Back to Buenos Aires

Before Sandra and I left Argentina, we returned to Buenos Aires to see and do few things we didn't get a chance to do when we first arrived. We planned it that way since it's a large city, and we had to do some planning when we first arrived. 

After our flight got in, we headed to our airbnb spot. It wasn't as good as our place in Bariloche, but we got breakfast and met some locals. We walked around a bit, got on the subway, and went to see the Obelisco. The obelisk was pretty standard, but the large BA nearby was pretty cool.

Big BA.

Someone had mentioned that Casa de Rosada is lit up at night, so we decided to go check it out again. However, it was either a fluke or the lights were out because Obama was in town (and apparently inside the building). Yeah, he hadn't made it to Bariloche yet. There was still hope of seeing him. I thought it would be cool to see him in a different country. Although I've never seen him at home either. Only on TV.

Argentina and the US.

While we were walking around, we noticed the signs for the public holiday which was the following day, Día de la Memoria por la Verdad y la Justicia. It was the 40th anniversary of the coup d'état of 1976 that brought the National Reorganization Process to power. With Obama in town, there were definitely mixed feelings. Some people are still upset with the role of the US in the dictatorship back then. I wasn't alive, and am no expert on what happened, but I hope that everyone can begin to move on. The perception of the US globally is really complex and I do wish more people back home understood what it's like. I don't even fully understand it, but meeting people and learning about other cultures and politics, helps me begin to.

We spent the following morning walking around Palermo Soho, not far from where we were staying. I had to get my laundry before it closed for the holiday, so we couldn't go too far. Luckily, we were pleasantly surprised with what we came across. The neighborhood was super cute. There were murals everywhere, fun shops, and lots of restaurants. We sat down at a Mexican place, got some lunch and margaritas, and enjoyed the nice weather.

Palermo Soho.

After picking up my laundry, we went to explore the colorful neighborhood of La Boca, and especially Caminito, the pedestrian street where tango dancers perform. It was very touristy, but still fun looking at all the colorful buildings. And we got a little tango show. We spent a good amount of time exploring. Once we thought we had enough, we hopped back on the bus and headed to the San Telmo neighborhood. 

Surrounded by color.

San Telmo was another neighborhood famous with a tango connection, as well as it's colonial buildings. 

Colonial San Telmo.

We walked around a bit, and got a sneak peak of where we were watching tango the following night. 

Viejo Almacen.

The following morning, we decided to go see the Torre Monumental, a gift from Britain. It totally looks like it belongs in the UK, or at the very least in Boston. 

Torre Monumental.

After getting some hot chocolate, which consisted of melting a piece of chocolate in hot milk, we paid another visit to Cementerio de la Recoleta. We saw some things we saw before, but went to some unexplored areas. I'm glad we went again and again, I could have spent hours wandering. It's just so cool walking up and down the narrow alleys full of tombs. 

Back to Cementerio de la Recoleta.

Later on, it was time for tango. Sandra and I headed back to rest up before dressing up to watch tango at Viejo Almacen. We waited for a while for our pick-up, but finally made it to the show. We had no idea what time it started, so worried we would be late. But these drivers are experts. I guess since safety is a concern, a pick-up comes with every purchase of a ticket. Good for us since it was on the other side of town. And they dropped us off at the end of the night. 

Waiting for the show.

When we arrived, we were pleased to find out seats were not too far from the stage. There were still some poles in the way, but for the most part, it was a good spot. We got our glass of champagne to enjoy while we waited. 

Paid complimentary glass of bubbly.

The show was pretty cool. I'm definitely amazed with how they can dance so well. This is with most types of dances of course. I like to say I can dance, but not in the traditional sense. I can't follow choreography for the life of me. As much as I was impressed, I still found the performance forced at times. After talking with Sandra, who is more of an expert, she mentioned that since it's more of a show, and not an impromptu performance, this is why I felt like that. Which makes sense. I'm still glad I got to see some real-life tango.

Tango.

I spent the following morning doing one last run in Argentina. I wanted to go longer, but wasn't feeling up to it. However, I still managed to get in over 7 miles, so that was a positive. This was going to be my last run for at least a week. I was headed to high elevation in Peru. And I would be trekking for a few days. No runs for a while. 

Amazing running paths all over. 

Sandra and I spent our last day wandering the parks.

Ell rosedal. 

And getting lunch in the Palermo SoHo neighborhood.

Palermo Soho artwork.

We eventually headed to the airport and said farewell to Argentina. I had a long night of travel ahead of me, so of course I had to have one last glass of Argentinian red before leaving the country. I was excited to head to Peru to meet family and friends. I got to see and do a lot in Argentina, and I am looking forward to a future visit. 

One last glass of red.