Arriving in Buenos Aires was like jumping aboard a moving train. As I looked out the window of the car I was travelling in, a blurred mosaic of drab apartment blocks and haphazard architecture whizzed by as we drove along the freeway toward the center of town. Our driver Sergio who was a friend of a friend and had offered to pick us up tried to communicate in his broken English and I was doing the same – finally he merges off the freeway.
Then the real city appears, the cafés, the purple jacaranda flowers draped over the sidewalks, stylish porteños (residents of Buenos Aires) walking past the newspaper stands and candy kiosks and handsome early-20th-century stone facades.
When you mention the word ‘Argentina,’ it’s quickly apparent why the country has long held travelers in awe: tango, Patagonia, beef, soccer, Tierra del Fuego, passion, the Mendoza wine country and then you stay with the locals and you discover there is more soul-stirring places to visit, like the Parque Nacional Iguazu in the country's subtropical north, to the thunderous Perito Moreno Glacier in the south, Argentina's natural attractions are the stuff travelers' dreams are made of.
This was my third trip to Argentina and I was travelling with my sister Maria, we were spending a few days in the city before heading out to stay with our relatives in Jose C Paz. We were going to meet them for the very first time so I was both anxious and excited.
On arrival we stayed in a hostel in San Telmo, the place was very reasonably priced, clean, inviting and in an exceptional location, whilst our time in the city, we spent some time with the Harwood’s and had the pleasure of discovering this amazing city with them, we went to La Boca, the cemetery near Recoletta which is like a city in itself and a must do, fantastic markets, museums, and not to mention the exquisite food.
I admit though one of the many highlight’s of my trip, was going to a soccer game we saw Boca play River Plate – they are 2 top sides in the league, the passion the Argentines have for the game is truly amazing and the experience will stay with me forever. I can still hear the chanting Boca Boca Boca!.
What an amazing and wonderful experience I had, I must thank Qantas for the premium economy upgrade as this made our trip much more comfortable. Premium economy is the old business class seats and sell at half the price, these seats are available on selected Qantas routes. Argentina is certainly up there on my “places I’m in love with” list and will definitely revisit.
