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Published: April 2nd 2015
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Another country, another enticing big city and another week to explore it! Argentina and Buenos Aires in particular is very heavily European influenced. Walking around the city of BA you could be forgiven for thinking you were in Europe rather than Latin America. People appear more Caucasian than other countries we’ve visited on this trip (apparently due to almost complete extermination of the indigenous by the Spanish) and the cobblestoned streets and ornate buildings were world famous for portraying the burgeoning wealth of the city in the 18th-20th centuries.
We trusted
hostelworld.com and went for the top rated hostel,
America Del Sur in the lively San Telmo neighbourhood. With small dorms, ensuites, plenty of organized events, free breakfast and guest kitchen this place was more like a hostel than a hotel but with a very friendly, backpacker environment too. After arriving not so fresh off our 30hr bus we dropped off our bags and took to the streets for our first taste of the famous Argentine steak and wine.
Paul had been given a “
Top 10 of BA” book for Christmas last year and it was an exceptional guide for our time here with a breakdown of different areas of town, tips on local
cuisine, tango, shopping, architecture, history, etc.
Firstly we took ourselves on a self guided walking tour of the downtown areas around Plaza de Mayo and Avenida 9 de Julio: wide boulevards filled with great buildings such as the national bank, the cathedral previously ordained by the current Pope Jorge Francisco, antique bookstores, a 120yr billiard hall, Teatro Colon and a giant obelisk. We also found a wine store and consulted the book to find 4 of the top 10 to enjoy throughout the week.
Our second day we took a day tour to neighbouring Uruguay for two reasons: first was to see the appropriately named town of Colonia and second was to withdraw a significant amount of US dollars from their ATMS (read on to find out why). With a swift pass through customs we were off on the international ferry for 2hrs before wandering the quaint streets of Colonia, filled with cafes and shops selling all sorts of Uruguayan paraphernalia.
With our wad of American dollars and a few friends from the hostel (including a Brazilian who came prepared with magic marker pen) we took to the main shopping street of Ave Florida to find the
"cambio negro" (black market exchange) we'd heard so much about. With every loitering individual offering "cambio, cambio, cambio?" we walked until we found a lady giving a good rate of US$1:ARG$13.35 and had an office behind a street newsstand. With various currencies being exchanged amongst our group of hostellers we had to wait around a little for our turn, but during the wait we saw her colleague arrive with a plastic bag, clearly full of cash that was due to be ours. When we stepped behind the newsstand we had the magic marker pen ready to go but were surprised when they also had a UV light box so we could check more easily that the notes weren't forgeries. With both of us checking all the notes and counting the full amount, we felt like drug dealers holding so much clandestine money in our hands! We ended up making a profit of about AUD$1000 which contributed very nicely to our Argentina experience and keeping our budget not quite so much in the red. It was a very strange experience and we find it hard to believe that it's so accessible and seemingly not policed. We were left wondering "what's to
stop us going to an official money exchange to convert these Pesos back into USD then return to the streets and make another $1000?"
Feeling on top of the world with all our extra cash the group then took to the weekend markets for treasures, musical performances and street food. Then in the evening we split from the group for a romantic dinner for two and tango show to celebrate our 3rd anniversary. We took the recommendation from the hostel & guidebooks and went to
Cafe de Los Angelitos where we enjoyed our three course meal with wine before the show which was great. They presented the history of tango with some duos, group sequences and singing solos.
The following day we took to the shopping streets in search of the various gems described in BA including leather goods, wooden handicrafts, gaucho (cowboy) knives, traditional mate (national iconic tea) drinking gourds and straws, to name a few. We stumbled into incredibly old bookstores, beautiful restored theatres and overstuffed stores throughout the day. Then in search of leather jackets we jumped on the metro to head towards the Palermo intersection of Av Scalabrini Ortiz & Murillo where these stores are concentrated. We
ended up in
Kodigo with a very well spoken and helpful sales lady who had a keen interest in the world. Amongst the numerous jackets she fetched for us to try on, we chatted about our travels, her knowledge of Australian animals and music before we finally decided on our favourites to purchase. Then it was off to
Gran Parrilla del Plata to treat ourselves to the famous beef steaks of Argentina. Conveniently located closeto our hostel, this guidebook recommended steakhouse offered us exactly what we were looking for: delicious steak (tenderloin and skirt) accompanied by excellent spices and salads along with a lovely wine list. We splurged a little on this dinner, using it as an extended anniversary celebration and polishing off the rest of our Christmas money (thanks Wendy & Graham!) but it still only cost us around AUD$100 for us to walk out very happy and full! It wasn't the best day in the eyes of an animal activist but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves (sorry, not sorry).
With our departure from BA looming as an international bus ride, we decided we'd best get ourselves organised and book the seats! So the next morning we headed to the main bus and
train station Retiro and sorted out a decent compromise on travel time and price. However, en route we were distracted by more amazing leather goods throughout the city and emptied our wallets on a horde of beautiful items: two pairs of dress shoes for Paul, matching belts, handbag and wallet for Courtney, as well as several gifts. So for the rest of the day we were laden with our shopping bags as we looked at Floralis Generica (giant flower sculpture that opens and closes) and the very impressive Recoleta cemetery (filled with mausoleums and graves of many well off Argentines including national heroes such as war generals and Evita.)
Our last day was as jam packed as the rest, starting with having to pack our overstuffed bags then heading out to Argentina’s football Mecca: Boca Juniors Football Club where Diego Maradona came to fame. Walking through the streets you could gradually see an increase in yellow and blue features on houses and shops as the stadium came looming up above the area. It was very busy with a wide range of tourists, from diehard fans decked out in official merch to large bus groups of middle-aged Asian tourists. After the obligatory photos of Paul with statues of Maradona and Messi we continued through the neighbourhood to Caminito, a very colourful street bustling with tourist life. To brighten a poor neighbourhood and lift their spirits, residents began painting their houses in vivid colours and thus has created quite a unique area that brings many visitors to take pictures, enjoy the cafes and restaurants as well as spend up in the souvenir stores.
And so our time in Buenos Aires wound to a close with us heading off to the bus station for what was to be our last overnight bus as we cross the country, then the Andes mountain range to arrive in Chile for the final leg of our big adventure! Beautiful scenery throughout the countryside kept us entertained that afternoon but the next morning we were greeted with incredibly coloured mountains of brown, red and pink rock against a clear blue sky as we zigged and zagged our way over the mountains.
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