Buenos Aires - Part 1

This city is so massive. It just goes on forever. 13 million people in the greater BA area.

I landed here after a short plane ride from the north of Argentina. We got off the plane and shuttled into a bus. I thought we had to be driven somewhere far away. The bus literally did a u-turn and then let us off, because they didn't want people to be walking on the tarmac.

There are so many different parts to this city and so many different areas that tell different stories. My hostel is located in the San Telmo barrio. This place is the birthplace of tango. The buildings are a little run down, but the area is getting gentrified so soon the middle class will have to move out to the poorer areas of town. I love the architecture on the walk from my hostel to the centre of town. The buildings here just have so much character. It's really lovely to see.

Three kings

The centre is massive and dedicated to showcasing the beautiful pink palace where the president lives. There are also different buildings around the centre showcasing the French and Italian architectural influences here. The people here are very different from the people in the first four countries I've been in. They are lighter skinned, taller and look very European. It feels like I'm not in South America at all! The video shows the splendour of the square.

Pink Palace

Today I took the subway up to the Recoleta area of town . There is a bookstore there that is in a converted theatre. They have kept the original curtains and stuff and just made the whole thing a bookstore. It's really something to look at. It's got a really nice ambience about it as well. There's a cafe where the stage should be, so you can sit around and soak it all in. 

Theatre bookstore El Ateneo

Recoleta neighbourhood

Family Tomb

I also walked up to the national cemetery. I have a thing for cemeteries...I don't know why. I like seeing how different countries honour and respect their dead. In this country, as in Bolivia, there are massive massive family graves and monuments. I had to say massive twice, because they are that big! And there were a lot of them. I saw the resting place of Eva Peron, more commonly known as Evita. She led the women's suffrage movement in Argentina. She also fought for workers' and health rights for Argentinians.

Now you know... :)

Evita's Tomb