Buenos Aires

We had visited Buenos Aires on our first trip to Argentina and so didn’t really intend to stay long this time around - but we ended up staying for 5 days. Partially because we were getting over jet-lag (it takes a while to adjust when day and night just switch places), partially because we needed time to plan our itinerary (we did no planning for this trip before getting here) and partially because we met a friend here (Adrian, an Irish guy we know from Australia) but mostly because we really like BA and it is easy to lose time there.

It was actually quite a coincidence how we met Adrian: We had found out the week before we left that he would be in Buenos Aires around the same time as us so we intended to catch up at some stage. When we arrived, we decided to get a hostel a bit out of the city centre (because we had stayed there last time and wanted to see somewhere different). Later, in a coffee shop we got chatting to him on Facebook and it turned out that he was in an internet cafe just a few doors down the block! BA is a big city and there are many neighbourhoods but the chance that he was so close was amazing!

So what did we get up to in BA?

There is a famous cemetery in the city, Cemeterio de la Recoleta, where all the coffins are placed in crypts rather than buried underground. It is like a town with lots of streets, and all the crypts are like little houses. It is a bit weird because you can look in the doors/gates of each crypt and see the coffins and some are very old at this stage. Evita is “buried” there along with a lot of other rich and famous.

One of the nights we went for a Tango lesson with Adrian and his friend Jamie (another Irish guy who recently moved out here). Jamie had heard about these lessons and we went for them because they were a lot cheaper than the ones for tourists advertised in the hostel. When we got there, people were already dancing and we didn’t see any other foreigners. We weren’t very sure about the whole thing....it looked just like some local party. But eventually the dance floor was cleared, they put on a quick Tango performance and then the lessons started....in Spanish! We don’t speak much Spanish beyond buying bus tickets and ordering food so it was a bit interesting to say the least! But it was all right because it’s all about body language.

Afterwards, we went out to a Night Club and were pleased that as we entered, we were given “VIP” wristbands...permitting us access to the VIP area of the club. It was kind of confusing as to why we got them (we thought it was a mistake), but we found out afterwards that they give them to all the Gringos (foreigners) so we will feel special and spend more money.

Another night, we had the opportunity (through Jamie) to join a barbeque with some local Argentineans. Barbeques are a big part of their life – they eat on average 70kg of meet per person a year! They eat meat every day and the barbeque had a LOT. No bread and very little side salad (which only the girls ate). Basically a plate full of different kinds of meat! It was a pleasure meeting the locals: we found them very friendly and welcoming (even though we were only friends of a friend of a friend). They were very chatty and even though most of their English was poor, they were very excited to talk to us.

Another big part of Argentine culture is drinking “Mate” (pronounced mat-ay). This is a tea-like drink made from some sort of grass mixed with hot-water. The cup is full of grass with only a little bit of water that they keep topping up from their flask. They use a special cup and drink with a special filtered metal straw. All over the city, you see them carrying their mate cups and flasks and they drink it on the street, at home, at work....everywhere. Mate is all about sharing. One person will make it and pass it around the group, while keep refilling the same cup. The thing is, you can’t actually buy mate in restaurants so the only way to taste it is to be invited by the locals for mate...and fortunately we were at the barbeque. Kadi got a bit of a taste for it but Conor didn’t enjoy it (too bitter).

BA is a very nice city. Full of grand old buildings, crazy traffic, dogs (and professional dog walkers!) and loads of cafes and restaurants. After 5 days there, we boarded an overnight bus for our next destination: Córdoba.