My adventure began with one of the most hectic days of my life. Having returned to Leeds with just 4 days to prepare and pack for my trip, everything was considerably more last minute than I would have liked. The day of my flight began with some last minute packing, followed by a trip to Halfords on a wild-goose chase for some crocodile clips for my fieldwork. In the end, packing came down to the wire, and I just about managed to get everything together in time to catch my train to the station at 2pm. Having boarded the plane, I quickly discovered that I had hit the economy class jackpot. Three seats in a row with nobody sitting in them! I almost felt sorry for the saps in first class who had actually paid extra to lie down flat for 13 hrs – I was able to do it at no extra cost!
I arrived in Buenos Aires the following morning, exhausted. I checked into the hotel and decided to have a nap in preparation for the city tour in the afternoon. At 2.30pm, Analm, my English-speaking tour guide, arrived to pick me up. For the next two hours we drove around the streets of Buenos Aires as she pointed out sites of interest, stopping a couple of times to take a closer look. We made a brief stop at Recoleta Cemetery, final resting place of Evita, and another at Caminito, the vibrantly coloured shanty town, once home to thousands of European immigrants. When the immigrants first arrived in Buenos Aires, they were given housing by the government for just 4 days before being expected to make their own way in the city. Understandably, this was a formidable task, and most of them ended up living communally in small shacks built from whatever materials were available, and painted using paint stolen from cargo ships. Caminito also lays claim to being the home of the Tango, and its vibrant atmosphere is quite contagious.
The next day, I headed straight back to Recoleta cemetery, the “city of the dead”, for a closer look. The cemetery is aptly named; hundreds of mausoleums form disorganised streets and alleyways. A mishmash of architectural styles, the cemetery really does have to be seen to be believed. The main tourist attraction is, of course, the burial place of the much beloved Evita, although the Government were initially unhappy about her burial here, and the mausoleum is hidden away on one of the “side-streets” making it quite difficult to find. It might sound strange, but the cemetery is quite a pleasant place to be. Many of the “streets” are lined with trees providing much needed shade from the relentless sun.
For the remainder of the day, I decided to head to the numerous parks and gardens in the Northwest of the city. I began by heading to the Japanese Gardens, which are utterly picturesque, and as the day drew to a close, I wandered over to the BA botanical gardens. Unfortunately, this part of town is not well served by the underground network, and by the time I had walked all the way to the botanical gardens, my feet were threatening to kill me! Upon arriving, I was a little disappointed at what initially appeared to be, well, just a load of trees. So I found a nice looking bench and had a little nap. Feeling refreshed and rejuvenated after my sleep, I finished wandering around the gardens and they turned out to be a lot more beautiful than I had at first given them credit for. What a difference a nap can make!
On my last full day in the nations capital, I decided to take in some history. I began in the Plaza de Mayo, the historical hub of the city; the president’s home and the site of frequent political protests and demonstrations. The government office offers guided tours (although, not in English!) around the building, and so I jumped at the chance. We were allowed to tour the building quite extensively, including a brief visit to the office of the president and of his secretaries.
I ended my day with one final trip to the richest part of town, Puerto Madero. This area, next to the disused docks, has benefited greatly from a recent cash injection, and is now home to swanky restaurants, high-rise apartments and hotels, and is the safest part of the city. Immediately next to this is the Reserva Ecologica, an area of grassland which appeared somewhat accidentally when the city tried to reclaim the land from the river and gave up half way through. It is now home to a plethora of wildlife, and is a beautifully relaxing way to escape from the bustle of the city. As the evening drew in, I headed back over to the main street of Puerto Madero, where I intended to find somewhere to have a nice meal by the harbour. Unfortunately, I was not on top form choosing a restaurant. The food was salty, sickeningly cheesy and took forever to arrive, despite the place being nearly empty.
Walking back towards the subway station, I tried to get some cash out and failed, repeatedly. I was beginning to hate BA. When I finally got onto my subway ride home, I was feeling tired, fed up, and a little sick still. Then, a man got onto the train and started busking with his acoustic guitar, tambourine and harmonica. Apparently, this was exactly what I needed, and it completely turned my mood around. By the time I got off the subway, Buenos Aires was back in my good books.