End of the World

After time in the capital, I missed the mountains so returned south to Patagonia to visit the city ‘at the end of the world,’ Ushuaia. I loved it from the moment I landed! 

Beautiful days spent hiking in Tierra del Fuego along the coast, up to Glacier Martial and to Lake Esmerelda, with gorgeous, cosy cafes back in town and a great, social hostel to stay in. The scenery in Tierra del Fuego was very different to anything else I’d seen in Patagonia and after meeting some lovely ladies at the hostel, we had two great days hiking together. The weather stayed kind to us and on the last day as I walked back to the airport, the mountains had been lightly covered with fresh snowfall. 

One lady who I had hiked with, Liz, was off on a ship to Antarctica. I had spent one afternoon on a boat trip on the Beagle Channel and as I came back into the harbour, Liz’s boat was leaving! I was both excited and nervous for her - she would be crossing one of the notorious stretches of sea, the ‘Drake Passage’ and would be onboard that boat for two whole weeks! I’m not sure I could do it, but I equally cannot wait to see her photos and hear all about the amazing, once in a lifetime experience.

For me, it was back on the plane for one last night in Buenos Aires before Europe was calling for a winter adventure…

City Steps

After being in mountains for so long, Buenos Aires was a slight shock to the system. It was hot (over 30 degrees most days,) roads heavy with traffic and as in a lot of big cities, you need to be vigilant and think about your bag! Two girls in my hostel had their phones stolen and another had a necklace cut off from around her neck! 

During my week in the city, I explored a few of the neighbourhoods - Monserrat (where I stayed,) Recoleta (to visit the cemetery and the grave of Eva Peron,) San Telmo (for the markets) and Puerto Madero which reminded me a bit of London’s Southbank at night. I joined walking tours with local guides in Monserrat and the cemetery and both were fantastic. I enjoyed food in Puerto Madero with new hostel friends and found sanctuary from the busy city in cafes and book shops in San Telmo. 

The architecture reminds you of beautiful European cities in France and Italy and when many of the grand buildings were built at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century this was indeed what the city wanted to emulate. I visited Colon Theatre for a tour and wandered around El Ateneo, one of the world’s most beautiful bookshops housed in a former theatre.  The tree lined avenues provided much needed shade and greenery in an otherwise quite ‘gritty’ city.

I will return to Buenos Aires before my flight back to Europe and have chosen to stay in Palermo, so hopefully I will have time to explore one more neighbourhood. 

Would it make it on my top ten cities in the world? No. But, I don’t think any South American city would and I think we’re spoilt for cities in Europe. South America for me is about big landscapes and natural beauty. 

I’m sure I’ll be back again one day and I think it’s like any city, when you return it never seems quite as daunting as it did the first time. For now though, I’m being called back to mountains at the very tip of the continent…