Adios Buenos Aires… March 8, 2008
Posted by andeandaremos in Argentina, English, photos.Tags: buenos aires, empanadas, palermo, recoleta, san telmo, sudafed
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And so we come to the end of our sojourn in Buenos Aires… I shall be sad to leave but am equally looking forward to our next step.
We woke up late after a cocktail-fuelled evening out Argentinian style to see our first cloudless sky of the trip. Sadly, by the time we had got our belongings together to check out of the hostel, the now-familiar grey clouds had regained their dominion over the skies and droplets of rain began to moisten our brows as we headed towards the Subte.
I`m not sure whether it was the late night or the sporadic soakings that have given me the beginnings of a good old-fashioned cold (perhaps it was a combination of the two). Suffice to say I am now sniffling and sneezing my way about the city, thankful for the spare Sudafed tablets I had packed before leaving London.
Last night we were blessed with a very sweet and attentive tour guide in the form of Mexican born New Yorker, Brendan. He’s been living in BA for the past couple of years working in banking – he did explain exactly what he did but my eyes have a terrible habit of glazing over whenever I hear the words ‘finance’ or ‘business’. I did find it interesting to hear about how low rent is here (about £120 a month to share a flat with balcony in a good location). Needless to say the wages are comparable and since the economy crashed in 2001, all but the very rich have had to struggle financially and the distribution of income is still very uneven.
The streets of Buenos Aires convey the country’s economic history perfectly. The tree-lined avenues of majestic appartment blocks are impressive and speak of great former wealth but are now in a state of disrepair, with some empty and neglected. Everywhere is well planted though, and this goes some way to combatting the constant stream of cars and buses that pollute the air with both noise and fumes.
The Jacaranda trees lining the streets truly are lovely – some have tall thick stems with fronded leaves and the most beautiful pink flowers, others have similar leaves but then the occasional most vibrant blue blossom. Then there is the Umbu tree – huge trees with the most enormously bulbous, sinuous root system.
The people here are so friendly (hostel staff excluded) and the city feels very safe – I feel much safer here than in London in fact. No gangs of teens hanging out on corners or drug-fuelled drunkards lurching about. The late night cafe culture means that the streets are always busy and there’s always a cafe you can pop into en route to your destination.
I`ve thoroughly enjoyed this beginning to our journey and would definitely recommend it to anyone tempted to visit. Check out San Telmo, Palermo, Recoleta, the wine and those empanadas if you do!
Next stop Cordoba and the eco-village.
Hi brother,
very jealous read – very sorry about your cold : I could help you now, as I am on a Wilderness Medical Course here in London today and tomorrow, designed for people who travel far from help and off the beaten track. Looking forward to your next blog.
Take care,
Joerg
Another great blog! The blue might be Jackaranda. The pink – anybody’s guess! I could be totally wrong of course, as you are probably a lot further south than the environments I am thinking of.
Love, Dad
Hi Uncle Peter
Sorry to hear that you have a cold. I hope you get better soon so you can enjoy yourself again. You’re not alone, Francesco has the cold too. The trees sound beautiful and I would love to climb them. I bet you could see lots of the city from the top.
Lots of love,
Christina xxx
Enjoyed hearing the news – sounds interesting place. must be lots to see
love
Nana xx
Looking forward to hearing about the eco-village -we are working towards gaining eco-school status. We have the bronze and siver award and next step the Green Flag! All extra info welcome!
CV