Blogs from Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America - page 273

Greetings and welcome to our much anticipated travelblog! After some running around to the passport office, some hugs here and there and some salty tears, Lindsay and I finally were reunited in the Vancouver International Airport. Karina (my sister) Matt (her boyfriend) and Rosa (their good friend), met us with smile, jokes and open arms in Toronto. After spending a week with them I was totally converted into a die hard Marxist and vegan for life, (well, perhaps not to radical, but close). Lindsay had a great week in Montreal with Michelle, snowball fights, late nights and rowdy Quebecois. Now we’ve been tossed from chilly, relatively quiet, wintery Eastern Canada into noisy, boisterous, humid and summery Buenos Aires, federal capital of Argentina. We are smiling, sweating, sleepy and stunned by the city’s smells, noises, action and ... read more

This is Sara narrating this entry. Well, after a long weekend at Iguazu Falls, we are back in the city for a few hours. After a longer than expected walk to the airport, we had a fairly empty plane to Iguazu. Only about 30 people on a plane that held 150. We got a meal for a journey of only 90 minutes, so the service was pretty good. Puerto Iguazu was very beautiful but even more hot and humid than Buenos Aires. Our hostel was small but cute, but there was some admiring of hostels with pools on the shuttle from the airport. We relaxed with a 2 hour nap before dinner and ate a nice meal on the main drag of town. The next morning we got up early (7 am!!) and headed for ... read more

Marche de los Madres The Day Before . . . A day of exploring the city of Buenos Aires leads us to the city center. We end up at Casa Rosada which is the Argentine's version of White House, without the lawn or green areas, but with just as much security. The photographer in me wanted to capture this landmark for my journal. However, there were several gates up preventing us from getting a good shot. As I struggled in vain, we were approached by a friendly cop that told us about a protest that would be happening tomorrow in Plaza de Mayo, and directed us to where they were setting up. In the middle of the plaza, there is a huge tower constructed solely of metal pipes with a banner full of black and white ... read more

San Telmo (For sure) Before I left home, I researched a way to get vaccines for less money as Nicole paid a whopping $400 for hers!! I found a place in BA, that administers the Yellow Fever Vaccine, free of charge. The hours are specific, but its free and the vaccine lasts 10 years, so I was down to get it. I didn´t know what to expect, so we took the train (this time we asked no one, and just went by the map), and we found it easily enough. The name of the place was something having to do with the sanitation of their borders (I was translating), so I guess they are so adamant about people not bringing diseases that they give anyone free shots. The whole thing took all of 5 minutes...I ... read more

Food: The undeniable Italian influence makes pizzas, pastas, and gelato as prevelant as pigeons in Union Square Park. But I had to try the steak, as Argentine beef is why some people visit. We picked a chic Italian restaurant that gives complimentary champagne with the bread basket. Nicole´s pasta was good, but my steak was tough and fatty. Not to be dettered, I will be trying the beef from the parilla (grill) which can be served at local greasy spoons designed for this purpose. We did find out about an Arabic restaurant and the thought of falafel made our mouths water. (sandwich and soda, $1) Mainly we´ve had plenty of salads, a few pizzas, some pasta, and plenty of crossaints or whatever accompanies all the cups of coffee people drink here. There´s even a pastry ... read more