presidential headquarters and the constitution building, and Puerto Madera, a docklands area with shiny skyscrapers and restaurants.
The police appeared well prepared to deal with protests at the government buildings, which have been frequent during the economic crisis, during which the country has experienced high inflation (
officially around 10%!,(MISSING) but believed to actually be around 25%!<(MISSING)/a>). As a result, many Argentinians are willing to pay a premium to swap their Pesos for something with a more stable value, such as US Dollars. The demand is so high that those with Dollars have been able to sell them at twice the official exchange rate. Alice and I were able to take advantage and enjoyed some great bargains, including steak and wine at the renowned La Cabrera (one of the more expensive restaurants) for less than £20. We had to go at 8 o,clock to get a table (ridiculously early by Argentinian standards) and there were long queues on our way out.
Unfortunately, we found bedbugs in our dorm room and although we liked the hostel, we thought it best to move to the nearby Dogo hostel, which was run by the drummer of the moderately successful Argentinian rock band Pier. By this time I was feeling better and we caught an early ferry to Colonia del Sacramento, a pleasant old colonial town which had passed from Portuguese to Spanish rule numerous times and presently earned us a Uruguayan stamp on our passports. We also went to San Telmo on Sunday (market day) where we watched street tango and weaved our way through the crowded streets.
Having missed out on Mendoza earlier, Alice and I had planned to go there together. However, a bus strike forced us to reconsider, and being the adventurous type, she decided to book a flight south to Ushuaia (the world's southernmost city), whereas I opted to head to warmer climes and visit Iguazu falls and Brazil. On our penultimate day in Buenos Aires we met Roberto, a Spanish teacher who saw us looking at a map and offered help. He was kind enough to invite us for dinner the following evening, where we ate freshly baked empanadas (which reminded me of Cornish pasties) and drank some excellent Argentinian wine - a fine way to finish our time together in Buenos Aires. Thanks Roberto!
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kate Birch
non-member comment
Hi Graeme Very pleased to see your blog entry as we are continuing to only see pix of Alice and hear about details of her adventures by 2nd or 3rd hand! Hadn\'t heard about the bedbugs. Will have been character building indeed. I hope you are now returned to good health and nothing else befalls the guts!We think(hope) Alice is now in New Zealand but still awaiting news. She left Chile last Friday (we think). Hope your travels are meeting expectations, always appreciate the blogs. Love Kate, Keith and Belxxx