Buenos Aires

It’s taken me a little while to find my groove in Buenos Aires. I was here 6 years ago for the first time with my mum and we both loved it. But from arriving at a different airport (Aeroparques) rather than the main international airport, to not being able to get cash out of the single cash machine in the arrivals area, which meant I couldn’t simply jump in a taxi to the hotel as planned (because taxi drivers will only take cash) it’s felt like a struggle from the start – and I found myself missing the simplicity of Peru’s airports and the ease of just turning up and getting a taxi. To make things worse, I’d read that the alternative to a taxi was to get a remise (a prepaid taxi that you can pay for using a credit card, essentially the same as the setup at Lima airport) but the main remise operator, Tienda Leon, turned me away saying they had no cars available! I eventually managed to get a remise from another operator after queuing for a bit, and reached the hotel safely, but already I found myself feeling a bit discombobulated by the unexpected hiccup.

The hotel, thankfully, is perfect for my needs and the staff are very friendly. I am staying in the same area (Recoletta) that Mum and I stayed in before, though in a different hotel – so went out the first evening to try to find the restaurant Mum and I had found on our visit where the steak was so good (and so reasonably priced) that we went back the following evening. But failed to find it – there is now a furniture store in the spot where I think it was. I ended up having a simple meal at a restaurant close to my hotel instead, then headed back to the hotel to try to plan my onward adventures. Which only served to increase my stress levels as I found myself overwhelmed with trying to make decisions about where to go, how long to stay in each place and whether I could get away without having to hire a car in Mendoza and Salta (Facebook travel groups indicating strongly that a hire car would be hugely beneficial, particularly in Salta).

Yesterday, after a few further false starts with cash machines, I finally managed to draw some cash, buy and charge a SUBE card (Argentina’s prepaid card for use on public transport) and then spent more time revisiting the spots Mum and I had most enjoyed – which of course made me sad not to have her with me on this occasion. I found myself outside the botanic gardens at one point and briefly got excited about wandering round – only to find it’s closed to the public on Mondays! And after wandering round Palermo in circles looking for Plaza Serrano (yet another spot Mum and I really liked), I finally found it – only to find it’s currently being completely resurfaced and all the lovely shops and cafes that surround it are shut! Yesterday really wasn’t a good day for nostalgic wanderings!

On the positive side, I discovered San Telmo market. I don’t know how Mum and I didn’t come here last time, as we visited San Telmo and even spent a fair bit of time around Plazoleta Dorrego, just a couple of blocks away. I was disappointed to see Plazoleta Dorrego quite subdued – when Mum and I were here previously we had enjoyed watching a couple dancing tango in the square to entertain the public, and I could see a couple of dancers sitting down at the edge of the square, but clearly I had mis-timed my visit for their performance.

But I don’t remember the market at all – and it’s incredible! Maybe we arrived mid morning, poked our heads in and decided not to bother? Or maybe it was closed for some reason? There are a few stalls near the entrance selling leather goods and textiles (which wouldn’t have interested us at the time) but once you properly get inside you discover a vibrant food emporium with different stalls offering everything from steak to empanadas to sandwiches to pizzas (washed down with plenty of beer, wine, cocktails or whatever takes your fancy). As a result it comes into its own around lunchtime when hungry tourists flock in to fill their bellies and empty their wallets!

I wasn’t actually particularly hungry yesterday when I got to the market as I’d had a large, relatively late breakfast, but made a note to come back today for a proper steak lunch.

And what a lunch it was! I had a 600g fillet (there was no smaller cut available to order) with a half portion of fries washed down with a glass of Malbec.

After my various stomach problems in Peru I’ve lost a fair bit of weight and a lot of my appetite, but I had made sure I arrived hungry after a very small breakfast, and this steak was so delectable that I was not about to leave any of it on the plate! I even felt forced to order a second glass of Malbec to aid the digestion – as a result of which I managed a great comedy stagger when I got up to leave as I’d forgotten there were two steps, rather than just one, back to ground level, from the counter seat I’d chosen! There is bench seating available, away from the heat and activity of the counter, but I really enjoyed sitting at the counter, watching the steaks being cooked on the barbecue, listening to the chilled out tunes playing on the speaker overhead, and watching the rather cute, heavily tattooed barman, mixing cocktails. Who knew the answer to my BA funk was a good steak and a couple of glasses of Malbec?

After leaving the market I wandered back to Plazoleta Dorrego and decided to sit at one of the tables and have a coffee. While I was drinking it, the tango dancers started their performance and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them from my prime position on the edge of the square.

I ended up way overtipping when the lady came round to collect tips – but who cares? I was finally getting into the holiday spirit by now! One brave young Chinese tourist approached the male dancer and asked if he would dance with her – he accepted, and I was impressed at just how good she was!

As a result of my over tipping, the female dancer asked if I would like a photo with her and her partner. Despite being completely underdressed for the occasion, I of course accepted, prompting this gem:

I also really enjoyed wandering around La Boca this morning. This is one part of Buenos Aires that hasn’t changed much at all from what I remember- apart from seeming to have even more murals and effigies of footballers than I remember from my last visit! As the home of La Bombanero, the football stadium owned by Boca Juniors, it’s unsurprising, though still fairly amusing to someone as disinterested in football as myself.