First impressions of the place weren´t that favourable... cold (6 degrees) and wet.. and I spent my first afternoon walking around in the town centre in a little bit of a daze feeling somewhat like I was still in Europe (building and people wise its very European feeling) but that someone had turned down the temperature... sure my jetlag wasn´t helping, and the usual adjusting to language and currency were also taking their toll... Felt so much better after a good nights sleep!
I went to visit La Boca, the old port area known for its colourful buildings and soccer team. Its one of the poorer parts of town, and there´s a few streets which are touristville with fresh paint, tango dancers in the streets, souvenir shops, and patrolling police. If you walk a few more blocks you are suddenly transported into a rougher delapidated neighbourhood, and are quickly advised to leave before you get mugged...
I came back to catch up with Matt, my old Richmond housemate, who´s here for a few months learning spanish. It was really nice to have a chat and find out about what he´s been up to, and more about Buenos Aires. Little things like being told that Argentinians pronounce y or ll as sh - things suddenly seem to make a bit more sense. (Earlier I´d asked for an empanada de pollo (chicken pastie) and the waiter kept confirming ¨posho?¨and I´d repeat a little puzzled ¨poyo¨ to which he´d repeat ¨posho¨... you get the picture!) We went out with a couple of Matt´s friends to a ¨afterwork party¨(as distinct to a nightclub because they don´t even open until 1am) which turned out to be in a palace... stunning building with wooden parquetry floor, marble fireplaces, intricately carved wooden seats and doors... surely drunk people dropping cigarette butts cant be doing it any good.
Yesterday I visited La Tigre, its 1 hour away by train, and is an area of river deltas - so I think more than 100 islands all separated by rivers which interlink as part of a larger delta. Unfortunetely the weather wasn´t great, but I walked around visiting museums and took an interesting boat cruise to see some of the more spectacular buildings of its heyday (casino, rowing and sailing clubs) and also see some of the current island/river lifestyle.
I went to visit La Boca, the old port area known for its colourful buildings and soccer team. Its one of the poorer parts of town, and there´s a few streets which are touristville with fresh paint, tango dancers in the streets, souvenir shops, and patrolling police. If you walk a few more blocks you are suddenly transported into a rougher delapidated neighbourhood, and are quickly advised to leave before you get mugged...
I came back to catch up with Matt, my old Richmond housemate, who´s here for a few months learning spanish. It was really nice to have a chat and find out about what he´s been up to, and more about Buenos Aires. Little things like being told that Argentinians pronounce y or ll as sh - things suddenly seem to make a bit more sense. (Earlier I´d asked for an empanada de pollo (chicken pastie) and the waiter kept confirming ¨posho?¨and I´d repeat a little puzzled ¨poyo¨ to which he´d repeat ¨posho¨... you get the picture!) We went out with a couple of Matt´s friends to a ¨afterwork party¨(as distinct to a nightclub because they don´t even open until 1am) which turned out to be in a palace... stunning building with wooden parquetry floor, marble fireplaces, intricately carved wooden seats and doors... surely drunk people dropping cigarette butts cant be doing it any good.
Yesterday I visited La Tigre, its 1 hour away by train, and is an area of river deltas - so I think more than 100 islands all separated by rivers which interlink as part of a larger delta. Unfortunetely the weather wasn´t great, but I walked around visiting museums and took an interesting boat cruise to see some of the more spectacular buildings of its heyday (casino, rowing and sailing clubs) and also see some of the current island/river lifestyle.
1 comment:
Hey Kaz! Sounds fun but it
must be depressing being in winter! Look forward to seeing some photos when you get a chance. W
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