We're now back where it all began, in Buenos Aires, which feels a lot like home, frantically trying to squeeze as much into our last few days as we can. Starting with visits to most of our favourite characterful haunts from our time here in November - ice cream at Scannapieco, pizza at Guerrín, coffee at San Bernardo, pasta at Don Chicho, etc. The main charm these places have is that they´ve been going since the ´40s, ´50s (or even earlier), run by the same families usually, and have barely changed over the years, so you feel like you´re going back in time there - a world away from all the soulless chains and overpriced gastropubs awaiting us back home! Ah well, the search for the London equivalents will be on...
Becka managed to fit in a hair appointment (to take advantage of the prices while we can afford stuff like that!), and we're also aiming to cram in a tango lesson as well before we leave - hopefully I won´t make too much of a mug out of myself. The familiar feeling of aching feet from pounding the pavements is back, but the excitement of walking these streets (akin to the feeling I get in NYC) makes it all worthwhile. Also familiar from last time are the dog-walkers - we chortled as we turned a corner and saw this fella walking seven dogs. Believe it or not, around the next corner, we saw another fella walking sixteen!
We were also determined to catch an Argentine footy match this time, and plumped for the crunch match between Argentinos Jrs and Independiente. We were offered "tourist" tickets for an outrageous 600 pesos (over 100 quid), so I thought "sod that" and went to join the queue for tickets at the stadium on Sunday morning - managed to get ´em for a tenth of the price! (And Becka´s was just over half-price as well, as they do "ladies´" ticket prices!) Feeling thoroughly chuffed with ourselves - and slightly nervous, as we were in the terraces, which could have been troublesome - we headed to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium (named after the club´s most famous son) that afternoon, picking up an empanada on the way in place of a meat pie. We found a spot and squeezed into it to watch the extraordinary ticker-tape and firework reception both sets of fans gave their players. (There are no pictures of all this, sadly, as I was too nervous of being robbed to let Becka take her camera!)
Anyway, the match was something else as well - this being the penultimate game of the season, Argentinos needed a win to stay in contention for their first title since 1985, and having gone a goal up, things looked good, and the crowd were delirious. However, somehow the team switched off and let Independiente (who, to give them their due, had brought half a stadium´s worth of fans, who made an incredible din and were amazing to watch) go 3-1 up with 20 minutes remaining... Cue copious tears from fans of all ages and sexes! Miracles do happen, however, as Argentinos somehow managed to score three times, twice in the last couple of minutes, to win 4-3, to even more tears (it was all too much for several little ´uns in the crowd around us), and massive celebrations. ¡Dále Bicho! ("Bicho" or "creature" being the somewhat unorthodox nickname Argentinos fans have for their team). You could say we chose a good match!
We´ll have a couple of "Best of" lists for you next time (last time?! noooo!!), but for now you can content yourselves with, in no particular order... our Top Five UNESCO World Heritage Sites!
- Cusco, Peru (though I would possibly have chosen Chan Chan instead)
- Olinda, Brazil
- Humberstone, Chile
- Parque Nacional do Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil/Argentina
- Pelourinho, Salvador, Brazil
That will be all for now. Join us again in a few days, and we'll be joining YOU again (well, those of you in London) very soon after that! x
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