Our time in the Lake District of Argentina was over. After 10 days of enjoying nature and outdoor activities, it was time to move on. We had mixed feelings about leaving; we were excited to travel from Bariloche to Buenos Aires, knowing it meant we were headed to Istanbul for the Inflow Travel Summit, but it also marked the end of our adventures in Argentina and South America.
The bus ride was bittersweet. Our previous journey from El Chaltén to Bariloche seemed rough, but it was nothing compared to the 26-hour trip we were about to start. Fortunately, our bus arrived only 20 minutes late.
“Yes! Nick, there’s our bus! It’s not the newest, but it’s not super old either. This overnight ride might be comfy, like the one from Cafayate to Mendoza 😀.”
“Umm, that’s not our bus…that one is,” Nick pointed out.
My heart sank when I saw the bus he was pointing to. Trying to stay positive, I got on the bus and braced myself. The seats were narrow, made of fabric, and had minimal legroom. However, the bus was clean, and an attendant was serving tea, coffee, and some food. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
Around 11:00 pm, we had to transfer buses. We’d never upgraded to a better bus during our travels, so our hopes were low.
Boarding the second bus, my optimism faded. The seats barely reclined and were uncomfortable. The bus was dirty, with food and trash in the aisles, and old gum stuck to our seats. There was no attendant, so no water or drinks. The guy behind me was drunk, talking to himself and yelling randomly.
We moved a few rows up to escape the drunk guy but ended up having to return to our assigned seats when new passengers boarded. After a 26-hour, uncomfortable, smelly ride with only one stop to stretch, we finally reached Buenos Aires, and things improved from there.
In December and January, we lived in Buenos Aires for a month. Some aspects of the city were enjoyable, but we had a love/hate relationship with BA. We were ready to give the city another shot.
We took a taxi from the bus station to Serana Hotel in the Retiro neighborhood. Previously, we stayed in Villa Crespo, so we were excited to explore Retiro and Recoleta this time. After such a terrible bus ride, it felt amazing to lie down on a comfortable bed. Our first night in the city was spent sleeping.
Recoleta Cemetery is home to 4,691 ornate mausoleums, including Eva Perón’s. Even though we had visited before, it still amazed us with its intricate carvings. Nearby, a fantastic little restaurant offered affordable Argentine food. After nearly two days without a proper meal, it was wonderful to enjoy lentil stew, grilled chicken, and salad at El Sanjuanino.
Wandering around Retiro and Recoleta, including the cemetery and parks, we wondered if our first impression of Buenos Aires would have been different had we stayed in this area. While some aspects still bothered us (traffic, noise pollution, smog, and dog poop on the sidewalks), our overall opinion of Buenos Aires was more positive this time.
After two nights, we moved to another hotel, Argenta Tower, just minutes from Serena. We were surrounded by bustling lanes, numerous coffee shops, wine shops, and the lovely Plaza San Martín. We strolled around, soaking in the atmosphere and reminiscing about our time in Argentina. We visited Delhi Mahal restaurant three times, enjoying some of the best Indian food we’d had outside the Subcontinent.
Despite it being our second visit, we were still amazed by the grandeur of everything in the city. The plazas and parks were enormous, the buildings incredibly tall, and the traffic sometimes spanned 21 lanes! We had to run to cross the main thoroughfare of Av. 9 de Julio before the light changed.
On our final afternoon, we had a lunch meeting at Argenta Tower Hotel with Yamila, who coordinated our press trips in Argentina. She set us up with numerous companies and partners during our time in Buenos Aires, Cafayate, Mendoza, El Chaltén, El Calafate, Bariloche & the Lake District.
Destination marketing is a part of our blogging life we’re grateful for. If a hotel, activity, or restaurant aligns with our travel style and our website, we’ll partner with them. In return for sharing our experiences on our blog, social media, and YouTube channel, we receive complimentary stays, tours, meals, etc. Often, we partner with tourism boards and marketing departments rather than just one hotel or tour company. It’s a win-win situation.
In Yamila and Destino Argentina’s case, it was a long partnership, and we’re grateful for her assistance and hard work – especially since we’re such last-minute planners 😀.
After five memorable months in South America, it was time to explore new places. We were off to Istanbul on our first Business Class flight with Turkish Airlines!
Stay tuned for our travel round-up through Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile.