As good as everyone says

Trip Start Apr 09, 2008

115

Trip End Apr 19, 2009

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Flag of Argentina Buenos Aires, Capital Federal District, Argentina
Thursday, July 3, 2008

Ok so the bus ride was not fun at all it was about 22 hours and although the day segment (which came first) involved some amazing views the evening/ night was less fun. I had some treats in my bag (which has been the case as long as I can remember, I always buy myself some biscuits or whatever and then forget to eat them and the bag just fills up) which were a great help. I bought a beautiful steak sandwich at a roadside stop and the food was all good. They played movies in Spanish with no subtitles so I couldn't join in. The conductor actually told the people behind me that becasue I couldn't speak spanish I didn't get to watch films and I saw him turn off the subtitles (because it was on the TV: subtitles off). So I spent my journey reading and listening to my music. The seat was fairly comfortable although the jerk in the seat next to me seemed to think he had some right to the arm in the middle and part of my seat. I barely slept in the night but was woken up early by the conductor hitting me with some paper

The road

. I ate the breakfast and some more of my bag treats and we had arrived in BA. The conductor actually had the cheek to ask for a tip. They do just see gringos as a source of money. As I got off the bus I checked the time and adjust my watch back one hour to match the time on the bus.

Anyway at the bus station I was accosted imediately by a man with a hostel to recommend, I guess he got a salary or comission for his referals. He suggested a hostel for me that was "lively". So all was good, I took the tube (here it's called the metro, crazy foriegners!). After the hostel my first jobs were money, food and an idea of the city so Itook a walk, the city is really pretty, I felt completely safe and everyone was really friendly, as usual. Back at the hostel that evening I had a beer in the basement bar and after a bit of time nusing the beer and reading. A nice Spanish girl, I had seen earlier, checking in when I paid, came up to me and asked if I wanted to join the group she was with. They were Brazilians, and imediately they reminded me why I like Brazilians so much, they talked about rice and beans and used all the hand gestures and silly idioms that I had missed in the rest of South America. They were playing pool and then going out for the evening. They offered me to join and I jumped at the chance.

I had a beautiful dinner of beef and wine the two national speciallities of Buenos Aires. After we returned to the hostel for another beer while the ladies tidied up for a night out. We took a taxi to a night club that played all english music. Not good for dancing but great for the homesickness. I had a good time overall although the club was a bit quiet. The was a lot of dancing and some good pictures I think. As we were leaving the club a guy comes up to me and says come with me, he introduced me to two girls and said we could take a taxi to a hotel

On the road

. The girls said nothing and to me this just seemed odd. I walked away but I ownder if perhaps it would have been fun. An experience. It just didn't feel right though.

We got back to the hostel and asked where we could get some food, stubled down to a breakfast bar and I looked at my watch and said "Wow, it is amazing to me that anwhere is open at 4.30 in the morning.", The Brazilians looked at me like I was crazy and said �t's not 4.30, it's 6.30" I realised that the clock on the bus had been wrong and I had wound back instead of forward. For me that is a personal best.

I slept until 10ish when I got up taking my time to get ready and get myself to a laundrete because I hadn't been for some time and I was getting sick of putting dirty clothes back on. After the laundrete was done I got myself some food and some fresh juice which helped me to wake up. I did more walking and looked at more of the city I tried to take some photos but my camara kept playing up until it stopped working completely. At the hostel I tried to find my charger and couldn't at all, the next day I would empty my bag to find it missing. Absolute disaster no more photos for me. I was cross, I know where it is, in Santiago must have fallen out of my bag.

That night I again met up with the Spaniard and group of Brazilians and we went out for pizza again good food good wine (not that I know good wine but I could drink it and it tasted good and thats enough for me)

Buildings in the mist

. After we went to a famous night club I had never heard off it was so full I couldn't move. The music was cheesey 80's again a treat for the nostalgic in me. I had a lot less fun because it was so hot and dancing was again impossible. We actually left at 4 this time, no breakfast and straight to bed. This time I didn't wake up until 11.30 and even then I was still tired. I had seen a park and some other stuff in the early evening and wanted to see it again with more light so I took a long walk that included a park, the national library a cool gothic building and a museum of photography. I couldn't take any photos but I might steal them to show you guys the library. Photos are for other people anyway.

In other news, I went to a tango demonstration (I payed 10 pesos the one advertised in the hostel was 150!), it is really impressive stuff. I couldn't work out how it was led for ages. There was a live band for part of the evening and after they played some salsa music so I could join in. Another fine evening out. I visited two great parks right in the centre of the city. I visited the docks which reminded me disticntly of Bristol. Saw the cemetary and a variety of churches. Toured the centre looking at all the pretty buildings including the Microsoft building where the light of the letter of the letter 's' was broken and a poster read "you have performed an illegal operation..." ok I made that last bit up

Out

. Overall I really like the place and I can understand how it got its reputation amongst South American travellers as the place to be. For me it does not quite match up to Rio, although I think it may have become my number two favourite city in South America.

PS If you are interested I can recomend this page http://www.flickr.com/groups/586612@N25/pool/ it contains lots of great photos of BA including the ones I didn't take. Particularly of interest are photos of the library and cemetery.

I decided I would take the boat to my next destination, Montevideo. When buying the ticket I was told I could not have standard class because it was booked up. I went for first instead rather than change the day I was leaving. The morning I was due to set out to Montevideo I got up with plenty of time and walked down to the dock. I didn't know exactly where I was going but I had walked through the dock area and could guess roughly where I was headed. I like a good walk before a long journey it helps the legs I think. The embarkation build was really pretty but I was too busy going through various complex imigration procedures to stop and look. The ship was really crowded and I could not detect any diference between first and standard except that first was up three steps. The journey was over in about an hour and after more imigration procedures I was on a bus to Montevideo.