Kate & I arrived in Buenos Aires on March 2nd, slightly rattled from a heavy going away bash and a rough and uncomfortable flight. Our spirits were by no means dampened however and we arrived wide-eyed and mystified into a bustling city eager to get our adventure started...
Buenos Aires appealed to both of us from the moment we decided we wanted to travel - South America is most peoples favourite destination (sorry Australia!) and BA is a wealthy and modern city, an easy landing point where English is more commonly spoken than elsewhere and the people, like the Irish, have a welcoming and friendly attitude.
Our first stop was Bodeo, a Barrio which is not, perhaps, best known to tourists, but one that offers a real taste of BA, with none of the trendiness of Palermo or the extravagance of Recoleta. There we stayed in the Elefante Rosa, a relaxed and well run hostel in a coolly renovated old building (... and a great breakfast too!!). A big thanks to Diego and his Bro' who could not have been more helpful... Muchas Gracias Amigos!! While there we visited San Telmo, with its busy Sunday market a must for any visitor. Catch the tango dancers, the great stalls and the most authentic parrilla restaurant ever!!
After Bodeo, we moved into our own apartment, as we intended on staying a further four weeks in BA, both to study the language and soak up the city, and economically it made perfect sense. We lived on the eleventh floor of a building on Avenida Cordoba, an excellent location which bisected the two most popular areas of the city, Palermo and Recoleta.
LMF started doing her Yoga twice a week and I was able to get some remaining bits of work finished off. We enjoyed the city immensely - though we had to endure a battle of wits in order to appreciate its nightlife!! Man, do they start partying late in BA!! It took us nearly 2 weeks to come round to the fact that an easy day - i.e. no sightseeing or aimless walking - is a must if you plan on hitting the clubs that night. Out at midnight for a parrilla and Malbec and then get down on it... No more heading out early, raring to go, and ending up back in bed wrecked at 2am before the city even gets going!!
We covered all BA's must see's and here they are in our order of preference: THE SUPERCLASICO!! (Boca Jnrs V River Plate at the Bombonera)
