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Published: January 16th 2008
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Argentina
Buenos Aires I'm flying high over Argentina with the hottest new band Still Water, and we're all about to die !
Ok, maybe that's a bit dramatic but I had terrible turbulence coming into Buenos Aires. After 8 months of flights and many with bad turbulence, this was the first time I had any fear for my life. After we cleared the clouds and the lights of Buenos Aires were visible below, I looked out the window to try and see the source of the ruckus. Looking back I saw we had passed through a crazy lightning storm. Bolts shooting every which way.
Exiting the airport I noticed the climate change straight away. The warm night air was a welcome change from Peru.
I arrived safe and sound to my host's house in Belgrano, a nice neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. Being a Friday night we went straight out to a club.
The first thing I noticed about Argentina was the difference in drinking culture. Whereas in Australia the process is drink, drink, drink, then maybe have a dance. In Argentina the process is dance, dance, dance, then maybe have a drink. I felt my thirst made me stand out straight away.
Argentina
Buenos Aires The second thing I noticed was the different protocol in the bathroom. The Argentinian men aren't afraid to stand in front of the mirror for long periods of time fixing their hair and looking pretty before they return to the dance floor. Something you wouldn't get caught doing back home.
My saturday night was more laid back. I had arrived on election weekend and there is a law forbidding the sale of alcohol on the day of the election or the day before. My host had a friend who owns a bar and he slipped us a few cheeky drinks while we listened to them play some traditional Argentinian folk music.
Sunday I met a whole lot of local and international Couch Surfers at an organised picnic. The Buenos Aires Couch Surfing group is really close and very active and it was great to meet so many of them at the start of my stay there.
As the day turned into the night the group moved on to where I would have my first Tango lesson. Being everyone's first lesson we were taught just the first few steps, but this was enough to inspire the want
Argentina
Buenos Aires - Couch Surfing picnic of more. The girls struggled to submit to the Tango rule of letting the man lead and following his choice of movement.
Argentina prides itself on having the best tasting meat in the world. Although I had a few dud steaks at more touristic restaurants, the Bife de Lomo's that were good, were unbelievably good. Another thing that is very Argentinian is their preferred tea called mate (pronounced ma-te). To me it tastes like drinking cigarette ash.
Just outside of Buenos Aires is a little placed called Tigre. A fellow Couch Surfer and I spent a day there walking around the waterways which make up the town. It's a beautiful place with quaint little houses dotted in between the lush growth.
One Thursday night in town I attended a party inside a convent courtyard. It was a beautiful setting but strange to see holy men peering out the window to the den of sin below.
Another big night was at a Couch Surfing Halloween party. Some people went to great lengths with their costumes. I went as a drunk Australian. I figured that was scary enough. Like many nights in Argentina I felt that dirty feeling
Argentina
Buenos Aires - Tango lesson of walking out of a dark club into the bright sunshine of day. The South American culture is to start late and finish late. Usually a night starts about midnight and finishes about 7am.
After two and a half weeks in Buenos Aires I moved on to Mar Del Plata. It is always a good feeling to see the ocean again. Though after leaving the perfect weather of Buenos Aires it was painful to embrace the cold sea breezes. I had a couple of sunny days where I managed to hit the beach and soak in a bit of sun. As well as visiting the beaches in Mar Del Plata my host took me about an hour's drive away through a couple of sleepy seaside villages to see the undeveloped beaches there.
I travelled around Argentina solely by bus. They are very comfortable and go almost everywhere. I took a 22 hour trip from Mar Del Plata to San Martin de los Andes in the region of Patagonia. A pretty little town both the natural and man made parts. I didn't do too much besides relax here. Strolling around town and sitting by the lake. One day i
Argentina
Buenos Aires - Nueve de Julio, the largest Blvd in the world put my walking boots to more use and went on a bush walk up to a view point with an amazing view.
After a few days in San Martin I ventured to my favourite place in Argentina, Bariloche. Also in Patagonia Bariloche is a tourist town on a giant lake with snowy mountains behind it. It's the kind of beauty that makes you express your awe out loud to yourself. I stayed in Bariloche for a week in total. After Couch Surfing for so long it was a nice change to be back in a hostel. It was a week of non stop drinking with a bunch of cool people from the hostel. The late nights meant I slept in late and didn't end up doing the day time activities such as bush walking and kayaking like I had planned. Instead I spent my days lazing in the sun by the lake, playing my newly acquired guitar, eating empanadas (Argentina's version of a meat pie).
By coincidence a German friend Axel who I met in Buenos Aires arrived to Bariloche a few days after I did and joined me at the hostel. It was great to see a
Argentina
Buenos Aires familiar face and catch up on the different paths we took from Buenos Aires. The hostel had a hot tub room with a fantastic view over the lake. One night a french girl Marie, Axel and I watched the sunset over the lake with some beers from the comfort of the hot tub. The only way to do it.
I took another overnight bus ride from Bariloche to the city of Rosario. Rosario is an inland city built next to a river. It was another quick change of weather this time from cold to hot. My host and I went to the cool riverside for an afternoon beer with a view back to the city. During the night we met a bunch of Couch Surfers at another spot on the river for a BBQ. The long stretch of grass was packed with people enjoying the warm summer night. Rosario is known for it's night life and I visited some cool bars the following night. My last night there was my host's birthday. She threw a party at the house which with it's rooftop terrace was the perfect set up for a party.
My flight out of Argentina was
Argentina
Buenos Aires - best meat in the world ! from Buenos Aires, so from Rosario I travelled back to the capital to spend a few more days there before i left.
Argentina is a great country with friendly people everywhere. They love to party and I did my best to keep up.
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Maia
non-member comment
Hello!
Wooow, the little cottage in the Tigre place looks gorgeous. Like out of a fairytale! Hope all's well. ciao-ciao!