Blogs from Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America - page 27

Today we decided to go back to Museo Nacional De Bellas Artes. The special exhibit La Seduccion Fatal Imginarios Eroticos was closed due to rain. The metro station near our apartment was also closed due to rain so we took the bus. I have a picture of me in the rain, with my rain coat and rain pants. The Museo is free so we just stopped to see what we missed on our last visit. Mark got some pictures which are attached. We also met my couisin Barbara and Gigia for tea and coffee, they are on a tour around South America and me met between their activities. It was great seeing someone from home. Tonight we are having dinner with people Mark worked with who live in Buenos Aires. After our visit we just walked, ... read more

We decided to take a day trip to La Plata. We researched how to get there. You can take the train but everyone agrees DO NOT TAKE THE TRAIN. It looks like something out of a documentary of scary trains. It also goes through the poorest areas surrounding BA. So the train is out. You could rent a car but it would be the most expensive way to get there. You could take a tour but we are not tour people and prefer to travel independently. So that leaves the bus, there is the city bus and a private company bus. Mark wanted comfortable seats and thought the private bus might not stop as often as the city bus. So we go to the Retiro bus station. We read you should take a taxi because it ... read more

On the first day of the new year we began our adventure! It did not start glamorously, with a 7am start and one sore head from the celebrations the night previously. Though as we discovered nothing cures a hangover quicker than 29 hours of travelling! That's right, as we booked these tickets on points, we couldn't get the direct flight to Buenos Aires ("BA"). Instead we took this wonderful journey, Shannon Airport to London Heathrow to Newwark New Jersey. From there we had 3 hours to get across Manhattan to JFK and catch a flight to our final destination. Long, but we made it! Our first impressions of the city are: There are big, wide, leafy streets, and in Palermo (where we are staying) there are lots of cafes, bars and restaurants. Lots of dogs! It ... read more

Rachel arrived and now we are three. It is great having her here. We took a yellow on and off bus around the City. I would not recommend it. You wear a head set and the information about what you are seeing is never complete. It will say this building is important because and then it will cut out. We never got a full explaination without the info cutting out. When it was not giving us info it played music that could give you a headache. We did get to see parts of town we would never visit like La Boca which is not a place you would want to walk around. If you want a tour I would take a private company tour not the yellow bus. Book stores are very popular here. We have ... read more

Today we had a news warning that there was a heat wave and that temperatures would stay at 38 degrees all afternoon in Buenos Aires. I had planned to go to Cordoba this morning but I didn’t want to travel in such conditions and I had some unfinished history lessons to attend in Buenos Aires before leaving it. The history lesson took on the form of a walking tour around the famous historical sites – the National Congress, the Palacio, Avenida de Mayo, the Evita mural, Cabildo and Plaza de Mayo. I got a quick glance at Peronismo, Argentina’s dictatorships, Argentina’s political history and the famous economic crisis. After Antonio’s (the hostel owner) thorough demonstration of how to test for fake peso bills and why the blue market exists I now felt confident at changing my ... read more