Second last day, I successfully checked in to my B&B this midday - a single room with a huge comfortable bed and an own bathroom for my last two nights. So time to update my blog, relaxing on this bed, eating, drinking, watching TV…I feel like in heaven! :-)
Córdoba was nice, but nothing special. I went partying the first night, walked through the city the next day with Paul, who arrived that morning and in the evening we had a lot of delicious wine (MALBEC, as always) and a nice Argentinian BBQ with yummy guacamole and salad. After check-out the next day, Paul and myself went to Cuesta Blanca (small village, 2h away) by bus and spent the day along the river, swimming, drinking beer, eating and relaxing. And then it was already time for the last night bus of our journey to Buenos Aires!! After 8h bus ride I woke up and saw the city in the sunrise - amazing!
Having the feeling of home from the first second entering a city before seeing anything I had twice on my trip - in Lima and here.
Buenos Aires - almost 3 million habitants, different architecture, a mix of South America and Europe (Spain, France, Italy), colorful, springtime, flowers, lots of book stores (often combined with a café), millions of Parrillas (Argentinian Steak Houses/Asado), small shops and galleries, museums, art, Tango, football, traffic, heat, sun…
After arriving in the hostel and joining a Free Walking Tour, Paul and myself decided to use this unique opportunity to go to the Riverplate stadion and watch the SUPERCLÁSICO (THE match between the two most famous Argentinian football clubs CFRP (Riverplate) and CFBJ (Boca Juniors)) - amazing and worth it! These more than 200€ were invested well. The vibe in the stadion was great, here it is typical that only the fans from the home club are joining and the whole stadion were full, singing songs, supporting their team and even they lost 2:4 the fans were still partying. We celebrated this nice event with a cold beer and afterwards a bottle of Malbec and an amazing „bife de lomo“ (beef filet).
The other days I used to explore more of the city - walking around, a tour through the huge cemetery Recoleta, Turi-Bus (Hopp on Hopp off) to see all parts of the city including La Boca (Caminata - the colorful streets full of restaurants and tango dancers), Japanese Gardens and more walking, as always in big cities. Monday I went with Andreas and Paul to „La Bomba del Tiempo“, a show of 16 persons, playing drums in a house music type - lot of fun - followed by an after show party in a club close by. Wednesday we explored an other place - Zonatango - a private apartment with a terrace between some other high houses, live music, drinks and the possibility to dance tango during a black-white movie is broadcasted to the wall of the neighbor house. Impressive evening. An other day I went with Doriano, an Italian I met in Santiago, and Uri (an Israeli from my hostel) to Tigre (Delta de Tigre), where we did a boat trip through the small rivers which all end up in the huge Rio Plata (already seems to be an ocean). I did a Tango lesson (quite hard to dance this elegant dance after having danced Salsa in Peru) in „La Catedral Club“ - an alternative equipped building, very divers and fun place. I also met Hernando (my ex-Unilever-colleague) with his wife and son in a very typical Argentinian restaurant for a lunch on the very rainy Sunday - great to have friends around the world :-) Unfortunately for that Sunday I also planned to go to the famous San Telmo market, which I did together with Zdenka (a girl I met on the Recoleta tour), but an handicraft market with sun could be more fun. Anyhow, great time!
And as I didn’t feel so well for a couple of days without any real diagnostic of the doctors, I also spent a lot of time in the hostel or sitting around in an air-conditioned shopping mall, drinking liters of cold water…
Today I did my last „to do“. After the unsuccessful trial to get a ticket for a „show“ in the „Teatro Colón“ (Opera) I went to the Murillo street, which is famous for good leather ware. After I gave up my hope to find a payable AND nice jacket I finally found one. As everything is cheaper here when paying in cash, I had to search an ATM. On the way to the bank I found a nice rockabilly dress (as I was looking for since ages!). I can say, a super successful day!! :-)
Tomorrow I will probably meet Zdenka again and - if my stomach and the rest of my body are feeling well - having a last ASADO!! …and then it is time to say good bye and HASTA LUEGO to this amazing and divers continent - I will definitively return… To Peru, my second home, to Argentina and Chile to explore the South South and to many new friends I made during the last 163 days.
MUCHAS GRACIAS <3 <3 <3
Even I’m very sad to leave, I’m also happy to meet my family and friends again and having a nice cold Christmas celebration with many food I missed especially here in the South of South America.
Planned arrival in FRA: 22.12., 9:55h :-)