I Love Buenos Aires

I don’t know why I am so in love with Buenos Aires.  It really did take me by surprise.  Was it the stark contrast of being in a Western city again after having spent a month in the underdeveloped (to put it mildly) Pisco?  Or was it because it took 77 hours on a bus to arrive there?  I am not sure, but as soon as arrived I was drawn to it, there is excitement in the air and a constant sense of anticipation for fun.  It’s infectious.

I stayed in BA for a month and took the opportunity to go to Spanish school. I picked Ibero after hearing some good reviews, them being able to take me at short notice and it was cheap!  It’s true what they say about S.America, having a basic grasp of the language is hugely helpful.  You are able to talk with locals, it’s much easier to navigate the continent and also you don’t feel completely ignorant just trying to complete basic tasks.  A friendly smile goes a long way, but I’m beginning to look like I’ve taken a month’s supply of Prozac.

Two weeks at school was a lot of fun.  Learning again felt so indulgent and it was great to start to get some basic understanding of the language and be able to start having conversations in Spanish.  I feel now that I have a foundation on which to build.   Learning the language while you’re travelling is great, not only have you got a little project to make sure your brain doesn’t go to mush but also it’s so so useful!  Every time I understand what someone says to me or they understand me I feel really excited!! 

What was also good about having 2 weeks of learning was that I got to actually live in BA and not just see it from a tourist point of view.  It was also lovely to have a different routine from the physicality of constructing hospitals in Pisco; I would have 4 hours of lessons a day, then an hour or so of homework which I would do from the roof terrace of my hostel or a coffee shop and then time for wondering round one BA’s neighbourhoods.  That’s my kind of lifestyle; lots of variety, lots of thinking time and yet still productive!

The other thing that needs mentioning about BA is the nightlife… partying until breakfast time is so much fun!  And when you’re out in BA you have no concept of time … until the sun comes up and you start to consider the prospect of calling it a night.

I loved the different neighbourhoods of BA and the different feel of each one,  very similar to the different areas of London.  Palermo reminded me of Notting Hill, San Telmo of Shoreditch, Recoleta of Marylebone … maybe it was the similarities with London that helped me feel so at home there?

And then of course, as I’ve posted before, there were one or two small celebrations around Christmas and New Year...

BA is also a great place to visit Uruguay from.  A quick boat trip and you can be in Colonia in a couple of hours.  We went there for three days to explore the colonial town and it’s beaches.  It’s a very peaceful place, perfect for strolling round the old streets and taking a break from the fast pace of BA.  It wasn’t until I arrive in Colonia that I realised that I’d sped back up to city pace so taking the opportunity to relax over coffee and long dinners was lovely.

After returning to BA and bringing in 2012 with sushi and fireworks,  it was time to wave goodbye to Buenos Aires and end the romance that I had with the city.  I don’t have plans to return at this stage, but maybe the draw will be so strong that I have to plan another trip!