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.....
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