Hola, Santiago de Chile

Well where to start.

A great shuttle dropped me at my home for the next four nights. A very basic apartment but it is clean and has everything I need. As I was dropped off I saw a cafe downstairs so as soon as I was checked in I made a beeline for that. I’d hardly eaten all day and was starving.

As they saw me coming they shut the door so I kept walking. A whole new world opened up when I got to the corner of the street. Lastarria Street is literally wall to wall funky restaurants. My biggest issue was which to choose and eventually settled on one at the start of a little lane full of restaurants where I enjoyed a delicious meal of gnocci with ossobuco sauce, and of course a glass of malbec. The best meal since I left home and was thoroughly enjoyed.

I ate and the basically went home to bed. It hadn’t been a long day but it felt as though the whole day had been a struggle so sleep was welcomed.

Next morning I was booked to go on a Bites of Santiago tour. Not having any idea where I was or where I had to go I got up early, got to the train station, grabbed a travel card and set of in search of the meeting place. Easy peasy. With the help of one helpful lady I found the statue of Salvadore Allende right in front of the Palace.

The guide, Nicholas soon arrived as did the two other people on the tour, a young couple from Colorado and off we set. It was freezing cold (the temperature dips each day at 9am then slowly gets warmer, so it was only about later in the day).

Throughout the day Nicholas pointed out places of interest, told us a bit about the chequered history of Chile and of course about the political issues, but today was a day for food so we wont go in to the rest of the stuff. I have included a few pics to show how lovely it is.  There are more photos on Facebook. 

Our first stop was a wee hole in the wall restaurant for breakfast called Salvadore where they have a daily special which is always a traditional Chilean fare. Today it was pigs tongue in a broth with herbs and chilli (called Paila Salvadore). Nicholas refused to order for himself as he ‘doesn’t eat that sort of thing’. We didn’t get a choice and just as well as it was delicious. Beautifully presented and so flavoursome, the tongue was melt in your mouth and the broth just divine. Drool stuff and too good be able to put into words. And this was a standard breakfast meal. What a way to start the day. 

We then stopped at a massive palm tree, one of many in the square, which have a type of sap that resembles honey (in fact they call it honey), very expensive and only available here in Chile.

From there we walk to the fish markets. Smelly but vastly cleaner than any fish market I have ever seen. Nicholas explained about all the varieties of fish and you could see how very fresh it was, lovely sparkly eyes and pink gills. Chile is a bit like Argentina where the Empanada is a staple food so that’s what we had for a snack from El Galleon. A shell fish Empanada that was so delicious that I wanted another. Beautifully light pastry, crisp on the outside stuffed with a variety of shellfish and then baked. They came with tartare sauce and a chilli sauce and both were just perfect with the seafood. As well as the snack we also had a pisco sour.Chilean brandy with lemon, egg white and sugar syrup. A bit early for booze but it went down real easy just like a sweet/sour soft drink. I could have made a day long adventure out of this. Big time yumm on both of them.

A walk, train ride and cab were just what we needed to digest what we had eaten and we ended up at the foot of San Christobal hill, the tallest peak in the city which gave us a magnificent view all around the city. Sadly, it was still cold so the greyness had not burned off and we didn’t have a wonderful view of the city or the Andes but otherwise it was worth the drive up. It was here we were treated to a native drink made of peach syrup, a whole peach and wheat, with both the wheat and the whole peach sitting in the syrup. Absolutely delicious, if a bit weird, but I loved it. Mote con huesillo is generallysold on street corners but it was worth coming all this way for.  

The funicular took us back down to the Bella Vista neighbourhood for lunch where we enjoyed another couple of Chilean specialties at Cerveza Galindo: Porotos con longaniza and Pastel de choco. The first haricot beans with mashed corn, pumpkin, basil and a pork sausage and the second a corn pie made of mashed corn, ground beef, onions, egg, black olives and raisins. The corn pie was so unusual, almost like a shepherd’s pie with all the main ingredients in the bottom and then a thick layer of mashed corn on top, then sprinkled with sugar and baked. It wasn’t to my taste but glad I tried it. The bean dish I loved and was very much like a cassoulet, hearty and homely.  

There our tour ended and we bade our goodbyes and went our separate ways. I walked the few blocks back to the hotel, had a bit of a rest then went out for a wander later in the day. This neighbourhood is close to two large universities so full of young people, bars, clubs, restaurants and a great vibe. Perfect for me. I love it.

Dinner time comes round and I go back to the area I was in last night. Not wanting too much I settle on a place that has Provoleta, which I’d had on the food trip I did in Argentina. Except this was so much better. The cheese was cooked in a ramekin so it was crusty on the outside and then because I had ordered provoleta napolitana it came with a generous slice of ham and napolitana sauce on top and sprinkled with a bit of oregano. Salty, sweet, stretchy, soft, crunchy all in one mouthful. Heaven sent stuff. To go with that bundle of joy I had my first glass or ‘carmenere’ wine, the Chilean specialty. I was’t disappointed, it was delicious. In fact I haven’t had a dud wine yet.  No photos of the food but believe me it looked as good as it tasted.

As I left the restaurant I passed two street corners. On each was live music; one a super wee band and on the other a young guy that captured my heart.  The video of him is on facebook as I had to share while I was standing on the street corner eating my ice cream, as you do.  

Dinner over and a wonderful day comes to a close. My best day yet.

Leaving on a jet plane.

Leaving on a jet plane

Checking in at the airport check in was a breeze at a kiosk. A couple of helpful, happy and polite young guys helped me with my bag label and showed me where to queue (no signs or anything). 

I was flying LATAM which meant I had to join a very long non-moving queue with all the others that had not checked in (and priority flyers). At the ‘gate’ to the check-in space was a snotty young man and a grumpy woman, both controlling the flow of people to the check-in/bag drop lines. The rudest people I have struck in any airport and they inspired me to pull the ipad out of my luggage to do a rant. 

If flying LATAM from EZE be prepared. I’m glad I gave myself plenty of time.   30 minutes and have moved 20 steps.  People that are travelling with others seem to be taking turns having a break.  Snotty and Grumpy have stopped showing people through as the check in line is packed, so the rest of us that have either checked in or paid for a priority are left waiting outside of the queue. The most insane system I have ever seen (if system is the right word). 

Snotty is now having a go at a pile of travellers so the queue is held up while she argues with these people. Oh I wish I understood. I have moved three more steps in the last 20 minutes. 

And am now in the queue one hour after arriving ushered into the line with those that have not checked in. There are about 80 people still ahead of me and just as many behind.  We board in 10 minutes.  Ha ha ha. This is the flight that replaced the flight they cancelled on me. Sorry LATAM. I have a few more flights with you ahead but never again. 

2 hours after I arrived I am re-checked in and given a new baggage tag.  My boarding pass shows a different departure time to my itinerary and also to the departure boards (which shows the flight as being on time) but at the gate I am assured I am in the right place and the flight has been delayed (probably so they can get everyone checked in).  

We wait at the boarding lounge for a while then the queueing starts again.  Announcements only in Spanish and no one checked my boarding pass so I guess I am now on the correct flight with screaming baby in the row right behind me. 

Now its not like I am a novice traveller and I have been to a few rather backward and insane places, but today’s effort takes the cake.  Never before and hopefully it wont be repeated for my next LATAM flight or when I depart to come home.  I have been warned.  Luckily I managed to change to this flight as they wanted to put me on to a flight that was to leave at 4:00am. I would have been even less impressed. 

Service on board was great, a drink, croissant and a big chocolate. More than I can say for our 2 hr flights.  

As we crossed the Andes we are warned that there may be turbulence, which I was expecting earlier given that it was so stormy in BA.  The turbulence didn’t eventuate thankfully. But what a shame we can’t see much as it is now almost dark due to our late departure.  As we approached landing we could clearly see the peaks of the Andes silhouetted against the orange sun setting sky.  Stunning and worthy of a pic had I not had to crawl over people to do just that. 

Hola Santiago! I do hope you are worth the wasted hours earlier today.  So far so good; and orderly alighting, immigration a doddle with pleasant staff and now perched at the baggage carousel looking forward to escaping to Chilean soil. 

Buenas Noches. 

Ciao for now Buenos Aires. Some tips for the visitors

On this my last morning in Buenos Aires, for the time being, and knowing that a couple of people are planning trips here I am closing with some generalised observations/hints.  This is a city that I really thought would excite me.  It hasn’t, but that is more about my search for the crazy, new foods, backstreet eating and a new buzz.  It is very different to what I expected; far more orderly, less colourful, more sedate and less dramatic.

Customs declaration on arrival

It asks questions about what electronics etc you have with you.  Don’t fill it in as they don’t ask foreigners for it. It had me a bit perplexed and when I asked for help they took it off me and threw it away. 

ATMs - not as frequent as in most cities and often located in bank foyers rather than on the street.  The HSBC terminal screens are confusing.  Ignore the start button and just bang your card in, then enter your passcode on the prompt. Dont press ‘start’ - it will take you to the enter your passport bit which you don’t need.  On e you have entered the password it will eventually bring up English - max withdrawal $A2,000 ($NZ150).  

NOTE There are NO ATMs in the La Boca neighbourhood.

WIFI -  almost everywhere but not always with a decent signal. There doesn’t appear to be free wifi at the main airport but I did manage to hook into something. 

I didn’t find the need for a local SIM but I use wifi through a VPN for security. 

Finding your way round:

The MiBsAs guide available at hotels is a great wee booklet with small maps and lots of info.  Don’t go buying anything else. This book does it all.  There is also a larger map published by the same crowd if you want to venture further afield. 

Streets are set in a grid and so easy to find your way around. There are great street signs which also show the property numbers within that block.  Great for figuring out where you are and easy to tell if you are heading in the wrong direction.

I stayed in the Retiro neighbourhood which although a bit sedate was so handy in that it was close to Recoletta and Micro Centro.  The train station was a five minute walk away and metro trains and busses all stopped nearby. My hotel the Argenta Towers was perfectly placed and reasonably priced and I will go back there on my return. 

Short tours

If you want free walking tours go to http://Bafreetour.com. 

BA walking tours also do tours but I would not recommend them. Urban Adventures (part of Intrepid) only do three trips and I have done two of them. Both were great. 

Transport

Heaps of options. Black and yellow cabs a plenty and quite reasonable.   Hotels can also call a car, slightly more expensive than a cab but good if  you want to pre-book. 

You need a sube card for all public transport. Buy from kiosks or the main train station. 

A great bus network going all over the place.  

The inner city metro is great, dead cheap, quick, clean enough.  Map is inside the wee MiBsAs guide. But it stops early so don’t go out late thinking you will catch it home. You’ll have to grab a bus or a cab. 

Also a good train network to the outskirts.

A phenomenon I have never seen before.  In a city street were two very long queues of people. I sat and watched and soon saw a bus arrive.  One of the queues progressed and people boarded the bus until the bus was full and the rest of the people in the queue stayed in the line.  This was at a bus stop where a number of different bus routes stopped. The story is that you ask the people already in the queue which bus they are waiting for and if it is yours you join the queue, otherwise you ask at the next queue etc. It was so orderly it was scary.

Traffic is mellow by most standards.  Crossing the road is easy,  controlled intersections have a good lights system that show how much longer you have before the lights change or cross when you find space.

Getting from/to the international airport. You’ll need cash - around 900 - 1,000 peso for a pre ordered cab to Retiro/Recoleta.   If leaving from the Airport they have taxi kiosks (similar price) and you can pay in USD. About 45 minutes to the central on a good day. 

The domestic airport is much closer to the city centre. 

On the street: 

Footpaths need care so watch where you are going.  They are in a terrible state of disrepair.  NZ H&S would have a field day here.

You will find few food vendors, takeaway bars, street sellers or buskers.  

The first busker I saw was in Florida St and she would have been about 80 not out with a phenomenal voice.  Tango dancers are also on Florida St at night.

I only saw two people with selfie sticks - yay! And one of them was using it as an extension of their arm to get the camera closer to the subject.!!!!

The streets are filled with litter despite large rubbish skips being everywhere.  At the moment autumn leaves make the streets look even messier.  Around dusk you can see people emptying the skips looking for stuff to recycle.  Often they dont bother putting back the stuff they have taken out and have left it strewn on the sidewalk. It looks awful and its dangerous. 

Many parks have a child’s playground and basic gym equipment for the fitness conscious.  Nothing like the fancy places in Vientienne but at least it is something.

I felt really safe walking around even at night but take usual precautions. Leave the glitz at home, camera out of sight, hang on to your bag. 

The best coffee shop in my neighbourhood is right across the road from my hotel and I just discovered it.  But I can check it out again when I get back.  I still have more exploring to do.

People

There are many ladies of an age with over done makeup, dyed hair and trendy clothes, known as Recoleta ladies. I have not seen a grey haired woman, nor have I seen a woman with short short hair.

The people are just as scruffy as we are at home.  For some reason I expected to see a city of immaculately dressed women like those in Italy or France.  Sadly I didn’t.

I have seen many Dads totally fawning over the little kids in their care.  Mom seems totally indifferent but Dad is besotted with this little brat (assuming they are their Mom and Dad). 

Although some people I met made an effort to help, the majority of people were not the friendliest of people service wise.  It reminded me of the dismissive attitude the French have for foreigners. But having said that there was no visible handwaving, screaming or shouting at each other either.

By our standards most people are slim/ish, in fact I have only seen a few fat people and they all spoke Portugese.

Abortion is illegal and can result in a murder sentence and jail time. 

The people I spoke to were not fans of the current political regime with fears that a broader distinction is being made between rich and poor.  The previous government had made in roads into helping the poorer sector of the population but this right wing government has taken away many of the privileges. 

My favourite things from Buenos Aires

Its very pretty, organised, sedate and I felt safe here.  For me it misses the vibrancy I expected and reminds me of Paris, which I didn’t like at all.

The Foodie trip with Urban Adventures - although not backstreet food it gave me an insight into the local food culture and the best taste treats.  Well worth it.  I wouldn’t have found the places without it. 

Tango, tango, tango with Urban Adventures. A great introduction to Tango Etiquette and a local Milonga; this one I would never ever have found and it was perfect. 

Recoleta Cemetery - great to see. They have free tours there as well which I believe are very good and give insight into those that a buried there.  Many wonderful stories about the residents, famous and otherwise. 

El Ateneo Splendide - worth a look, give it some time, grab a book and settle in. 

Tigre and the trip up on the train and back in the boat.  Tigre was a breath of fresh air and the boat trip really interesting.

San Telmo -I have to get back to that market, and oh yes! the bag shop where I spied something I want.

More to come

My next post will be from Santiago, Chile.  I return to Buenos Aires towards the end of my trip and am looking forward to sussing out Palermo, hanging in La Boca, hopefully getting to a footbol match and sussing out some of the museums and art galleries. There is a lot to do in this city if you like looking at stuff but despite having learned snippets of the language and done heaps I’m not feeling the love. 

Tango, tango, tango

Argentina is known for it’s Tango and dance is one of the reasons I wanted to come here.  I expected to find lots of dancing, busking, music on the street, but so far that hasn’t really eventuated.

Seeing the tango being danced by the locals in a neighbourhood was one of my ‘must do’s’ but I struggled to find anything other that slick tango shows available.  Then I struck gold and booked a tour through my mates at Intrepid’s Urban Adventures which would take me to a real neighbourhood milonga (tango hall). 

Our meeting place was the famous Cafe Tortoni.  Wikipedia tells me “The Café Tortoni is a coffeehouse located at 825 Avenida de Mayo in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Inaugurated in 1858 by a French immigrant whose surname was Touan, it was named Tortoni after the Parisian café of the same name located on Boulevard des Italiens (where the elite of the Parissiense culture gathered in the 19th century). The café itself was Inspired by Fin de siècle coffee houses. Café Tortoni was selected by UCityGuides as one of the ten most beautiful cafes in the world.”  Indeed it was very Parisian and very lovely. 

The cafe was full and a queue waited outside the door, being let in only once there was room inside.  Although primarily a cafe there is also a Milonga upstairs and a performance space towards the back of the cafe.  We were inly there for a drink but it was lovely to soak up the atmosphere. There was a real vibe here and although there were many tourists it is also a spot frequented by locals alike.

The guide, a lovely young girl whose name I never got, was a social tango dancer and told us (myself and the one other participant, a woman from Christchurch) the story behind the tango. 

“Argentine tango is a musical genre and accompanying social dance originating at the end of the 19th century in the suburbs of Buenos Aires and Montevideo. It typically has a 2:4 or 4:4 rhythmic time signature, and two or three parts repeating in patterns such as ABAB or ABCAC. Its lyrics are marked by nostalgia, sadness, and laments for lost love. The typical orchestra has several melodic instruments and is given a distinctive air by the small button accordion called the bandoneon. It has continued to grow in popularity and spread internationally, adding modern elements without replacing the older ones. Among its leading figures are the singer and songwriter Carlos Gardel and composers / performers Francisco Canaro, Juan D'Arienzo, Carlos Di Sarli, Osvaldo Pugliese, and Ástor Piazzolla.”

We head off from the Cafe heading for the bus stop but on the way enjoy a simple tango lesson on the sidewalk, where footprints are painted indicating the sequence of steps in the tango.  It didn’t take long to master that but later when I saw it being danced I realised that the footstep markings were far from reality.

We continue our walk and catch a bus to an area south of the places I have been.  We are in avery residential   area, no sign of commerce of any kind, and in fact no sign of life.  By now it was about 10pm so many people would be eating dinner before bed. Except of course, those out for a night of dancing or partying.  Porteños (the people of Buenos Aries) eat late, and if partying go though to the early hours.  We were told that we were a bit early for the Milonga and that being Saturday night would not be very busy. 

Arriving at a very nondescript building, along a dark street, we push through the heavy glass doors and enter a dimly lit large room a little bit like an old church hall back home; lacking in decor, personality and vibe.  But what was happening in this space was magical.  A truly local space with about 50 people dancing beautifully to the most amazing music.  This was what I wanted to see.  The real people, dancing the real thing.  Milonga’s come with their own etiquette, too long to write here but this site will help.  http://tangoarizona.com/resources/etiquette-at-the-milonga/ .

People of all ages were strutting their stuff keeping me on the edge of my seat taking it all in.  I so wished I knew how to do it and get up and join in but ta the same time made sure I didn’t gaze in any one direction for too long and inadvertently capture the gaze of one of the men.  I’d hate to have to turn any one if them down by saying I dint know how to do it. This tango is nothing like what we call the tango in NZ - it is polished, very sensual, the style dependent on the music style (waltz, milonga, tango) and oh so stunning.

Pics not so good because of the dim lighting and no flash allowed:

The woman in the first photo in the mini skirt danced beautifully.  She looked like she was about 70, had the body and steps of a 30 year old and was very obviously looking for a partner, not just of the tango type.  All the dancers had different styles and varying degrees of expertise.  Fascinating.

Soon we are treated to live music: the most amazing singer and double bass player kept us entertained for a while and the dancing continued. Slowly more people trickled in and by now the dance floor was filling up.

The live act finished about 1:30 and we packed up, said our goodbyes and headed for home by cab.

A super evening and so pleased that I had taken this route of checking out the Tango, rather than going to a polished professional show.

My last day in Buenos Aires gave me a bigger buzz than the previous few and now I am looking forward to coming back in a few weeks at the end of my trip.

Feeling the vibes in San Telmo

As predicted, it is bucketing down today so again I grab the parka, umbrella and head off leaving the sunnies behind. 

Where to? Hmmm where can I go where I can keep dry? I thought of a shopping mall and flagged that deciding to go to San Telmo on the underground instead.

It stayed dry long enough for me to get to Retiro station and from there I jumped on the train getting off at Independencia where it was buckteing down so I dashed to the closest cafe for tostada and americano ( coffee and toast). Nothing special but an OK start to my day. Being used to the excellent coffee in my part of the world I have found the coffee very underwhelming. Certainly lacking in strength, but apart from that flavour wise OK’ish, but its the structure that is weird. I haven’t seen many espresso machines, so wonder if they use pods as my espresso comes out with a heap of light golden froth and no substance to the coffee underneath. My hotel room has a filter coffee maker, but it needs special pre packed coffee bags. Of course, everyone carries exactly that specific type of coffee bags with them and so the hotel does not provide any. I’m glad I threw a bag of my short black into my bag and at least get hot water from the perc.

By the time I had finished the rain had stopped and a short walk took me into the neighbourhood of San Telmo where I felt heaven bound. This is more like I was just expecting, colour, soul, markets, street food and a bit more character. There were even a few street performers.  

I wandered for hours then found the the building called San Telmo market. Note to self: glad it is not Sunday, the busy day, but this is a must do when I come back. Street food, delis, antiques. Heaven bound. Annoyed that I wasn’t hungry as there were food stalls galore and they sold things other than empanadas and steak. The market not only sells food but also is home to many antique selling booths and the odd touristy hand craft stall. Definitely on my to do list for when I get back. I understand the Sunday San Telmo market runs for about 12 blocks but that sounds horrible. The yum food I have seen today is enough to get me back to the market in this building. 

There is also an outdoor Antique market on Sunday’s in the local square which they were setting up as I passed.

The whole area is very pretty, cobbled streets, very attractive buildings; some as narrow and shallow as a pencil, others more grand but all with cute character. Graffiti abounds and every now and then a neat piece of street art, not as good as I have seen in other places, but still colourful and fun. 

I found the street of comics, a continuation of the statues I had seen the other day. Frustrated by the rudeness of other tourists who can see you are taking a photo and are more interested in the me, me, me shot than being polite and moving along, I eventually got a few pics and moved on. 

I was annoyed that I wasn’t hungry (surprise, surprise) as I passed a parrilla that I wanted to try. What to do but walk till I was hungry, which I did, eventually making my way back to “Antigua Tasca de Cuchilleros”, the place with a beautiful love story attached. See the pic.

Edit

Known to have great parrilla I was looking forward to a decent steak that wasn’t over cooked. Just in case I ordered rare hoping to get something akin to rare but more medium rare, juicy and tender. Well lo and behold I get a blue steak. Too embarrased to send it back to be cooked I devoured same, enjoyed it but couldnt help thinking that, had I known that they knew what to do with steak I should have ordered the medium rare. Oh well. 

The surroundings of this cute place made up for it. Whitewashed walls, windows out to a courtyard and oodles of character was enough. The staff spoke enough English to understand my mix of Spanish and English although I can now at least order a meal and a ‘cuppa’ of malbec in Spanish now. 

Not sure if the other patrons are tourists or not but I was the only English speaker in the place (as I have been at most places) and felt like I was a experiencing the real thing. I’m so glad that restaurants have recently started serving wine by the ‘cuppa’ as otherwise I would be seriously inebriated (or else thirsty) with each meal, having to polish off a whole bottle by myself. I loved the vibe, the smell of BBQ and the warm convivial atmosphere. I felt like I’m home. 

I loved wandering round this area, it had a buzz which I didn’t get in some of the other parts of the city. But, as they say all good things must come to an end and eventually it was time to head home. I found my way back to the train for an eventful trip back to Retiro and from there to the hotel.  

Tonight I am going to a ‘Milonga’, a tango hall, so a nap beforehand is a necessity; my sleep only broken by the booms of thunder and the sound of rain pummelling my window. I hope it clears up as I don’t want to be traipsing round in the rain tonight. 

Up the River Plate

Now where shall I go today. I set off while I decide. I realise that thunderstorms are predicted but they have been for each day I’ve been here. Maybe today will be the day so I had better be prepared.  I go back to hotel, swap the sunnies for umbrella and parka and head off to buy a sube card (snapper/myki). The Sube card is needed for all public transport and I have decided to catch a train and go to Tigre, northwest of the city, exploring.

I find the sube office at the train station easily. They ask for my passport then send me to the ticket office or a kiosk. The man in the ticket office, by pointing, tells me to go to the sube office. The guy in the kiosk abruptly says non.

I go to the i site who tell me to go to the ticket office so I go back to another window and like an immaculate conception a bit of magic occurs and a smiling, pleasant english speaking young lady gets me a card. No passport, no questions, nothing. 25 peso for the card ($3) and 50 peso to get me through the next three days of travel.

So now Im on the train shielding my eyes from the bright sunlight because of course I now have a parka and brolly and no sunnies.

As I boarded so did a guy with guitar who later played and sung beautifully. Then the collection hat came out. A number of blind people followed soon after, also collecting; something we don’t see at home but I have seen in many other countries. Sad but good on them for trying. From what I understand the current govt is stripping benefits and making life even more difficult for the already desperate part of the population.  The train is clean, comfortable, not very full and slowwwwww. There is maintenance happening so maybe that’s why.  

The scenery is nothing different to start with but once we get further out it changes from drab concrete apartment blocks to areas of single level homes with lovely gardens in the suburb of Martinez. Further out the homes are even grander and rather beautiful. The stations newer and cleaner, and the streets wide and well maintained.  

We arrive at Tigre in an hour and I am blown away. The most beautiful green, lush, palm tree filled city.  

A hop on, hop off awaited at the station exit and I quickly bought a ticket and boarded; the commentary keeps me updated but I am too busy taking in the prettiness.  It was stinking hot, blue sky and no sign of rain.  I need my sunnies and I don’t need this damn bag of rain gear I’m dragging around. 

The bus trip lasted about an hour, taking in the city’s sights. I hopped out and wandered for a bit but it was too hot to do too much. We passed a few sites that may have been interesting but too hot, feet sore, can’t be bothered and I was quite happy sitting and relaxing. The local market looked really appealing but by the time I had decided to go there it would have been too late for me to catch the boat to go home. Mainly too late because our ten minute stop turned into a 30 minute stop as we waited for the driver who later took us off the beaten track to a garage out of the city. He dropped something off then continued with our drive. Oh well. The market probably wasn’t that good anyway.

We passed many beautiful properties and parks. The parks were mainly well maintained and on each were a number of men with weed eaters cutting the lawn, meaning the labour intensive job looked like someone had been chewing the lawn as inevitably there were patches missed all over the place.

Once aboard the boat we were taken up through the delta, one of the largest delta’s in the world, where we could see all the homes built on the many islands. The islands are all shaped like plates, so higher round the edges with a bowl shape in the centre. The centre floods, the edges are eaten away by the tides so houses are built, closer to the edge but on stilts. The islands are quite small and no vehicles exist so everything is transported (including the residents) there is even a school on one of the islands.  

Medical practices visit by boat and there is a supermarket that comes round too. Fascinating but must be really inconvenient. Property and homes are cheaper than on the mainland and  the further down the water way (including down some creeks) the cheaper property is.

Eventually the boat turned into the River Plate and we slowly cruised back to Buenos Aires eventually docking in the area I sussed out yesterday. As we cruised along we were treated a coffee and an alfajor, the first one I had tasted.  

Alfajores are as famous in Argentinian cuisine as empanada, parrilla, dulche de leche and malbec. They are two biscuits sandwiched together with dulce de leche and the one I had quite yummy, but not sure I would rush out and buy more.