Well, we have travelled alot in the past 2 weeks, and have gone all the way down from Buenos Aires to the south of Patagonia. The weather s very different in the south. Despite being the summer, scarves and hats are needed!
Anyway, more about Buenos Aires...
It definitely rates as one of the best cities we have visited so far. It is a beautiful city, full of history and a mixture of architecture, old and new, that fit well together. The people here have to be the most beautiful in the world, more beautiful than Brasil!
Well, our week in Buenos Aires was very busy, lots of sightseeing- we learnt alot about Eva Peron, a very interesting person, she reminded us of princess Diana. Lots of the nation loved her, but many questioned her motives for her charity work, as it was seen as a way for her husband to be popular and keep his presidency.
We went to a cemetery called the Recoleta Cemetery, which is full of the rich dead of Buenos Aires. It was a very eerie place, a little like a small town, with the tombs lining the streets. No headstones here, massive statues and building to house the dead. You could even see the coffins, and the steps which led down to the underground rooms which stored even more. A very unusual place.
There is so much to do and see in the city, that we found it hard to fit it all into a week. One of the highlights of the week was going to a football or futbol as the south americans call it. We are not particular football fans, but it was an incredible place to be. The first Boca Junior game of the season. The Boca Juniors are famous for having had Maradona on their team in his youth. Apparently he still goes to games now. He is held in such adoration, that they will not redecorate or update the changing rooms because Maradona has walked and showered in them, so they cannot possibly change them! The match was crazy, not for the football playing but for the behaviour of the fans. It was mad. We stood in the stands with the oppostion in stands above us. There was a band playing and all of the fans singing and bouncing up and down, it was a great atmosphere. Then the oppositions fans started to throw things down. It got a little scary, but luckily we were safely tucked under their terrace, so flying debris did not reach us! They were spitting and throwing liquid over (we did not like to ask what it was!) chairs were thrown over and even hit a small child - it was crazy, but this is what happens apparently!
Unfortunately our only photos of the match were taken with a disposable camera, not with digital, so we can{t put them on the blog... But we have got some pictures of the district where the football stadium is. It is called La Boca, and is famous for it{s painted houses, which are cool.
Another very important part of Buenos Aires is the Tango. It is a beautiful dance, which looks very complicated. We saw some of it in Uruguay, but nothing like this. They danced in the streets and in bars, a sight to see. Hannah even tried a tango lesson at the hostel we stayed in, she eventually got the hang of it! But a long way to go til she looks like the professionals!
Social Life... Well the Buenos Airians certainly know how to party! They have very strange eating, sleeping and socialising habits!
They tend to eat at around 10pm onwards, we went to a grill restaurant at around 11:30pm one night and the place was packed. They then go out drinking at about 2am, getting in at 6-6:30am. then off to work. They sleep in the evenings before they eat! Crazy, but somewhat enjoyable, it felt like we were 18 again! Oh how we are getting old!
The steaks here are fantastic. You cannot go to Argentina without trying the steak and wine. Both of which are delicious and very cheap. We have photographic evidence!
One final picture; hannah΄s budding wildlife photography, we are getting quite a portfolio, most of it is not very spectacular, but every now and again...
This picture is when we went to the zoo, very nice for a zoo, and we caught a yawning hippo... a real kodak moment!
Ummm, can you notice the similarities between James and Hippo? Which is which, maybe I should hire James out to local zoos back home!