Within about three hours of arriving in Buenos Aires, I pretty much felt like I could live there. The European flavour of the city helps, I suppose, but it was so much more than that. The people (la gente es muy guapo/a), the food, the lush green spaces, the shopping/bar/restaurants of Palermo, Freddo (best ice cream since Mendoza!), its culture (seen two of the best art collections – classic and contemporary – in the museos Belles Artes and Malba respectively), the feeling of space… I could go on, and no doubt will.
Given my time in Brazil, I lost a bit of confidence in talking Spanish, but that has grown over the week. I think it has helped also that I`ve met up with various friends from along the way here, this week, and also made some new ones.
The hostel I was in was friendly, clean, relaxed and homely, so in general my `base` was problem-free. And in walking around the city every day, even though I seem to have lost the ability to read a map or tell my left from right (doesn`t help that the three maps I`ve been using all face different directions… least that`s the excuse I`m sticking to), I have gained a sense of the areas I prefer to those I don`t, where to go for a relaxed sit outside, where I feel more or less comfortable eating by myself, versus those places I`d rather have company.
Even found a small square with a rock band that play most nights outside, doing Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin covers, which has been pretty cool.
Went to a drum concert called La Bomba de Tiempo on Monday, which seems to be THE thing to do on Mondays as pretty much everyone I`ve met was there. Awesome night and so much fun. Since being in BA I`ve also, learned to horse ride, eaten more steak than is probably healthy, drank some amazing (and CHEAP) wines, caught up on lots of sleep, visited several parks, made friends with some guys who run a gaucho shop (Thanks for the intro Michael!), been bicycling all over the city and generally had a ball.
Oh, and bought a few presents (only very small ones due to space restrictions, which is annoying given how great the shopping is!) from the various cool markets and stalls here.
The only things I`ve not managed yet are a football game, a tango class/show (not for want of trying one particular night, that was somewhat hijacked! But the less said about that the better!) and been to the polo demos. That said, as I will be coming back to BA on my return path from Patagonia, I reckon I can hold back a couple of things to look forward to.
Now, about Colonia del Sacramento… FFS!!
Talk about a frustrating city! Now I will take partial responsibility for not really thinking things through as well as I might have, but even so, this place is messed up.
So, given the sorry state of economic affairs in Argentina, upon some sound advice, I decided to head over to Colonia, Uruguay for a 24 hour cash run.
That is, take advantage of the blue rate (or black market) for selling US dollars. Now, while this is Dodgy McDodge, it is such a widespread dodge, it feels normal. Bit like the Dover-Calais booze cruises that were so popular once upon a time.
A Canadian guy I`d met on the cycle tour seemed keen on the idea as well, so I met him over here and we figured it would be a piece of cake. Not realising that a) EVERYONE would have had the same idea, rendering the ATMs machines empty, and that given that, Doh, it`s the weekend, means they won`t be filling up until Monday. Perhaps (this is South America, after all).
So my 24 hour trip then extended to 48 hours, to at least try and make it worthwhile coming in the first place.
Against that, there is bugger all to do in Colonia. There are a couple of nice restaurants, one bar, which opens (yep, Opens!) at 2.30am. And after a very emphatic review by some Eastern European and Finnish guys who have lived here, working at the port, for over a year that “It`s shit. Don`t bother.” And “One day is more than enough for this place!” we figured our time was better spent, well, doing nothing!
Today looked promising, in that, frankly, I knew I was leaving. Having got up and about early to be outside the cash machine as it opened was futile. “They open at 1pm,” my receptionist told me. “But will they have filled up all the machines?” I asked, hopeful. A cursory shoulder shrug was all I got.
Ok, I get it.
So, an enormous lunch, a LOT of standing around later, and now the repeated attempts to use all three of my three cards has probably caused the bank to put a block on them (Yay, more admin. Awesome. I love admin in the UK, obviously. Its South American cousin doesn´t make me want to throw myself under a bus much at all, no no..), I`ve ended up with some USDs. Probably saving myself just enough to cover the cost of my weekend here.
But, let`s get some perspective… all this was happening, in Uruguay, in the sunshine, with no pressing need to really be doing any of it, except to make my own very selfish and lovely time even cheaper and therefore more lovely.
ToBeShaw 