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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…

After re-entering Argentina, I took a twelve hour bus South, to find myself in the most Southern city on the planet, Ushuaia, on the island of Tierra del Fuego.

Crossing to Tierra del Fuego

After returning to Argentina, I travelled from Rio Gallegos, back down the motorway, and across the Magellan Strait by ferry, to arrive on the island of Tierra del Fuego. This island is split between Chile and Argentina, and sits within the islands of Antarctica. Therefore, whilst I visited in Summer, it was still snowing frequently. It is also home to Ushuaia, the most southern city in the world.

Ushuaia

Ushuaia is a small city that is surrounded by snowy mountains and ocean. It is popular with tourists from all around the world, and my hostel was full of french and israeli people especially. This was great fun, as I never expected to share a jewish feast with a group of new friends teaching me hebrew in the bottom of South America.

This land once inhabited native people that lived on shellfish, seals or guanaco (like alpacas), several tribes survived here, but after discovery and studies of the island by famous adventurers like Darwin, the Europeans slowly wiped the natives out. Learning about how they survived in the climate here was fascinating.

Later, the town was used to imprison Argentina’s most significant political and criminal prisoners. The prisoners built their own prison by hand from local materials, and were also made to work, building structures for the town. Much of the city’s most important amenities today, exist thanks to the inmates of Ushuaia.

Today, the city is full of restaurants, shops and also some museums that invite you to learn about the history of the city at the bottom of the world. I visited the former prison building that is now a collection of museums, especially featuring the local maritime history. It was very interesting to visit this building and there was more information than I could read! It is a great way to spend a few hours in the town.

I also visited the thematic gallery museum, which is a museum of figures that is quite interactive and provides information about the native people, and the discovery and development of the island. They provided an audio guide, a movie and lots of photo opportunities with the exhibits. I really had fun at this museum!

Tierra del Fuego National Park

Twenty minutes away from Ushuaia is the Tierra del Fuego National Park. You can get a bus from the town to the park and visit for either a day at a time or camp overnight at the park for multi day trekking. Not only does the park have multiple treks that you can enjoy, but it also has kayaking activities, a train attraction and the world’s most southern post office.

I decided to do an easy three hour trek along the coast which had beautiful views of the mountains, and forest, and the beaches were covered in mussels and beautiful clusters of shells. I also visited the post office so I could send a postcard from the end of the world, and got my passport stamped with the extra special ink stamp!

Other activities around the area

There are also other treks that you can carry out around the area, as well as excursions to see wildlife such as penguins that are only found in this remote area. I had already done a penguin excursion in Punta Arenas, so I decided not to do this in Tierra del Fuego. I did do a six hour trek to a beautiful glacier though. I climbed a steep ascent through forests, streams and over a waterfall. I grappled over ice and snow to the Glacier Vinciguerra.

At the glacier, there is a huge lagoon, and a snowy trail to the glacier’s overhang to see ice caves! This was a little nerve wracking as there were many frozen pools of water, and snow covered voids, that would be very dangerous if you stepped in the wrong place. The ice cave was astonishing though. It was an amazing feeling to be underneath a thick clear ice ceiling, with small sediment deposits scattered amongst it. The only downside to the walk was my very cold and wet feet after walking on such thick snow and ice!

Overall, Tierra del Fuego was a unique location and certainly the place to be for hiking and winter activities. The atmosphere was very friendly here, and It was interesting to think that all that visit and live here, have a sense of adventure, that has led them to the end of the earth.

From South to North. Now, I have reached Antarctica, I will be turning around, and attempting the several days of bus journeys to the North of Argentina, and hopefully will arrive in Mendoza in about a week.