Buenos Aires

On thursday night I left Cordoba and grabbed a bus to Buenos Aires. Everyone told me that I was going to love B.A. and keeping true to their word I do. It´s a fantastic city, that is very European like. Everywhere you turn there are statues of somekind and large, regal looking buildings.

I arrived Friday morning and proceeded to get a taxi to Vogel´s house (Mike´s roommate from Rome). THey tell me it´s about 30 pesos, I have no idea where exactly it is, so I say okay. Well I get in the taxi and ask the drive how much is it? 30 pesos? He replies "Yes", ok. Well we arrive at the location and he then tells me is´s 50 pesos. I was like "No, you said 30 pesos" mind you I don´t speak Spanish well enough to argue in it, so I just kept saying no. Well it was a bit my fault, because he didn´t have the meter on, which usually they do. SO I pay my 30 pesos and get the hell out of the cab. A lesson learned, make sure the meter is on!

Vogel lives in Las Carnitas a very nice neighborhood in the Palermo, very trendy, loads of resteraunts and bars. Mike had keys that he gave me, so I go ahead and let myself in, not quite sure whether Vogel is there or not. It´s a cute place. I put my stuff down and start to read about B.A. trying to figure out what I was going to do that day. I am rummaging around, when I hear something up stairs, we both kind of freaked each other out, becaues I didn´t know he was home and he forgot that I would be there early in the morning. He had to go to school that day, so we grabbed some coffee and medialunes and he went his way and I went mine. Clair and Aiden were also going to be in B.A. and we had planned to meet up. ( I met them in Foz de Igaussu). So off I went to explore the wonderful city of B.A.

I headed into the Microcentre, which is basically the main part of the city. I took the metro in and walked to see El Pensador. THis is Rodin´s thinker. Apparently he had a great relationship with Argentina and has many statues and other pieces of art throughout the city. I found that, and then off to find Aiden and Claire. We then went shopping in the Palermo, another area that is known for its shopping. We were going out that night and decided that I probably needed some shoes. As a backpacker it is hard to pack for muliple things and still keep your pack light. But I had heard that B.A. has a rockin night life and they all dressed fairly well. So we walked and shopped and then headed in our seperate directions. I was going to Sushi with Mike and his teacher friends and then out dancing. So like most South American countries, dinner starts at 10ish and you don´t even go out until 2 or 3. It is quite mad really and a lifestyle that I am not used to. But alas it has to be done! We went to sushi and this club Niceto, which was pretty good. I actually didn´t get too drunk, because I just wanted to dance and have a good time. We didn´t get home until just after 5 and then off to bed.