I´m back in Buenos Aires...haha!!
Only for a couple of days I think. Next stop Uruguay!!
Speak soon.
Sunday, 30 November 2008
Monday, 24 November 2008
Buenos Aires continues to thrill and getting deported from Brazil was quite interesting as well.....
So I´m still here in Beunos Aires!
There´s a well worn saying in travelling circles that amounts to "Don´t get stuck in one place...make sure you see more." The most common place this happens is Sydney. People go there straight from England, love it so much, cant see past the Harbour Bridge or Opera House and what was meant to be a year travelling Oz turns into a year in Sydney.
Whilst this hasn´t quite happened to me yet I´ve been in Buenos Aires for almost 3 weeks now and it´s probably time to leave.
However, the last two weeks have been fun, challenging, thrilling and unique. What´s more, there have been one or two unfortunate moments which I´ll come on to but that hasn´t diminished any of the affection I have for this wonderful city.
So last time I checked in I was going to meet my two mates Ed and James in Florianopolis. Before doing this I decided to take a bus up to Puerto Iguazu and see the world famous Iguazu Falls. By the way, the buses in Argentina and South America as a whole are big business. You can get 1st, 2nd and 3rd class busses with 1st class offering you a full bed, meals, wine and a waiter for the journey. A bit OTT but it makes 18 hour journeys a whole lot easier.
Anyway, I arrived in Puerto Iguazu and saw the imposing and quite special collection of waterfalls that this Argentinian landmark has to offer. Especially striking was La Gargenta del Diablo which roughly translates into "The Devils Throat".
So with my fill of waterfalls I crossed the border by local bus into Brazil. A smooth transition through immigration where I got my exit stamp from Argentina. Worryingly though there was no Brazilian immigration to give me an entrance stamp....more to come later!!
Having moved into Brazil I got on to another bus where I made the overnight journey to Florianopolis. There I met James and Ed and it was really great to see a few friendly faces. Having been away for so long without seeing people from home it was nice to spend a bit of time in the company of friends where conversation is easy and forcing conversation is not necessary.
Ammusingly though, it rained for 3 days straight. The lads had come from horrible, dark and murky weather back home in London and had arrived in Brazil to be greeted by the more of the same. So we decided to move our flights forward and leave the next day.
The journey was simple. Florianopolis to Coritiba and the Coritiba to Buenos Aires arriving at around 4pm. The first leg was navigated without hassle. The second leg was not. As we went through immigration in Coritiba the Federal Police had a quick scan through my passport and asked for my ¨Entry Card". Bollocks!! The lack of immigration in Puerto Iguazu was beginning to hurt me. After trying to explain why I didn´t have one, the guys were not impressed and it didn´t help either that the two friends I was with, Ed and James, had the necessary documents. The Federal Police didn´t seem bothered by my explanation that they had come from London and I from Puerto Iguazu.
Anyway, after much discussion in English, Portugese and Spanish, I managed to decipher that I wasn´t going anywhere and would have to fly the next day. James, Ed and I agreed it would be best for them to carry on and I would meet them tomorrow.
So an hour later I was in the interrogation room of the Brazilian Federal Police being told that I had to pay 300 pounds to leave the country. In my head I wanted to tell them to "F*** Off¨". But not having the bottle and also worrying that I would probably excalate the situation, I simply said ¨No¨. After going backwards and forwards for a while and me politely correcting them that no, it isn´t the case that if a Brazilian man was without documentation in England he would be put in prison for 10 years, we finally reached a compromise. I was to leave tomorrow but if I ever wanted to come back to Brazil I would have to pay the fine.
I was partially content but for reasons unbenown to me I decided to kick up a mighty fuss and demand that I leave that night. So quite amazingly I had managed to side step the fine that the Police were imposing, albeit temporarily, and had got them and the airline running around looking for a way out for me that night. I managed to do it as well and an hour later I was on a flight bound for Sao Paolo with a connection on to Buenos Aires. I arrived in Beunos Aires at 12am, met the lads and had one almighty session on the beers with them.
All was good until a few days later when I had my wallet stolen on the tube. Bollocks! It happened so quickly and the guy was off in a flash that before I could do anything I had no cash, no card and no ID apart from my passport. Not good. Anyway, one way or another I managed to sort myself out but it was certainly a lesson learnt.
The lads and I then embarked on a feeding and drinking frenzy lasting a good 5 days. We ate in some great restaurants, had steaks the size of our heads and it got to the stage where rather than being mocked by taxi drivers for going home early as I was when I first arrived, they were rather impressed when we were asking to be taken to more bars after the clubs had closed at 7am. True Porteños!!
So the boys have gone now and I´m planning my exit too. I suppose I´ve loved this place so much that I´m worried things wont compare to it. I´ve almost carved a micro life for myself here where I know waiters, travellers, barman and locals. I know the roads, good places to eat, the tube and the best places to go drinking on different nights of the week. However, someone said you should always leave a place wanting more!
And so I´ll probably be out of here by Wednesday (or Thursday, or perhaps next Wednesday...just kidding) at the latest but I will definately be back.
Next stop is the University City of Cordoba. Apparently Cordoba prides itself on being bigger, better and offering harder partying than Buenos Aires. If that´s the case then the next blog could offer more suprises than this one!
Until then.......
There´s a well worn saying in travelling circles that amounts to "Don´t get stuck in one place...make sure you see more." The most common place this happens is Sydney. People go there straight from England, love it so much, cant see past the Harbour Bridge or Opera House and what was meant to be a year travelling Oz turns into a year in Sydney.
Whilst this hasn´t quite happened to me yet I´ve been in Buenos Aires for almost 3 weeks now and it´s probably time to leave.
However, the last two weeks have been fun, challenging, thrilling and unique. What´s more, there have been one or two unfortunate moments which I´ll come on to but that hasn´t diminished any of the affection I have for this wonderful city.
So last time I checked in I was going to meet my two mates Ed and James in Florianopolis. Before doing this I decided to take a bus up to Puerto Iguazu and see the world famous Iguazu Falls. By the way, the buses in Argentina and South America as a whole are big business. You can get 1st, 2nd and 3rd class busses with 1st class offering you a full bed, meals, wine and a waiter for the journey. A bit OTT but it makes 18 hour journeys a whole lot easier.
Anyway, I arrived in Puerto Iguazu and saw the imposing and quite special collection of waterfalls that this Argentinian landmark has to offer. Especially striking was La Gargenta del Diablo which roughly translates into "The Devils Throat".
So with my fill of waterfalls I crossed the border by local bus into Brazil. A smooth transition through immigration where I got my exit stamp from Argentina. Worryingly though there was no Brazilian immigration to give me an entrance stamp....more to come later!!
Having moved into Brazil I got on to another bus where I made the overnight journey to Florianopolis. There I met James and Ed and it was really great to see a few friendly faces. Having been away for so long without seeing people from home it was nice to spend a bit of time in the company of friends where conversation is easy and forcing conversation is not necessary.
Ammusingly though, it rained for 3 days straight. The lads had come from horrible, dark and murky weather back home in London and had arrived in Brazil to be greeted by the more of the same. So we decided to move our flights forward and leave the next day.
The journey was simple. Florianopolis to Coritiba and the Coritiba to Buenos Aires arriving at around 4pm. The first leg was navigated without hassle. The second leg was not. As we went through immigration in Coritiba the Federal Police had a quick scan through my passport and asked for my ¨Entry Card". Bollocks!! The lack of immigration in Puerto Iguazu was beginning to hurt me. After trying to explain why I didn´t have one, the guys were not impressed and it didn´t help either that the two friends I was with, Ed and James, had the necessary documents. The Federal Police didn´t seem bothered by my explanation that they had come from London and I from Puerto Iguazu.
Anyway, after much discussion in English, Portugese and Spanish, I managed to decipher that I wasn´t going anywhere and would have to fly the next day. James, Ed and I agreed it would be best for them to carry on and I would meet them tomorrow.
So an hour later I was in the interrogation room of the Brazilian Federal Police being told that I had to pay 300 pounds to leave the country. In my head I wanted to tell them to "F*** Off¨". But not having the bottle and also worrying that I would probably excalate the situation, I simply said ¨No¨. After going backwards and forwards for a while and me politely correcting them that no, it isn´t the case that if a Brazilian man was without documentation in England he would be put in prison for 10 years, we finally reached a compromise. I was to leave tomorrow but if I ever wanted to come back to Brazil I would have to pay the fine.
I was partially content but for reasons unbenown to me I decided to kick up a mighty fuss and demand that I leave that night. So quite amazingly I had managed to side step the fine that the Police were imposing, albeit temporarily, and had got them and the airline running around looking for a way out for me that night. I managed to do it as well and an hour later I was on a flight bound for Sao Paolo with a connection on to Buenos Aires. I arrived in Beunos Aires at 12am, met the lads and had one almighty session on the beers with them.
All was good until a few days later when I had my wallet stolen on the tube. Bollocks! It happened so quickly and the guy was off in a flash that before I could do anything I had no cash, no card and no ID apart from my passport. Not good. Anyway, one way or another I managed to sort myself out but it was certainly a lesson learnt.
The lads and I then embarked on a feeding and drinking frenzy lasting a good 5 days. We ate in some great restaurants, had steaks the size of our heads and it got to the stage where rather than being mocked by taxi drivers for going home early as I was when I first arrived, they were rather impressed when we were asking to be taken to more bars after the clubs had closed at 7am. True Porteños!!
So the boys have gone now and I´m planning my exit too. I suppose I´ve loved this place so much that I´m worried things wont compare to it. I´ve almost carved a micro life for myself here where I know waiters, travellers, barman and locals. I know the roads, good places to eat, the tube and the best places to go drinking on different nights of the week. However, someone said you should always leave a place wanting more!
And so I´ll probably be out of here by Wednesday (or Thursday, or perhaps next Wednesday...just kidding) at the latest but I will definately be back.
Next stop is the University City of Cordoba. Apparently Cordoba prides itself on being bigger, better and offering harder partying than Buenos Aires. If that´s the case then the next blog could offer more suprises than this one!
Until then.......
Monday, 10 November 2008
People, Culture, Fiestas and Passion....Buenos Aires just doesn´t disappoint!
So I very nearly didn´t make it to Buenos Aires. After touching down in Santiago de Chile I enquired as to when the check in for my Aeriolinas Argentinas flight to BA was. In mixed Spanglish I understood that the Airline has a relatively relaxed attitude to check in and that I should simply listen out for the call around an hour before take off.
As it was 12pm and my flight was at 6pm, I naturally gravitated towards the bar for a bit of food, a drink and a few hours of reading my book. Anyway, I got chatting to some Kiwis who had got off the same flight as me and a few hours later I was feeling a bit hammered. For some reason they had taken a shine to me and decided to provide an endless supply of beer whilst I was waiting for my flight. I wasn´t complaining and as it reached 4 o´clock I decided to go for a quick toilet break. On my way I saw a young Air Argentina hostess and asked her when check in for my flight was. She took me to the check in desk and said "Ahhh, yis, Señor, we av been waiting for yu. Yu are late Señor, your flight will leave in 20 minutes". So quite reasonably the hostess was suggesting that because no one had told me my flight was cancelled and the only service to BA was at 4.30 I had made the error and should be adequately embarresed at my mistake. Anyway, with no time to complain, I said bye to the Kiwis, finished my beer (still had time to do that) and boarded the plane.
And to be honest the last week in Buenos Aires has been as hectic and frantic as my first encounter with the Air Argentina hostess. I must admit I was a bit worried that Buenos Aires wouldn´t live up to its reputation partly because I´d put it on such a pedastal and partly because generally most things you wish for generally don´t.
However, I need not have worried as the place is simply fantastic. The mix of French architecture, a relaxed European approach to life and the added Latino spice and passion provides for a wonderfully unique city.
My first two days and nights were just a blur. I arrived and walked into a huge party at the hostel and from Thursday until Sunday morning I didn´t stop. The term "24 hour city" could not have been more appropriate. Also amusing was how the taxi driver was giving me shit at 6am on the Friday for, and I quote, "going home early". Haha!
In between the partying of that first weekend I managed to explore the city and spend time in some places where you cant help but walk around with a smile on your face. I spent the day in San Telmo (the oldest neighbourhood in Buenos Aires) walking amongst the various artists, market sellers and street performers while also taking in impromptu Tango dances by the locals. I drank wine and beer with the Porteños (people from BA) in the chic Palermo area and I strolled around the many streets that are permeated with beautiful European architecture. I even went to a US election party full of Argentinians, Americans and anyone else who wanted to see a truly unique piece of history being made.
The rest of the week I began my Spanish classes and continued to fall in love with the City. I haven´t done any of the traditional tourist attractions yet as after feeling a little too touristy in New Zealand (jump of the bus, take a pic and move on) I want to really get a feel for the city. At this point I´m really thinking of spending a bit of time here, perhaps a month or so. I´ve no plans as to what I´ll do here for that month but there seems to be a force pulling me to the City and until that stops I´ll continue to stay.
As for the immediate future, I´ll be leaving for Iguazu Falls in Northern Argentina tomorrow and then the day after I´m heading to Florianopolis in Brazil to meet James and Ed, my great friends from home. We´ll spend a week on the beaches in Floripa before all heading back to Buenos Aires to continue where I left off and to show Ed and James what this great city has to offer.
So the South American leg really has started with a bang. Long may it continue.
Until then.....
As it was 12pm and my flight was at 6pm, I naturally gravitated towards the bar for a bit of food, a drink and a few hours of reading my book. Anyway, I got chatting to some Kiwis who had got off the same flight as me and a few hours later I was feeling a bit hammered. For some reason they had taken a shine to me and decided to provide an endless supply of beer whilst I was waiting for my flight. I wasn´t complaining and as it reached 4 o´clock I decided to go for a quick toilet break. On my way I saw a young Air Argentina hostess and asked her when check in for my flight was. She took me to the check in desk and said "Ahhh, yis, Señor, we av been waiting for yu. Yu are late Señor, your flight will leave in 20 minutes". So quite reasonably the hostess was suggesting that because no one had told me my flight was cancelled and the only service to BA was at 4.30 I had made the error and should be adequately embarresed at my mistake. Anyway, with no time to complain, I said bye to the Kiwis, finished my beer (still had time to do that) and boarded the plane.
And to be honest the last week in Buenos Aires has been as hectic and frantic as my first encounter with the Air Argentina hostess. I must admit I was a bit worried that Buenos Aires wouldn´t live up to its reputation partly because I´d put it on such a pedastal and partly because generally most things you wish for generally don´t.
However, I need not have worried as the place is simply fantastic. The mix of French architecture, a relaxed European approach to life and the added Latino spice and passion provides for a wonderfully unique city.
My first two days and nights were just a blur. I arrived and walked into a huge party at the hostel and from Thursday until Sunday morning I didn´t stop. The term "24 hour city" could not have been more appropriate. Also amusing was how the taxi driver was giving me shit at 6am on the Friday for, and I quote, "going home early". Haha!
In between the partying of that first weekend I managed to explore the city and spend time in some places where you cant help but walk around with a smile on your face. I spent the day in San Telmo (the oldest neighbourhood in Buenos Aires) walking amongst the various artists, market sellers and street performers while also taking in impromptu Tango dances by the locals. I drank wine and beer with the Porteños (people from BA) in the chic Palermo area and I strolled around the many streets that are permeated with beautiful European architecture. I even went to a US election party full of Argentinians, Americans and anyone else who wanted to see a truly unique piece of history being made.
The rest of the week I began my Spanish classes and continued to fall in love with the City. I haven´t done any of the traditional tourist attractions yet as after feeling a little too touristy in New Zealand (jump of the bus, take a pic and move on) I want to really get a feel for the city. At this point I´m really thinking of spending a bit of time here, perhaps a month or so. I´ve no plans as to what I´ll do here for that month but there seems to be a force pulling me to the City and until that stops I´ll continue to stay.
As for the immediate future, I´ll be leaving for Iguazu Falls in Northern Argentina tomorrow and then the day after I´m heading to Florianopolis in Brazil to meet James and Ed, my great friends from home. We´ll spend a week on the beaches in Floripa before all heading back to Buenos Aires to continue where I left off and to show Ed and James what this great city has to offer.
So the South American leg really has started with a bang. Long may it continue.
Until then.....
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