Buenos Aires (6 - 8 and 13 - 18 July 2008)
We have reached the final leg of our South America trip: back to Argentina to check out the hip and happening Buenos Aires and a visit to the biggest waterfall in the world - Iguazu.
We heard so many wonderful things about Buenos Aires (or BA, as the locals call it). Our friends who have been here told us that BA is such a vibrant and beautiful city - and of course, the steaks are amazing. Therefore, Eon could not wait to get to Buenos Aires 
We arrived by plane from Ecuador after stopping over in Guayaquil and disembarking in Santiago. And the night before that, we took a night bus from the Amazon jungle to Quito with three military check points - being chased off the bus in the middle of the night to drown us in a million questions, all in Spanish…What I am trying to say is that by the time we arrived in beautiful Buenos Aires, we were very tired and it was going to take a miracle for us to see beauty in anything.
On arrival, we wanted to change all the different currencies we have been carrying for the last couple of months (New Zealand, Chilean, Peruvian and US currencies) for Argentinean Pesos. Seeing that Buenos Aires is the main hub for international flights out of South America, we assumed that this would be the best place to change all the money. At the bank, the very unfriendly lady behind the counter was not willing to change anything else but the Dollars! So we did not change anything, we would rather wait until we get into town and change everything at the same time. Next up was the useless lady at the tourist information booth who did not even have a map for the city. We asked her what the cheapest way was to get into town and she instructed us to take the local bus. The bus would take about one and a half hours, but it was much, much cheaper than a taxi. She made it very clear that we needed change for the bus - no notes! It would cost 1.60 Pesos each. Just our luck - we only had notes…and not one shop in the airport had change!
So we had to go back to the frowning cow at the bank to change a 5 Peso note into change (specifically 1.60 change each). I tried to explain to her that I needed change for the bus - 2 x 50 cents and 2 x 10 cents and the rest did not matter. She was baffled and could not understand why she could not give me five 1 Peso coins. Where is my patience when I need it?! After nearly loosing my cool with her, I stuck my hand underneath the glass barrier (to which she did not respond very well to!) and took the money we needed. My next nervous breakdown came when we finally got onto the bus and found out that the bus only cost 1.50 Pesos! And to put the cherry on the top - another travelling couple hopped onto the bus, had no change and managed to change their 2 Peso note with the bus driver
We checked into our hotel (very cheap, very basic, very central - Hotel O’Rei) and then slept and slept and slept…When we finally woke the next day, our sparkling personalities were back in tact and we attempted the Lonely Planet walking tour. This started out with a walk to the Obelisco, an obelisk erected in the middle of the widest street in the world - the 16 lane-street is something the portenos (BA residents) love to boast about. From the Obelisc to the Theatro Colon, one of BA’s most impressive buildings.
From here we made our way back to the Plaza de Mayo. This plaza is surrounded by many beautiful buildings - the Casa Rosada, the Cabildo, the Cathadral, to name a few. Evita Peron and her husband, President Juan Peron, used to address the Argentinean crowds from the pink façade of the Casa Rosada - one could easily imagine these historic events when staring at the building and its many balconies.
The plaza is also known for the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo. During the Dirty War in the 1970’s, some 30 000 people had ‘disappeared’ in this military coup. To this day there are many human rights organisations demanding a list of all the disappeared. Every Thursday afternoon, the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo (mostly mothers of the Dirty War victims) march around the plaza, campaigning for justice and information about the disappeared.
It was quite apparent that life in Buenos Aires is somewhat removed from the rest of Argentina. The people had a bit of a snobbish and proud attitude - not in a bad way though, because it added to the atmosphere. People dressed in the best designer brands, walking along the pedestrian walkways overhung by high risers and fancy shops. These people were proud to be from Argentina, but more so they were proud to be from Buenos Aires. Who would not be proud of a city with such a rich history and a very bright future ahead of it?
Unfortunately, the elite status comes with a price - literally. Accommodation and food are more expensive than in the rest of Argentina, but we managed to get by on the local specialities. A hotdog - called a poncho - was only 2 Pesos (less than a Dollar) and you could add all the sauces you wanted. Not the most healthy option, but great for a quick and affordable lunch. After day three of munching on these dogs, I thought I never wanted to see a hotdog again. Then two days later, I felt like having one again
The following day we took the luxury bus to Iguazu - see the post http://ourrtw.com/2008/07/09/to-the-end-of-the-world-the-iguazu-waterfalls/
On returning from Iguazu - well rested from the lovely first class treatment, we were ready to tackle the rest of BA and to relax before our flight to Egypt. It was a Sunday and this meant Market Day in San Telmo. We grabbed our cameras and leisurely strolled down the closed-off street packed with stalls boasting antiques and all kinds of typical market paraphernalia. There were also a lot of street performers - from solo guitar performances, to singers, to marionettes and mimes. My favourite was the live tango performances - the pure intensity and passion of the dance nearly brought me to tears.
Now let’s get down to Eon’s highlight - the steak! Known as Bife de Chorizo, these enormous chunks of meat are one of Argentina’s trademarks. We decided to try out the Lonely Planet reference, La Brigada. And true as Bob - just as the guidebook said, when serving our food, they showed off the tenderness of the meat by cutting it into smaller chunks with a SPOON!!! We just had to try another restaurant’s steak as well, just to make sure that the Argentinean quality was consistent. So two days later we had Bife de Chorizo at Desnivel - delicious! Maybe even better than the previous time?!!
Our last stint of sightseeing was in Recoleta - the BA suburb for the rich and famous. First stop was the Cementerio de la Recoleta where we wandered amongst impressive statues and sarcophagi. These crypts hold the remains of the city’s most elite: previous presidents, military heroes and other rich and famous. The highlight was probably the grave of Evita Peron… I nearly cried for her
We made our way from the cemetery to the Floralis Generica - a giant metal flower in the middle of a park. The petals of this graceful flower close at sunset and open up again at dawn. Just around the corner was the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes where we were in awe over the famous art pieces from the likes of Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Rembrandt and even Picasso.
But for now, it was goodbye Buenos Aires. We had a great time and can only hope that things will not have changed too much when we return here one day.
Click on the link below to view the gallery for Buenos Aires: