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Published: April 10th 2009
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Hola!
Got back to BA after another 14 hour bus journey and met up with Ian. Spent the first day chilling out and we didn’t have much to talk about as Ian has been reading my blog! ,o) Enjoyed the day taking in more sights and we enjoyed an all you can eat steak BBQ at another America Del Sur hostel in San Telmo area of BA. . not sure how much more steak I can take. . hostel is very modern with a good crowd and we ended up going out with a couple of backpackers to the Palermo region and then the ´best´club in BA - Crobar. Lively place as when we walked in at 12 it was completely empty but within an hour you couldn’t move. Had a good night and even better day on Sunday watching Liverpool stuff Man U at Old Trafford in the early hours . .
On the same day we went up to the Boca Juniors ground and on the way there we went through an area known for its entertainers, all along the streets there where small bands playing and tango being performed. . . fun atmosphere and the small
cafe’s and restaurants give a great ambiance to the place. Arrived at the ground early and bought a couple of tickets off a tout for double the normal asking price - still cheap at about 20 quid. Walked around the Boca area and took in the famous coloured houses and ventured down to the Boca Fanatico´s area . . paintings of the Boca team and Maradonna are on the walls everywhere - as Boca is the poor area of BA few people had said don’t go there as its supposed to be dangerous but as you find with most things people go on about here there’s nothing to worry about as long as you are a bit street wise. Saying that got pulled by undercover police for drinking cans of beer on the street - for a brief moment thought we were going to an Argentinian police cell! They were ok though and more interested in where we bought the beer as it’s banned outside the ground and shouldn’t be sold to anyone. Got in the ground and it was a bit patchy in parts with plaster/concrete missing from the walls and with the fences and barbwire its like stepping
back into the 80´s . . we were behind the goal at the opposite end of the Boca Fanatico’s (shame) and amazingly there seemed to be more tourists than real Boca fans in our end! Being surrounded by Aussies and Americans and then being so far from the ultras took the edge off being there . . Boca battered Argentinos and the away fans above carried on the normal tradition of peeing in their cups and throwing it down . . nice. Maybe not as good as the River Plate game for atmosphere but was still good to go there and see the ground . . would like to come back for the ´Classico´ with River - I bought the River shirt anyway, they're my Argentinian team now!
Took around 60 minutes to leave the ground and then a good 30 minute walk back to the San Telmo area . . got to a main square where around 50 people were having a right good time doing tango in the square . . sat down and had a nice meal with a fantastico tinto vino ´La Linda´watching the tango sessions. Ian had a bit of a bad time with
the steaks he ordered and sent two back and then his Salmon meal was a disgrace! In Argentina!! Unbelievable!! For those of you who know Ian you can only imagine . . . was a fun day though and a good Argentinean experience. Spent another couple of days in BA and wondered the main areas and parks, walking the sweeping boulevards and seeing how the Paterno´s enjoy walking their dogs and drinking Vino at every opportunity. To our surprise there was a horse race track right in the middle of town . . spent an hour or two there and my horse came in! Number 3 Dreamcast . . only won about 20 quid though but was a good laugh. Spent the last night down Palermo for a meal. . Ian had a problem with a couple of steaks again! Just can’t cook them medium rare here! Funny . . anyway have loved BA (except for taxi drivers going on about Malvinas - Falkland Islands - bit nervy when you’re in a cab with them doing machine gun actions!) and could have stayed much longer . . great place for anyone to visit at anytime. . .
Set off
for Iguazu waterfalls which are located on the Argentinian and Brazilian border. Taking the bus out of BA in rush hour is an experience with all eight lanes taken up and noise and smog everywhere. . journey was an 18 hour trip and lots of drink needs to be taken in on these long bus journeys, still comfortable though. Arrived in the morning at Hostel Inn and it looks great from the outside, with a big swimming pool and an outside bar - shocking rooms though and we arrived in the room there was a sick German girl . . she was a bit delirious and we couldn't stop laughing when she kept on talking about how ill she was in a high pitched German accent, we both had to leave the room because we were laughing so much . . Got a trip up to the Iguazu waterfalls on the Brazilian side the same day and had to go through very friendly border control - Argentina and Brazil share the falls. Simply stunning, I only expected to see a few waterfalls but there are 14 and the noise and views are very impressive - especially the biggest fall called
Devils Throat. Had another steak BBQ in the evening . . the hostel put on a show with Brazilian dancers and got the crowd going. Spent all of next day hiking on the Argentinian side . . was a fantastic day and seen some amazingly bright and big butterflies and sometimes you see two or three rainbows over the waterfalls . . again being surrounded by the waterfalls is cool and we had a little swim below them, and then went on a boat ride right into the waterfalls . . funny with tons of water gushing down onto you! Did a tour of a bird sanctuary just over the road from the hostel and it was fantastic to see the Toucan bird up close - you see them flying near the waterfalls - with its big orange beak and black and white fur.
Spent a couple of nights in Porto Igauzu town and found a great restaurant . . finally a perfect steak for Ian!! So good we went back the next night and I had one too. Another long bus journey over to a place called Corrientes . . got there at 6am and walked into town
- no tourists or backpackers here. Got talking to some great Argentinians who had been out all night . . . subject of Malvinas came up again though and we've agreed to say we are from Switzerland to avoid any more confrontation! Nice couple of days and the place has a great sunset . . stayed an extra day by mistake as we left our laundry in the shop when it was closed on a Sunday! Was good to stay in a quality hotel (very cheap) and not share a room and bathroom with 6 people for a change. Headed over to Salta as this is the main gateway town up to Bolivia, typical Argentinian town with main plaza and bars . . stayed in a backpackers on the edge of town . . ANOTHER steak BBQ . . . think that my last steak for the next year . .
Glad I did the waterfalls as I've never seen anything like it . . off to Bolivia to see the great salt lakes and then to Peru for the climb up Machuu Pichuu!
Adios!
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