Buenos Aires- Argentina

David:

Bs As was just a bit too weird at first.  Adjusting to other side of the world jet lag and the burdens of staying with some (quite distant) relatives were difficult.  Memories include milky coffee and media lunas (half moons - croissants) filled with dolche de leche (sweet of milk - essentially caramelised sweetened condensed milk…. With sugar added).

 We were shepherded around Bs As and saw many of the tourist things.  Some of the highlights were awesome espressos in coffee bars where the waiters are 50 and dressed in tuxedos.  Had the best pizza of my life as well.

 Bs As is described as a monument to the inferiority complex of the Argentineans.  It is an almost perfect replica of a European city, 8000 kilometres out of place.  There are wide grand avenues, off which there are still narrow cobblestone lanes (rapidly been overlaid with asphalt) above which are small balconies with lace ironwork.

Danielle:

Buenos Aires doesn’t really count because it was really just a chance to get acclimatised. We stayed with my Uncle Salvador, a composer.   Salvador is a really beautiful man and he was a very gracious host.  He picked us up from the airport and we met most of the cousins on the first night.  They were pretty excited to see us and asked us lots of questions.  I must admit I really struggled with the Spanish.  Some of our younger cousins speak English so that was great, it meant I could relax a bit more.

We spent the week there meeting the relatives, we had lunch at their house and it was pretty much the same as at home ie.  Cannelloni or some pasta dish.  Chicken or meatballs and lots of salad, (made just like at home) and then coffee and sweets.  The sweets here are great.  Little ones with custard, fruit and chocolate  except the variety here is huge.  They also have this stuff, dolce de leche, which is like caramelised condensed milk.  Delicious but very sickly. David and I stuffed ourselves. 

Salvador too took us into town and showed us around some of the monuments he also took us to a concert in the equivalent of our Opera House, he couldn’t believe that I only had boots and sandals so he insisted on buying me a pair of proper shoes.  I didn’t do too badly out of it though.  He would take us around town and he would make us stand in front of the monument and then take lots of posed photos.  Still he was very generous and paid for everything.

 Food was the best to be had in South America.  We has great pizza with Prosciutto and ricotta, it was just yum and we often fantasised about it when we would be camping and eating half raw pasta with Tuna.  Coffee which was excellent, was served much like I imagine it is served in Italy - by formal male waiters, in little espresso glasses, always with a glass of water and some little petit fours.  The gelato too was excellent.  Again it comes from the strong Italian influence in Argentina.

 Bs. As. Was very much a European city and I liked it although I suppose we really came to SA for more exotic stuff and that’s what we found when we flew out to Ecuador, stopping over in La Paz.