This change began last Friday when, in saying farewell to my backpacking mindset, I caught a 6.30AM bus to the international airport on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. For around twenty pence this made complete sense although it did take in excess of two hours and was by far the most laboured way of getting there. This mattered little though as when I did eventually arrive, so too did my South African friend Kobus, having made the slightly longer trip from Manchester via Paris.
Handshakes and hugs out of the way, I joined Kobus in the almost alien surroundings of a taxi and this took us back into the city and the sophisticated surroundings of the Tribeca Hotel. After opening all my correspondance and packages from back home, we took to the streets in search of food and a new camera for the visitor, having left his in the previously mentioned taxi.
Both objectives were met so to celebrate we aimed our feet in the direction of Puerto Madero, the Salford Quays of the city. Here the rich people hang out and with Kobus by my side, we blended in hansomely and to rubber stamp our convictions, ordered a bottle of champagne and veal-stuffed olives to kick things off. With both the chatter and alcohol flowing freely, we kept the momentum going by ordering another two bottles of the peachy-looking champagne. This caused a substantial amount of disbelief amongst the otherwise redundant waiters but we were paying so they kept pouring.
By early evening we´d been gripped by the chemicals hidden within this beautiful fluid and with our legs a touch wobbly, caught a cab back to the hotel. A little bit of sick gave relief to my confused insides and this enabled me to collapse on my bed and wave goodbye to my first day with my eager to please chum.
A shade subdued from the exertions of the previous night, a good buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant soon shook us into life as did the prospect of a five hour drive to the coastal town of Pinamar. First we needed a car and this was waiting for us back at the airport. Or so we thought.
Despite having booked the car around five months ago, this clearly wasn´t enough in advance as when we got there, our car was nowhere to be seen. The rental company rep apologised and proceded to pace around the terminal for well over an hour before eventually, our Renault Logan 1.6 arrived.
With time against us, we through our bags in the boot and set about laughing in the face of the three hundred and fifty kilometres ahead of us.
By late afternoon, we had indeed laughed much and also successfully made it to the imposing Hotel Del Bosque in the centre of Pinamar.
We took a stroll around the town which was pleasant but also quite ghostly as it is spring in Argentina so as with most tourist towns, people at this time of year are quite scarce. In the evening we ate meat at a parrilla then hit a lively little bar for some beers and Kobus´ first taste of Fernet, a traditional spirit they like over here but one that Kobus´ expression seemed to disagree with.
Back at Del Bosque, we checked in at the hotel´s casino which was crammed full of locals and also housed mine and Kobus´ dreamy visions of scooping some vast amounts of cash. We were tempted but in the end thought it best not to risk wasting our (Kobus´) hard-earned cash. The cheaper alternative was pool and table tennis and this is what we pursued.
Sunday began with a run along the sun-drenched beach and Kobus´ wasted little time in sampling the waves the sea had to offer. We tried to refresh ourselves with a beer at a beach cafe but this went a little wrong as we ended up with a plate of squid rings. We still got the beer though and with a bowl of bread, it ended up being a fairly satisfying brunch.
Energised by the weather and our efforts, we tried our hand at a game of tennis back at the hotel and after a three-set sizzler, believed we deserved a well-earned break in the hotel´s pool, jacuzzi and sauna.
Eventually we made it to a parrilla in town for meat and beers before a fairly early night and much-welcomed sleep.
The weather on Monday was not so good but this did little to dampen the spirits. After a brief consultation at the local tourist office, we made a short trip to the nearby Valeria Del Mar, where we found a place to rent us a quad bike for a couple of hours.
Setting out through a neighbourhood in the forest, we soon found the deserted beach and powered on towards some funky looking dunes where we larked around like schoolboys for some considerable time. When we made it back to the HQ we noticed we´d punctured a tyre but the boss didn´t seem to hold us accountable so we made a quick exit nevertheless.
With the skies still reluctant to bring us happiness, we drove a few miles south to the town of Villa Gessell. Here we had food and a little walk towards the sea but with little to offer us, we said goodbye to the place.
Tennis again got the energy going as did a few beers in the jacuzzi. We enjoyed veal for tea and a bit of cinema back in our room.
Tuesday was a slow starter and after visiting some seaside towns up the coast, we returned to Pinamar and La Reina cafe for some excellent pasta dishes.
With enthusiasm as minimal as the sunshine, after pool and ping-pong, we eventually crumbled and decided upon beers in the jacuzzi. Some fourteen beers and numerous deep conversations later, we were back on track. Kevin Costner and Waterworld tidied things up before our weary legs and stomachs meant a quick trip to McDonald´s for a TripleMac.
We waved goodbye to Pinamar on Wednesday morning and in good time, we were back in Buenos Aires. Again though, the rental company let us down and it was a good couple of hours before we could leave the airport in search of our new accommodation.
By around 6PM we had arrived, once more by taxi, in Palermo and more specifically, BoBo Hotel. Luxurious and modern, this place to sleep promises to be both ¨bourgeois and bohemian¨ although the latter has yet to be truly discovered.
Initially we went in search of food at La Cabrera, Palermo´s number one venue for steak dinner but we didn´t fancy the two hour wait so we instead settled for a delicious Mexican down the road with some Mendoza wine to wash things down.
My energy is low right now and Kobus is waiting for a beer on our balcony so this last section must be brief.
We got things going this morning with an overwheliming breakfast in the hotel restaurant then caught the metro in the glorious sunshine to Plaza de Mayo. From here we made the long walk through the antique-filled streets of San Telmo and eventually onto La Boca. Although I visited here previously with Alex from Seatlle, I left plenty undiscovered in anticipation of this day.
Although a stadium and museum tour sounded interesting, the ¨Quick Visit¨option seemed the more favourable on arriving at Boca Juniors´La Bombonera. After a few pictures we left and took in the colours of the surrounding area.
Looking for an alternate way home, we took the route along the docks and after soon realising the area was a little rough, our pace quickened. This quickened further when a police car pulled over and told us to get the other side of a nearby road as the part we were embracing was dangerous.
We made it out in once piece and celebrated with a meat feast and Quilmes at a quaint restaurant. Rather than continue walking and catch the packed metro back, we hailed a cab instead in order to get back to Bobo for some air-con and relaxation.
Please note, any praise for the panoramic photos are not welcome as it is only Kobus´ camera that has this facility and from Monday, you won´t ever be seeing the like of these again.
And finally...
Apologies for formatting issues in this post and the numerous typos that are probably present. This computer is useless and I can´t spend another minute with it.
As me and my husband approached the Boca Juniors Football Stadium, popularly known as La Bombonera (the Chocolate Box), we were surprised by its neat appearance and the explosion of colors playing with vivid chromatic shocks, a distinctive feature of La Boca neighborhood. The apartment for rent in buenos aires we had gotten was near it so we went there many times. We could not get enough of it!
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