Getting to Buenos Aires, the first days

• Darcyrayner's Profile
• About this blog
• Entry from Buenos Aires

Trip Start Sep 23, 2008 Trip End ??? ??, 2009 Next
Entry

  Buenos Aires, Capital Federal District, Argentina
Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Buenos Aries
I arrived in Buenos Aires after an ordeal of connecting flights all in the aim of getting to Argentina. Flying out of Adelaide to Kuala Lumpa, then onto Johanassberg and Cape Town in South Africa finally arriving in Buenos Aires 38 hours later with no fresh air for all that time as your restricted to the transfer lounges of each airport and the recycled air of the aircrafts. Catching a bus from the international airport I got my first look at the city and its size, now this place is big. The bus pulled up into a inner city bus station where I threw on the pack for the first time and started to make my way in the direction that seemed corrected from the orientation of my map. After passing over a couple of major streets I knew I was heading in the right direction and could start to enjoy the new scenery more as I was now more comfortable with my surroundings. Walking along the streets of Buenos Aires as a tourist you tend to feel more like just another person walking along the street going about your own business, unlike citys of Asia you dont stand out due to skin color and height, Buenos Aires is quite multi-cultural in a sense

Catedral Metropolitana

. I was amazed at the architecture of the historical buildings I was passing and the sheer hieght of the citys sky scrapers, the statues and the fountains that give the city a welcoming feeling. Back at street level it doesnt take long to workout that economic failures of the past have had an effect on the overall cleanilness and maintaince of the city. The footpaths crumbling under foot, potholes making you walk like a crab instead of a straight line, a lack of rubbish bins meaning watse is  pilling up ready for the city collectors after the recycling crews have scavenge throught it. After 5 kms the street I was looking for appeared on a street sign above me and with sheer luck I looked up and there was the hostel enterance right next to me. Im sure if I hadnt of looked to my right I would of walked straight past the single door that leads up to the hostel and my search would of continued on for a lot longer.
I signed in and had a quick shower and finally got to clean my teeth as the airline companies dont seem to hand out toothbrushes on flights anymore which left my teeth feeling and looking green and fuzzy. With the personel hygiene chores completed it was time a for a beer and to unwind from the intitial travel stresses. Sitting down in the hostels common room I chatted to a bloke who was also enjoying the local ale.. and yes the first person I meet in Argentina is an Aussie... Sean had been travelling through South America for 5 months or so and was coming close to the end of his trip.. but I made the most of getting the low down of travel thorugh South America. The beers continued on into the night and I was ready to hit the sack, only to find out that Buenos Aires was only just starting to come alive, and this was 12 oclock at night. The locals have their dinner around 10.30- 11 at night which means the entertainment doesnt start kicking of till 2-3 in the morning. Being rundown by jet lag I couldnt face a late night so bunking down was the option I took

Freak

.
The next morning I rose early and scoffed into the free breakfast which consists of dulce medialuna ( a sweet type of croissant ), cafe con leche ( coffee with milk ) and cornflakes with apples and banana´s. Now with a full belly it was time to start exploring the city. I made my way by foot to serveral tourist attractions that where close to the hostel. First stop was Plaza del Congresso which is a green grassed filled park to which large colonial style buidings create a courtyard environment where locals come to walk their dogs, feed the pigions or just sit and people watch. Next I walked another 2 kms back to Plaza de Mayo, where mothers and friends of the missing citizens from Argentina´s polictal games walk in circles to pressure the government to give answers to their wearabouts.

In the afternoon I made the trek down to an area of Buenos Aires called La Baco which is a small area that consists of brightly colored buildings where artist sell their wears, and tango dancers swirl to the beats of muscians playing guitars drums and pianos. The walk to this area takes one through the working classes of Buenos Aires with the locals looking alot more shady then their centro counterparts. Stopping to fill the belly again I enjoyed a porchilla thrown between two large sections of bread. A porcilla is Argentina´s version of a blood sausage. After spending some time in La Boca I made my way to another part of town called San Telmo. This area consists of cobbled streets with amazing old french styled mansions. Known as one of the birth places of the Tango the picturest San Telmo gives an insight of the old Buenos Aires when trams rulled the roadways. The area is now an antique hunters paradise with shop after shop selling items from the past.

Post your own travel photos for friends and family More Pictures

La Boca	La Boca Buildings	Monumento a los Dos Congresos	Morning Time
Palacio del Congreso	Tango Dancers	Tango Dancing	The Bus
Wall Art	Wall painting	Window Works

Slideshow Print this entry Share

Next Entry