“Is this real? Is this really happening? Are we going to Argentina? What if Argentina wins the soccer world cup?” With these thoughts in our mind, we headed to our airport.
Our journey began when we took our first connecting flight to Atlanta. We kept our flight to Lima and just booked separate travel to Argentina. Our Lima flight was delayed by an hour, “no big deal,” I thought. Once on the flight to Lima, we finally reached the runway, when after 45 mins we returned to the gate to disembark a rude passenger. We wasted 2+ hours. Now I started worrying. I only had a 3 1/2 hour gap between my flight landing in Lima, me getting my luggage, clearing immigrations & customs, checking my luggage into a LATAM flight, and going through security to board my flight to Buenos Aires. I was cutting it too close 😞 Anyways, luck was with us and we made it onto the flight and we said to ourselves, “Our Argentina trip is happening!!!”
Buenos Aires Journey and the World Cup
We felt extremely fortunate that though this trip to Argentina was last minute, we made it there and it became a once in “a VERY long” time opportunity for us to be able to see and experience the passion of Argentinian people for soccer and how proud they all were of their champions. This whole experience cannot be explained in words, but some video links here can capture the spirit.
FIFA World cup finals were going on during our flight. The crew was relaying commentary on the scores. There were cheers till the last 10 mins of the flight when France scored two equalizers. The scene in the flight was tense and passengers were worried. When Argentina scored the winning goals via penalty shootout, the scene in the flight was surreal and a unique experience for us. Words cannot explain it; watch it for yourself!
We landed and reached our hotel in the city center; Feirs Park Hotel & Rooftop. The location of this hotel was excellent. It was walking distance to the Obelisk. That evening we walked towards the Obelisk and the scene on the road was unbelievable. Hundreds of thousands (I heard few millions) gathered at the Obelisk. Here is one such video as we were walking towards the center.
In all this excitement that was going on around us, we did have a scare – we had to do some lab work for one of us. All our spirits were dampened. At first, we thought we should come back home but then we decided to do the lab work in Argentina, why not? So, the next day we were trying to find a blood work lab, but everything was closed on that day… Argentina had declared a national holiday for their soccer world cup victory. So, we drove to a private hospital. It was a test of our non-existent Spanish speaking ability and how proficient were we with explaining things in sign language. Anyways long story short, we got the lab results after waiting at the hospital 3 hours and everything came out to be positive. So, our trip was saved again, and we continued 😀
Must do things in Buenos Aires
Below I am sharing a walking tour map that we used to go around places in Buenos Aires; you can download a copy of this image. You might find this map (paper copy) in the hotel where you will stay during your visit.
Plaza De Mayo & Casa Rosada
This is one of the main squares in the city of Buenos Aires with colonial-style buildings and lively streets. Plaza de Mayo, built in 1580, is the main square in Buenos Aires. A lot of important buildings are in Plaza de Mayo, including the cathedral and Casa Rosada. Its name, “May Square” commemorates the revolution of May 1810, the event which started the wars for independence from Spain. Casa Rosada or the Pink House is a grand government building, the office of the President of Argentina. It is a national historic monument of Argentina.
Tigre is a city in the province of Buenos Aires. Comprised of hundreds of tiny islands, the Tigre is about 20 miles northeast of Buenos Aires. While the main attraction here is the delta itself (formed where five rivers come together), you’ll also find a Naval Museum, restaurants, and playgrounds for kids. Several tour companies offer day-trip excursions to the Tigre River Delta—but visitors also can book stays in area bed & breakfasts and adventure lodges.
We got to see all the different boats that serve the residents which help them get their groceries, fuel, trash pickup, and transportation to the mainland.
Recoleta Cemetery (City of Dead)
Recoleta Cemetery (Spanish: Cementerio de la Recoleta) is a cemetery located in the Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Recoleta is a traditional upper-class and conservative neighborhood with some of the priciest real estate in the city, known for its Paris-style townhouses, lavish former palaces, and posh boutiques.
The cemetery contains the graves of notable people, including Eva Perón, presidents of Argentina, Nobel Prize winners, the founder of the Argentine Navy, and military commanders like Julio Argentino Roca. In 2013, CNN listed it among the 10 most beautiful cemeteries in the world.
Other things to see in Buenos Aires
There are few other things to see in Buenos Aires including La Boca, San Telmo, the Jardin Japones (Japanese Gardens), and the Planetarium while walking around the Recoleta area. You never know, you might find some band of musicians playing some amazing music and enjoying themselves in a park or in the streets.
One afternoon while roaming in one of the many parks that is part of Buenos Aires, we heard a bunch of local people playing their hearts out. Enjoy this short clip below! When you are in Buenos Aires keep an eye/ear out for such local performances, you might enjoy or find some random person walking a lot of dogs. Haha 😂
Other Tips/Suggestions
Walk around the city as much as you can so that you can enjoy the area, the architecture, and other local events that happen.
Uber is widely available in Buenos Aires and is economical. There isn’t an Uber XL equivalent. Day 1 when I landed in Argentina and called an Uber, I got a small car (5-seater) and I had to carry a couple of bags on my lap. So, plan accordingly.
Find a GOOD tango show to watch – we booked a tour where they gave us 15-20 mins of free tango lessons, served dinner followed by an hour-long tango show. The artists were great, the food was meh… The food service was bad. So do your research but do a GOOD tango & dinner tour.
Buenos Aires has a lot of Western Union locations for transferring $$ to yourself. You can send yourself some money and pick it up after a few mins and get it converted to ARS.
The San Telmo and La Boca areas have some good local markets – you may be able to shop some local handicrafts and souvenirs. Check on the internet for the market times and other relevant details.
Argentina has a wide variety of food options. It also has a big Italian influence so options like pizza or pasta are always available in most of the restaurants. Empanadas and Asado meats in parrillas (used to describe a grill or a steakhouse) are famous. Alfajores (pronounced as al·fuh·haw·rayz) are extremely popular cookies which are a must eat; crumbly shortbread-like biscuits sandwiching jams, mousses, or dulce de leche.
Here are some recommended restaurants and some food options 😊
- Páru Inkas Sushi & Grill
- Dashi
- Resto Romagnoli (we loved their Pizza… a small local restaurant)
- Basa Grill (food was ok though I felt it was overpriced; just in case someone wants to visit)
- Cafe Havana (is a chain of cafeterias in Argentina).
- Green Curry – This was a hidden gem. It’s a small place. When we walked in there the door was locked with a bunch of guys sitting inside and talking. They saw us and opened the door and the guy who opened the door took our order, went into the kitchen, and started cooking. When we got our food – we were quite happy. Their green curry was good. Pad Thai was different but good. I would recommend giving this restaurant a try!
I hope you enjoyed the Buenos Aires details. Please leave your comments or ask any questions if you would like to know more and I will try and respond as soon as I can. Also do visit my other blog pages for continuation of our Argentina trip in Bariloche and El Calafate.
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