After arriving and getting down to my hostel and everything, I only had a few hours to explore. I decided to just walk around and take in a bit of this paradoxical city. There is something so very European, so very classy about Buenos Aires, and yet there is a grit to it that doesn't exist in other cities that look so similar on the surface. I can't really explain the grit, it's just something about the sounds, the graffiti, the way the people interact.
I was staying at a hostel on Avenida de Mayo. It is a street surrounded by amazing architecture. I'm not an architecture person per se, but I can say that it was a pretty interesting collection and definitely takes you back in time a bit. I made my way down to Plazo de Mayo, crossing Avenida 9 de Julio (you may get the sense that most streets are named after dates, it is true, important dates for Argentine independence). As I was crossing, I looked up to see Evita Peron on the side of a building, yep definitely in Buenos Aires.
Just as I reached Plazo de Mayo, it started to rain. And it wasn't a wimpy rain; it was those big fat drops, where one hits you and kinda explodes. So, while in Argentina, where will you find a place to stay dry? A Catholic church of course. So first stop - La Catedral Metropolitana. I will say, not the prettiest church I've ever been in (and having spent two summers in Italy, I have been in a fair number of Catholic churches), but it was ok. It was really dark and I would definitely have suggested a bit more attempt at natural light, but like I said before, I'm not an architect, nor a church goer, so I guess my opinion probably doesn't count for much.
I think the best part of the Cathedral was the Mausoleum of General San Martin. It also has the remains of Argentina's Unknown Soldier of the Independence. Jose San Martin was the Argentine general and main leader in the struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire.
When I left the Cathedral, the rain had stopped - thankfully - giving me a chance to wander some more. I made my way around the plaza and when I got to the Casa Rosada, I felt like I was back in Dhaka. The building is the exact same colour as all the famous buildings in Dhaka - pepto pink. Nice. Casa Rosada is the "executive mansion" and office of the president.
I kept going towards Avenida Florida - a very touristy street full of little cafes and terrible gift and clothing shops. Coming from these shops was an array of the strangest music selections I have heard in awhile - one would have a beautiful Argentine tango playing (as loud as possible), next shop, Vengaboys (not joking), then there was a little Ricky Martin thrown in there to bridge the gap. It definitely made me smile. From there I walked towards the Theatro Colon, up to the Plazo de la Republic.
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| Not the typical view of the plaza, but I found it really interesting, a grand mixture of what seems to be Buenos Aires today. |
Ok, now for the actual new year. I hadn't been very organized in this whole trip thing, so my choices for new years activities were limited. I had been wanting to go to a tango show, but apparently booking that day-of wasn't going to work. Conveniently the hostel was hosting an Argentine Asado (BBQ). There was meat, a lot of it. Quite yummy. The wine flowed and it was really fun to spend the evening with people from all over the world. The table I was at had a Swede, two Frenchmen, two Swiss, an Aussie and a girl from Medicine Hat (yep). It was a really fun night. We toasted to the new year from the roof-top patio as fireworks exploded all around us. It was a great night and hopefully the start of an amazing year.
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