Liebe auf den zweiten Blick! - Buenos Aires

06/12 - 10/12

Our flight from Auckland to Buenos Aires took off on time at 8:15 PM and we were able to enjoy a beautiful sunset in the air.



However, my alarm bells were ringing as it seemed like we were flying unusually low. It appeared that the plane was not ascending. The flight display on the screen showed that everything was fine. We had already settled down and I had started watching the first part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy when suddenly the pilot announced that there were some values indicating a problem with the right engine. There was no cause for concern, everything was under control, but they could not continue the flight to Buenos Aires in this condition and had to return to Auckland. Before that, we had to fly a maneuver for half an hour, during which fuel was released from the right engine for some reason. At this point, we still didn't know what the actual problem was. Naturally, my mind started to race and the minutes until landing seemed to drag on forever. Eventually, we landed safely in Auckland again. After a short inspection by the engineers, we were informed that the flight could not continue in this aircraft. So all passengers had to disembark and were taken back to the gate. There we learned that the flight to Buenos Aires could only take place the next day at noon. So we had to re-enter New Zealand and pick up our luggage. After that, like many others, we went to the Customer Service Desk of Air New Zealand - we didn't know where to spend the night. They actually provided us with accommodation, but it was 100 km away from the airport. Finally, at 1:30 AM, the two-hour bus ride to the motel started, where we at least got three hours of sleep. The next morning, we returned to the airport at 7:30 AM for the second attempt of the flight.



This time everything went smoothly. We were also lucky to have a row of three seats by the window all to ourselves, where we could fold out footrests and turn the seats into a lying surface. Thanks to our relatively small size, we managed to lie next to each other like sardines in a can. There was no room to turn around, but it was still the most relaxed 11-hour flight of my life. Emi, as almost always, couldn't close her eyes and was exhausted upon arrival...

Since we crossed the international date line, we traveled back in time. We left Auckland at 12 PM on December 7th and arrived in Buenos Aires at 8 AM on December 7th.

Hungry, thirsty, and visibly exhausted from the flight, we arrived at our accommodation at noon. We were staying in the San Telmo neighborhood in a nice little hostel with an integrated restaurant. Our plan was actually to stay awake for the rest of the day to adjust to the new time zone. But after our first short excursion in our neighborhood, we fell completely exhausted into bed. In addition to a slight culture shock, there was also some frustration. Despite some Spanish lessons and feeling well prepared for everyday life, we realized in Buenos Aires that we didn't speak any Spanish - let alone understand it. So we spent the rest of the day sleeping, eating, drinking red wine, and sleeping again.

New day, new luck. Full of energy, we were ready to explore the city. There happened to be a hop-on-hop-off bus station near our accommodation. After the first bus was full, the guide of the second bus told us that we couldn't buy tickets on the bus, they were only available at the ticket office. So we took a taxi there. When we arrived, we realized that we were not the only ones who wanted to take this tour. There were no more tickets available for this day, only for the next day, when two-thirds of the routes were affected due to a WTO conference. After losing another half day, we decided to explore the city by taxi only.

In the afternoon, we finally made it to La Boca and the famous 'La Bombonera' (the box of chocolates), the stadium of the most famous football club in Argentina - Boca Juniors. Players like Diego Armando Maradona and Carlos Tevez have played there.



The Boca Juniors are also known for their enthusiastic fans, called La Doce (the twelfth man). Around the stadium, the club colors blue and yellow dominate, and portraits of the club icons fill the neighborhood.





We - or rather I - wanted to take a tour of the museum and of course have a look inside the stadium. However, the ticket seller at the counter apparently didn't quite understand what I wanted, and I didn't understand what she was asking me. In the end, we had to realize in the museum that our ticket did not grant us access to the stadium. Instead, they offered us an overpriced photo tour, which eventually allowed us to enter the stadium, the locker rooms, and step onto the field through the player's tunnel.



The expensive photo book that we didn't even get because we took the wrong exit and suddenly found ourselves in the entrance area, could stay more than stolen for me…





A short walk away was 'Caminito,' a short but very colorful and impressive street in the La Boca neighborhood. Here, everything was centered around tourism. After taking all the photos, Emi realized the situation perfectly and ordered me a beer to lighten up my mood. On our way back, we made a brief stop at the 'Obelisco' and had a snack break at 'Mercado San Telmo'.



In the evening, the long-awaited moment had finally arrived: I started to love Buenos Aires. We went to a steak restaurant in our neighborhood where I had the best steak of my life. Of course, there was Argentine red wine as well. Inspired by the feeling of happiness, we stayed for a few more copas (wine glasses). After New Zealand, we enjoyed being able to observe the evening hustle and bustle in a big city.

Unfortunately, we didn't handle the alcohol very well after five weeks of abstinence. Nevertheless, we mustered up with some physical handicaps to explore the Palermo neighborhood at a scorching 34 degrees.



Our taxi driver took the opportunity and tried very patiently to engage us in small talk in Spanish. After we told him that we come from Austria, he explained to us that he likes Austria. Recently, an Argentine submarine had disappeared and Austria was helping with the recovery. Austria is indeed predestined to recover submarines... The two Austrians he knows are Niki Lauda and Adolf Hitler. After that, he made a few anti-Semitic remarks... Next topic: soccer. He wanted to know if we are participating in the World Cup. Argentina had only just made it. When asked about the last game against Ecuador, he said that Argentina had bought the victory...



In Palermo, we first strengthened ourselves with a small snack and mate tea. Then we strolled around the area. On weekends, there are some small craft markets and countless cafes, restaurants, and bars. We actually wanted to explore this area in more detail, but at some point, we had to admit defeat to our hangover and the relentless heat and drove back to our accommodation.

We spent our last supper in a slightly more upscale steak restaurant. But when we looked at the prices, we realized that we had foolishly not brought a credit card. So we started putting together a budget menu and secretly counted our remaining pesos under the table while thick steaks and bottles of red wine were being served all around us. Our waiter was visibly surprised by our meager order and the apparent rare waiver of accompanying wine...

We didn't have any money left for a taxi the next day, so we had to walk to the ferry terminal with all our luggage.

Conclusion:

Although this city, where steaks are cut with a spoon and red wine is only ordered in bottles, initially did not show us its beautiful side and put some obstacles in our way, we are both very impressed by it. Unfortunately, due to the lost day caused by the travel turbulences, we didn't have enough time for a detailed exploration tour. But we are sure that Argentina will see us again someday. Then we will take enough time for Buenos Aires!



Hasta pronto!

E&L

>> Next stop: Uruguay <<