nightlife | Go Go Chlo

Following my first trip to Buenos Aires, I returned to the capital city at the end of my three month trip around Argentina to have a final week there, enjoying some attractions I had not been able to visit in my first visit. This time I was joined by a travel companion and was staying in a luxury hotel.

A focus on Evita

Following my first visit to Buenos Aires, and visiting the grave of Evita, a famous Argentine first lady, this time round, I visited the Evita museum. I was keen to learn more about her life and work for the state. The museum is housed in a previous home for the poor that was set up through a foundation that Evita begun. The museum has several rooms with projections of Evita’s film clips as an actress, her speeches as an activist and also a viewing gallery for her red carpet gowns.

I found the museum to be really interesting but unfortunately photos were not allowed. The information was really good about her early life, career, relationship with president Peron, and her death. I learnt that she had a lot more involvement in charity work than I had realised. She also won the vice presidency but turned it down, which I was not aware of. After finishing our look around the museum, we had a tasty lunch in the museum’s restaurant which has a very nice courtyard.

A walk around the parks

I was able to visit a few more of the park’s in Buenos Aires this time, although not all of them, as the rosalade (rose garden) was closed for upkeep.. very annoying. I did manage to visit both the Botanical Garden and the Eco Parque which are next door to each other. This took a full morning, and both parks were worth a look, and free to enter.

The botanical garden has many exotic plants and large trees as expected, and had attempted to theme different sections by different garden styles, for example french or italian.

The Eco Parque is a very different experience. This pretty park used to be a zoo with many large exotic animals, and elegant victorian styled animal houses. In recent decades, most of the animals have been moved to other locations, or sent back to their natural habitat.

There are a few that still roam through the park though, because they are either too old or unwell to move, or do not need to be relocated. The park still has an old camel, plenty of capybaras, strange half rabbit half deer things, and even some monkeys. It is a pleasant place to take a walk in the middle of this huge city, as you never know what new animal will be around the corner.

Nightlife

In the evening, I was lucky enough to be rejoined by my German traveller friends again as they also finished their journey in BA. We headed out to Palermo Hollywood for a night of clubbing and mischief. After a night that lasted until around 6am, I was glad for my full hotel continental breakfast the next day!

La Plata

For a day out, we decided to visit the capital of the Province, the city called La Plata. The city was easy to get to, only 90 minutes on the train, and the main attraction there is a beautiful cathedral.

The cathedral is gorgeous on the inside, and as well as the main church, the attraction offers exploration of the crypt with a museum about its construction and original pieces, the opportunity to be lifted up the tower, and a sweet restaurant. A lovely morning out.

Horse riding in the Pampas

The province of Buenos Aires is part of the ‘Pampas’ region, and this is where the gauchos (Argentine cowboys) farm cattle the most. So, I decided to book us a day of horse riding in the area.

The four hour riding experience included a traditional asado lunch at the house of a local which was pretty special, and the horse riding itself was an unforgettable experience. For good and bad reasons…

The horse I was given, was a little young and barely broken in. This was coupled by the style of gaucho riding which is very different compared to english riding. The saddles and riding kit on the horse is very different and there is no front to the saddles. You are also expected to ride one handed and without a riding hat.

Whilst a little nervous about my horse’s behaviour, I took on the challenge. We rode through long grasses, roads, ditches, and woodlands and after trotting, cantering and a little bucking by my horse, I did manage to stay on the horse! Even though I was a little banged up. The experience was good fun, but the major downer was the extreme amount of mosquito bites I endured all over my legs i was rubbing toothpaste on my legs for days after! (Fun fact: it takes out the itch).

Lunch in Uruguay

We became aware that you could visit Uruguay easily from Buenos Aires’ port by crossing in the river ferry for around an hour. It’s always tempting to cross another country off the list if the opportunity arises, so we booked our ferry tickets and took the pleasant ride across to a town called Colonia del Sacramento. From here you can also take a bus to Montevideo (Uruguay’s capital) but we decided to save that for another trip. Colonia del Sacramento is a picturesque town with a very portuguese style to it, from when it was colonised by Portugal.

There are a couple of small museums and a church in the town to enjoy, and we had a long and luscious lunch of a traditional Uruguay dish called ‘chivito’. This is like a giant inside out meaty sandwich. Like Argentina, Uruguay also does not skimp on food portions.

Before we knew it, it was time to take the ferry back across the river. We had a good laugh about how we left the country just fot lunch though! 🤣

Tango

You can’t visit Buenos Aires and not watch a little Tango, as the traditional dance of the city. Not only can you see people dance this in the streets of Caminito in Boca, there are also plenty of theatres offering shows and classes. I wanted to do a class but they were multiple hours and I felt too lazy about it, plus I only had walking boots to dance with.

I did decide to book a show and after a little research, I booked a show at Teatro Porteno. You had an option of paying for the show on its own or with dinner included. I chose to purchase just the show which was about £23 but then on arrival, we were also provided with another menu to pick and choose food. We went for some empanadas and a delicious ham and cheeses board.

The show itself was amazing! Focused on locations around Buenos Aires, there was a variety of styles of Tango on display. They also had an act that used drums and cattle whips to create impressive rhythms with the music. I was really glad I visited.

Another location where tango can be viewed and learnt is Cafe Tortoni. This is one of the oldest and most fabulous cafes in Buenos Aires. The decor is very traditional italian/ bohemian and many famous faces have eaten here. We decided to visit for a merienda (afternoon snack) and really enjoyed our visit with some great sandwiches and cake.

There were plenty of other bits and pieces I experienced in this bustling capital, but these were definitely the highlights. My return to the UK following Buenos Aires was a very long journey, but also gave me time to reflect on my amazing journey around this beautiful country.

After my return to the UK, I will soon be embarking on my next journey, working on board a cruise ship around the Mediterranean…

The second largest city in Argentina, after Buenos Aires, Cordoba links the Capital and Pampas region to the North West. This huge city is well known for many things, and sits within the rolling Sierras landscape. It was founded by Jesuits, leading to one of its many nicknames ‘la docta’ meaning ‘the wise’, because of the Jesuits founding the first university there that became a jewel for the city. The city is thought to have been named Cordoba in honour of the founder’s wife who was from Cordoba in Spain. What a romantic gesture! Anyway… I was in Cordoba for six nights and had a blast!

The city has not only history, culture and good food, but is also bustling with modern amenities and a great nightlife. On my first day in Cordoba, I went on a free walking tour which showed me around the old part of the city, and inside the gorgeous cathedral.

In this tour I made friends that I would enjoy the company of for the rest of the week. As well as a feisty Mexican and two South Koreans in my hostel, and two locals I enjoyed dinner with. 🙂

I joined my new friends in the first evening for a night in Guemes. This bohemian part of the city, has a collection of trendy restaurants, bars and clubs. We danced the night away to the modern music of Argentina and the odd hit for the states until 4am. It was a good night.

There are plenty of museums and things to enjoy inside the city, and I had particular fun visiting the various shops and one of the fine art museums.

‘Dirty War’

Another interesting piece of history that was clearly dominant in Cordoba,was the remembering of the ‘Dirty War’. During the ’70s there were a series of kidnappings, torturings, and murders of Argentine people by their military government at the time. Anyone that criticised or opposed the government in anyway was abducted, and many were never seen again, becoming one of ‘the disappeared’.

There were up to 30,000 people that went missing including students and pregnant women. Many of the pregnant women were killed and their babies were illegally adopted by government officials. Every thursday people still gather to protest what happened and ask for any information about what happened to their loved ones. If an Argentine person has questions about their identity, they can even access a free DNA test to check that they are not one of the stolen children.

The history is shocking, and appalling and there is a museum to remember this in the centre of Cordoba. It is housed in the former official building where people were taken, tortured, and killed. It has several testimonies of people that were present there, photographs and possessions of victims. The city itself also has statements, photos and symbols in memory of the tragedy around different parts of the city, even though this happened throughout the country.

Surrounding the city

Outside of the city, there are plenty of towns and scenic drives to enjoy. There are also a few towns that were colonised by Germans, and so have German style architecture and attractions. Unfortunately, the tours to these locations were all booked so I could not visit, but I did enjoy the authentic company of my new German friends, so I was happy with that! Some of my new travel buddies had hired a car for the day, and invited me to join them on a tour of the area.

We followed google maps out into the hills and drove along the ‘El Camino del Cuadrado’ a road that winds around mountains, and takes you to a town called La Falda. This town has a pretty little church, a cuckoo clock, and a restaurant with heavenly pasta, and complimentary sangria! We stopped in a nature reserve on the way back and joined the locals in a dip in the river under the sunset, and it was super relaxing. On the way back over the hills, we drove back to the city amongst lightning throwing clouds, with the radio blasting.

Later in the evening, I joined the Germans at their hostel for some games, drinks and laughs. Our friend from Holland joined later, and brought some friends from her hostel. There was plenty of laughter and conversation at our little party in the hostel, with two guys from Germany, a guy from Ireland, a girl from Holland, a girl from France, a guy from Brazil, a guy from Argentina, and little English me. These last minute adventures and meetings of like minded people are so rewarding, and possibly the best part about travelling.

I spent the following days recovering from the late nights, relaxing and visiting nearby towns within easy reach from the bus station.

Cordoba is a great city, and I would say that it has something for everyone, but ultimately it is a place to relax, dine and enjoy. Next stop.. Corrientes.