Ishicilelwe: 19.10.2018
During the first short visit, I was only here to get to Uruguay. It seemed to be the only possible way (by land). The weather is great again with a bright blue sky, but the so-called good airs (Aires) are quite cool. Flashy glass facades at the ferry port, buildings of international banks. I rush off with my backpack because yesterday I spent the last pesos from Uruguay on a bottle of local red wine (with the sun of Uruguay on it) and hit it right on the head. I didn't finish drinking it. Let me check, yeah, it still looks good, on the ferry I had to check my luggage, just like at the airport. The bottle survived!
You can choose between 3 ferry companies. Contrary to the information in the travel guide, there are now only fast ferries that can cover a little over 1 hour thanks to their shallow draft. You can't see the other shore - that's how wide the Rio de la Plata is here.
After arrival, I first need to find an ATM: no luck in the otherwise well-equipped terminal building. It was a few hundred meters to the first bank. Only then can I take a taxi to the hotel. Diligent helpers immediately see that I want a taxi and open the door of such a taxi. I suspect - pesos are in demand. Since I only have peso bills but no loose change, I quickly close the car door. But the taxi driver immediately reacts and gives me some coins as a tip - that's really a service. The hotel is on Avenida Independencia. In between, the taxi driver shows me some handicrafts made by his wife - they're really pretty. Because I'm in such a good mood and everything is going well, I buy a few of the really nice handicrafts from him. When I try my usual small talk topic about the traffic situation, he responds with a counter question: where do I come from - okay - a country bumpkin from Bavaria.
The afternoon walk turned out to be a bit longer after all, but I didn't quite make it to the Rio. The beautiful park at the waterfront 'Reserva Ecológica Costanera', actually a nature reserve, was closed. A ranger on an electric mobile informed me about it when I was almost at the waterfront. A small snack in between, Currascito, that's what the steak sandwich is called here, which you can top with all sorts of ingredients like salad, sautéed onions, sauces, etc. very tasty! Quickly bought something for the evening at a small supermarket and off to the hotel. I'm too tired to go out for nightlife. I still have 2 full days in beautiful Buenos Aires.