Buenos Aires
Monday, August 25th, 2008
Chloe Writes: My first impression of Buenos Aires was not a great one. For a city named “Good Air” I didn´t feel it lived up to it´s namesake, with massively polluted and dusty roads and dog do covering the pavements, and after the first day or so, I thought that i was going to be Bored. But how wrong i was, How can you be bored in Buenos Aires!!. What a colorful and unique city it is, from the old style and truly eye-catching buildings, to the tango and dancing on the streets, the wonderful hippy, craft and antiques Fayre’s, amazing restaurants, dog walkers with 6 or so dogs on one lead and the delightful myriad of people entertaining the crowds on every street corner. I could have stayed for at least another week.
Tango shows are everywhere and in a neighborhood called Bocca, you can sit and enjoy a decadent lunch on the street while being entertained with music, shows, and generally soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the old style buildings and markets. In the more upmarket part of town (definitely less dog do on the floor here), we visited one of the most impressive grave yards in the world, full of hundreds of amazingly grand shrines where the wealthy and famous (including the nationally treasured Eva Paron) are buried. On a Saturday the park here turns into a very colorful and interesting hippy/craft market with an array of the most unique creations, it was difficult not to spend the rest of our travel money here, I think we were very restrained.
Dinner is eaten very late here in BA, and at around 10.30pm you can go out and enjoy dinner and a show (tango of course), but there is also flamenco, Reggae and others I’m sure. Sunday we enjoyed a rather lively and packed futbol match and since we had the cheap tickets and were in the “Mosh pit” as we called it, we also decided to wear the colors of the local Bocca team, another one to send home and for me probably never wear, well its a memory isn’t it! i was definitely feeling the “good air” by the end of the trip and would recommend the city to anyone.
Pete Writes: As Chloe mentioned we have had a great time here and it just goes to prove that first impressions don’t always count! We have been controlled enough not to experience too much of the night life as apparently Buenos Aires never sleeps, but I know that I certainly have had my fare share, although I think the bed I had was one of the worst yet!! We have spent the last few days wondering the streets and playing dodge the dump! Which believe me is quite a challenge when you are admiring the architecture up high!
So we had a tick list, and top of my list was eat a steak and I have managed to every night so far :o) at 5 pounds it is a total bargain and tastes sooooo good. Couple it up with a few glasses of vino and some good company and you are on to a winner. Spending the morning wandering around the cemetery was a little eerie, although some of the tombs were amazing and probably worth more than our house! We spent a couple of mornings wandering around markets keeping our hands well and truly in our pockets and not buying anything, although Chloe did a good job of touching everything!
Finally I persuaded Chloe into coming to yet another live sports match! I think she is becoming addicted! It was to see the legendary Bocca Juniors (of whom Maradona used to play for) We ended up in the standing area with all of the passionate fans and even got involved in a couple of the chants! It also ended up being a good result for the home team so everyone was happy although our feet were throbbing from standing up for over 2 hours, next time we will get seats! So we say Adios to Buenos Aires and head towards another 17 hour bus journey (via the post office Mum and Dad, well you couldn’t´t expect us to buy nothing could you).
Page Gallery
Colorful shop, but typical in BA
Cat grafetti
Argentinian stall
Dog walker
Another typical building
There are many charactures of people all over the city
Tango and lunch
Guitarist
Street in bocca
Infamous Caminito building in bocca, it stars in many pictures
Classic lamp post
A shrine in the cemetery
The Cemetery was vast, you could wonder round for hours
Shrine of a woman
A colourful stall in the hippie market
Tango and dinner
A very enthusiastic old lady drumming and singing
Woman and wine
Tango for all at anytime of the day
Who said Empanadas dont have feelings
Futbol shop
Futbol field, people throw paper areoplanes at the opposition
Bocca fans at the game
Reggae for a change
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