Hola Argentina!

Hola Argentina! (As Mic has been saying every five minutes since we arrived - flashbacks of Goodbye Deutschland and Switch Reloaded. Next he will want to open a Schnitzel restaurant :P)

We arrived in Buenos Aires yesterday morning, and so far it is everything we expected and more. :D
After some confusion at the airport (apparently Australia makes Argentinians pay an entry tax, and so Argentina has introduced a tit-for-tat system - while Mic could enter for free, I cost 100 US$ :P )We caught a bus to travel the 35km from Ezieza Airport into the city centre - chilly in the aircon after the warm 30° outside. Our first impressions of Argentina were broad highways boarded by green grassy areas dotted with shady trees, under which numerous commuters were taking a break - doors wide open, drivers dozing :) No hurry, no worries - we like the attitude :) Comment from Mic - he noticed that the most popular brand of car here is VW :)

Our home for the next few days (Kaixo Hostel)

The bus took us to the city centre and we walked the 2km to our hostel over cracked and crumbling pavements, under dripping airconditioners, through narrow cobbled alleys and over broad, tree-lined avenues. Mic noted that the Ampelmännchen are red and white here ;)

We arrived at our hostel (Kaixo Hostel Central) sweaty and thirsty - even walking 2km is tiring when it is 35 degrees and you are carrying a 12kg backpack :P I can almost FEEL the Christmas kilos melting away :D :D (Comment from Mic - 24kg backpack! He had to carry some of my stuff too.. :P )

We announced ourselves at the hidden wooden doorway and were buzzed into a cool stone stairway leading up into a courtyard surrounded by high white stone walls. The friendly young man behind the reception desk showed us to the little double room that will be our home for the next 6 days - part of an old colonial-style complex, high ceilings, wooden floors, shelves full of old books and sepia photographs. Windows wide open and a fan whizzing away in the corner - warm, but still cooler than outside.

View from our window 

After a cool shower and a cold beer in the little courtyard in front of our room, we set out to explore the neighbourhood.

Courtyard outside our room 

Example of some 'antique junk' on sale in San Telmo ;)

After wandering through the cobbled streets and covered alleys full of shops selling antiques and antique junk in San Telmo (comment from Mic - who buys this sh...? :P), we found a lovely spot on Plaza Dorrego to sit and watch the world go by. Sitting in the dabbled shade, drinking a pitcher of ice-cold beer, rhythmic beats in the background - so lässt es sich leben :) 

Plaza Dorrego, San Telmo

We were even treated to a live tango performance by two couples who put on an impromptu show in the middle of the square - skirts whirling  and feet flashing among the tables.

After a couple of hours of people watching, we then had a lazy beef dinner with a bottle of red in a little steakhouse called Desnivel (where we ran into our flight attendent - Buenos Aires is not as big as you think!) and headed back to the hostel for a last beer in the courtyard with a girl who works here before a spectacular thunderstorm sent us to bed. 

So, in summary, our first day in Buenos Aires was about as typical as you can get - and so far we are loving every minute :D