I finally made it to Buenos Aires, after a mammoth 22 hour coach journey, the longest of the journey. As I had stayed on in Bariloche, I decided to chill out in the capital although I considered going to Iguassu or do a day trip to Uruguay (saving those for the next trip!!) Arriving at the bus station, I couldn't wait to get to the hostel to freshen up. Although the location was great, right in the centre, in the theatre disctric, it was a little disappointing but then again, the hostel in Bariloche had a lot to live up to.

Walking around the city was the best way to explore the city and I wandered through busy shopping streets and passed by the Casa Rosada, where Evita made her famous speech. Buenos Aires is an amazing mix of old and new and I was surprised by the French style architecture of many buildings. It was however, a shame that many of the oldest buildings have been destroyed over time and that the famous Richmond cafe (Argentina's most famous writers frequented) is now being converted into a Nike shop- a sign of the times. After briefly popping back to the hostel, I headed out for dinner and drinks with some fellow backpackers. We stopped off at a pizza place that was quite rustic in that we ate at the bar but had a great atmosphere. What's more, it was great value for money at only £3 for two slices of pizza and a beer!! Moving on to the bar, I was surprised when they served us 4 litre pitchers of beer, they were so huge I could barely pour a drink!!

After a much needed lie in the next morning, I headed to Recoleta to explore the area itself and the famous cemetary. Upon entering the cemetary, I was shocked by the size of the place- it was like a mini city!! Despite the slight eerie feeling of walking through the cemetary, it was full of weirdly impressive mausoleums and statues. The following morning, I met with a friend who had kindly agreed to show me around the city. While we went to the touristy and colourful La Boca district, it was also great to see the highlights of the city from a local's perspective. After walking around La Boca with the vibrant buildings and tango shows in every restaurant, we headed to the area of San Telmo to check out the quaint antiques markets. Stopping off for lunch, it was almost like being in a different city again, overlooking the modern harbour. While it was a buffet style restaurant, it was clearly quite upmarket with bow tie clad waiters and plenty of business people. It was amazing to finally try typical Argentinian asado as well as sampling freshly made sushi with slices of strawberry.

Making the most of my final day, I ventured out to explore the botannical gardens and the greener areas of the city, getting distracted by the amazing ice cream parlours along the way. After heading back to the hostel to organise my bag pre- departure, I met with my friends and headed to the lovely area of Palermo for dinner. It was a lovely evening as we sat enjoying a picada and wine on a terrace overlooking a bustling square. It was the perfect way to end the trip, a relaxed evening full of laughs with good friends.