I arrived with Flee in the town of Rosario ( south of Buenos Aires on the River Parana)in the early hours of the morning. We caught a taxi direct to our hostel, and attempted to check in. Unfortunately, the hostel, whilst recommendable, is an HI hostel, and as such, has rather draconian rules. We were told that (even though our beds were free), we could not check in until 12 midday, and not a minute earlier. Exhausted after a night's bus trip, we found some beanbags in the bar, and had a 4- hour nap!
When we finally did check in, we were still rather tired, and so spent the afternoon kipping and relaxing in the hostel. That night, we hit the town with a few Irish guys, only to find that nothing was open. It seems that, despite the majority of Argentines being nightowls, Rosario differs slightly to the norm, and bars close at approximately 11:30pm weekdays. So, we returned to the hostel for a quiet drink before bed.
The following day, two american girls invited us on a sail boat along the Rio Parana. Given the lovely blue sky, the lack of any other concrete plans, and our desire to sunbathe, we accepted. Not only did we enjoy a peaceful sail along the coastline of the city, but I also learnt the basics of sailing, including hoisting the main sail and steering the boat! I have decided sailing is a thoroughly enjoyable activity, and I therefore shall buy myself a sail boat in the future.......Ok, so maybe it is not quite that simple, but there is nothing wrong with the occasional pipe dream!
The following day, I had the chance to properly see the extraordinary beauty of Rosario. I hired a bicycle, and took myself for a cycle around the city, along the riverfront, and through the beautiful green parks and boulevards. The city features gorgeous old colonial buildings, a well-designed riverfront, and many beautiful esplanades surrounded by greenery. It is the greenest city I have seen in Argentina so far, and as such, would have to register as the current favourite.
The only problem with the city is it lacks the liveliness of other Argentine cities, particularly during weeknights. Actually, there is one other problem - Many of the intersections do not feature traffic lights. They act similarly to a roundabout.......just without the roundabout! Therefore, there is a kind of who dares wins mentality, and so intersections can become rather hectic. I was not quite so daring, and so it often took me the equivalent of three light changes to pluck up the courage to toddle across the intersection on my bicycle! Whilst it was a little frustrating and time-consuming, I figured that those who love me would appreciate the cautious approach!
The following day, our last day in Rosario, I spent wandering the pedestrian shopping streets, and resisting the temptation to splash out in the beautiful clothing boutiques. The only justification for this was that I would shop till I dropped in Buenos Aires instead, before my flight back to London. I also visited Che Guevara's birth place - a small apartment in Buenos Aires, that is now privately occupied. There was not a lot to see there, but I still managed a few photos, and had the satisfaction I had seen his first residence.
That night Flee and I cooked a delctable dinner, and relaxed in the hostel, before our much anticipated journey the following day to Buenos Aires.
