Uñt’ayata: 18.02.2017
I actually wanted to write the next entry in a week, but since the first impressions in Buenos Aires have completely overwhelmed me, I had to sit down at my tablet today!!
Tanja and my flight with Latam Airlines couldn't have been more pleasant. We were served warm meals twice on our flight to Sao Paulo and the entertainment program significantly shortened the perceived flight time! Blankets, pillows, and headphones were also provided by Latam. Not to forget: the free wine!! (No joke, we could have our glasses refilled multiple times!)
Finally landed (thank god our plane had enough kerosene!), we took the bus to the center of Buenos Aires and from there the subway to our accommodation. After a total of 24 hours, we finally arrived at our hostel in Buenos Aires (Art Factory, Palermo)! Fortunately, the man at the front desk was super nice and spoke fluent English, so we didn't have to sort everything out in our still very limited Spanish.
We were assigned two beds in a 10-bed dormitory. Tanja and I fell right into bed and slept through until the next morning.
Yesterday we started exploring the foreign city for the first time. It's incredible how huge Buenos Aires is!!! Of course, it is Argentina's capital, but it seems almost impossible to see all 48 neighborhoods!! Each one has its own history, culture, and character. Buenos Aires is home to so many different cultures and religions that have mixed over time and have produced entirely new forms of art, literature, music, and dance.
In general, art of any kind is highly valued in Buenos Aires. You just have to stroll along the streets of Palermo and you will find beautiful artworks in every corner! Whether it's paintings on house walls, writings on the asphalt, or a broken Jeep adorned with brushes and paint as a sign of rebellion.
In burger restaurants, you can find sentences and rhymes written on the walls with a marker that seem to belong more in a bestselling book than on a dirty wall.
The people here are super nice and helpful. Whether it was about finding a bus, a subway ticket, or the way to Plaza de Mayo, every time passers-by tried to help us. Since our Spanish is still a bit weak, we were helped with hands, feet, and fragments of English in such a loving way, which is rarely experienced in Germany.
What I also noticed is that every person in Buenos Aires seems to own one or even two dogs! In all parks, on the streets, and even in the subway, you can find small and big furry friends. As much as I love dogs, you have to be careful where you step here, it is not uncommon to find a brown surprise right in the middle of the path!
All the best
Anna