Just finishing up Buenos Aires at the moment, leaving for Mar de Plata in the south and then aim to get to the very bottom. Apparently there's some nice scenery, glaciers etc to be seen. Take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patagonia to see what I mean. BA has been OK for me, despite rave reviews from fellow travellers and tourist guides. I've been out a few times and had a decent look around. One of the best things I did was the free walking tour from the hostel with the local who could explain some of the history etc. Stuff that you hear about but don't really take notice til you get there, like all the military dictatorships and Eva Peron aka Evita. I've found that to be the most interesting part especially when you juxtapose it with Australia's history over a similar timeline.
As for my feeling for the rest of the place, getting over jetlag has been a nuisance with a 13 hour difference in timezones, having a bout of 'Fidel Castro' and so far struggling with my Spanish. Although when I say struggling, it is improving quite quickly but not quick enough arg! Food is the hardest bit, I think ordering in restaurants is quite difficult, in part due to th
e language barrier, in part due to the lack of interest in service and in part to the lack of said items on menu. I was quite happy with my steak and chips but others were not so impressed with every pasta dish cancelled for the night and my mates hamberguesa completa complete with only bread and beef! In any case panchos or hot dogs are very plentiful here and only 3 pesos (AUD $0.75) and are always good and very easy to order!I whinge here because I feel compelled to dispell every tourist guide I have ever read stating BA for best place in the world. It is not. It does have some great things but equally it has terrible things that cannot allow it be said place. Any trip after dark will result in a scenic route through garbage, a plethora of hookers and pesky street kids running circles around you. There is a shortage of coins here thus resulting in a shortage of change and stories of counterfeit notes even from banks. Even during the day as you walk around listening to the latest Bangles and Buggles, people hand you numbers for hookers, yesterday the subway was on strike and nobody smiles! OK they are poor but I walk around wondering if they are poor because they are unhappy or if they are unhappy because they are poor. They rely on tourism over here so every sucker is trying to get your pesos.
Anyway perhaps my hopes were a little bit high and/or narrow minded. But in comparison to Mexico City which is traveller untouched, this place is the opposite, over run by tourists and over run by potential vendors. Which I guess can be expected but they could at least learn a few lines of English, then maybe I might give them a second look rather than throw their flyer straight back at them! I know I sound like an ignorant American but I've learnt this is the most hassle free tactic. As for the locals, they act like stuck up Europeans on a poverty line budget, they'd only steal bread to feed their families if it was Helga's. This has been my biggest stick up (especially with the guides), the locals totally suck, I am really hoping for some better hospitality and better times in some of the smaller places.
The buildings here are amazing although derelict and BA if it had some capital injection and smart government decisions could make this place pretty special, almost New York special. Walking around all the different areas is just cool, there are so many cool little alcoves and some of these buildings I'm sure have amazing stories. The night life is good too, party all night, cheap cabs and cheap drinks. The cigarettes are cheaper than duty free in Australia!
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