Alex & Lisa // South America: Buenos Aires

We spent the last 6 days of our trip in the magnificent city of Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires is split up into a number of “Barrios” (“neighbourhoods”). During our time in the city we explored many neighbourhoods including San Telmo, Monserrat, Puerto Madero, Recoleta and Palermo.

Some of the highlights of our time in Buenos Aires were (in no particular order):

1. The San Telmo antiques market on Sunday

About 16 blocks of street vendors and stalls selling vintage clothing, collectibles, jewellery and pretty much anything you can think of. Here is a collection of interesting antique match-boxes for sale individually.

2. The polo match

Polo is a big deal in Argentina... who knew? We wanted to see a polo game, so we showed up an hour before the start of the final polo match of the season, naively expecting to get tickets, but discovered they were long-sold out. Scalpers were trying to sell tickets for $2000 pesos ($500 CDN), but we weren’t about to pay that. We stood on the street by the fence instead (we actually had a decent view), and waited for the match to start.

Argentina’s higher class is crazy about polo, and the match was attended by ritzy portenos dressed to the 9's in full-length dresses and suits. Ironically, minutes before the match started it began to pour rain.

There was thunder and lightning, and the match ended up being postponed to another day. We ran through the streets, along with hundreds of drenched well-dressed portenos to seek shelter in cafes several blocks away. It was hilarious because everyone at the match was soaked through, wearing outfits that really weren’t meant to get wet. Once again, crazy weather with the W-Trek crew! Here we are, soaking wet, about to enjoy some hot chocolate at a Palermo street cafe while we waited for the rain to subside.

3. The free tango shows in the streets.

On our first night in Buenos Aires, Avenida de Mayo (the busy main street that our hostel was on) was transformed into a outdoor show venue.

Many locals joined in the fun and were dancing tango in the streets near the stages.

4. The Buenos Aires night life (enough said)

6. Christmas shopping on Florida pedestrian street

Sorry we can't say much more about this one until after Christmas!

7. Great company

Many of our travelling friends that we’ve met throughout our trip were also ending their travels in Buenos Aires and flying home before Christmas, or taking a break in BA before continuing on to other destinations, so we hung out with a fairly large group of great people for the entire time.

8. El Cabrero steak restaurant

A famous (and rightly so) steak restaurant in Palermo. We “splurged” and enjoyed an unbelieveable meal (two tenderloin base-ball steaks each, several glasses of good argentinian wine, mashed potatoes, squash, salad, creamy baked spinach, sundried tomatoes, marinated artichokes and eggplant, olive tapenades, freshly baked bread and much more), and complimentary lemoncello and champagne for $20. It was probably the best steak dinner in a restaurant we've ever had.

9. The weather (above 30 degrees on most days!)

10. Recoleta cemetery

An eerie and magnificent cemetery, resembling a small city. Each “tomb” was an extravagant marble “house” which housed the coffins or cremated remains of Argentina’s weathiest and most famous families. A strange (and very worthwhile) experience!