Buenos Aires by Baz

Well, our 5 weeks in Buenos Aires have come to an end. It has been terrific to unpack the bags, get settled, be able to cook for ourselves, and really get to know the place, but I think we are both excited and envigorated at the prospect of getting on the road again.After the initial, hectic first week, when we got the apartment sorted and began to get our bearings within the city, there was a strange week of not quite knowing what to do with ourselves. We had so much time on our hands, and it was difficult to keep occupied without the stimulation of an everchanging environment - too much time to think can be a dangerous thing. However, we soon settled to a new, more relaxed pace and once we mastered the public transport system we were unstopable.We both started exercising regularly and discovered a beautiful place to run around the nature reserve. Some of the highlights of our time in Buenos Aires are outlined below.

Tango Show

Buenos Aires is aparently the birthplace of the Tango and there is no shortage of shows to go to every night of the week.They are a relatively expensive "must do" when in Argentina, so we paid our money and went to the Puerto Madera tango show.We were collected at the apartment and brought to the show where we enjoyed a bottle of wine - correction, Seonaid enjoyed a bottle of wine, I had countless pints of delicious draught beer - and a tasty pre show meal. We didnt have great seats but had a decent view of what was going on. The show was very slick.Excellent live music, and male and female vocalists who, although their best years were behind them, put on a very good performance.The dancers were superb - athletic and sensual, and brilliantly correographed. The evening ended at 12.00 when we were taken back to our apartment. All in all a good night out.

Nightclub

We had heard much about the Buenos Aires nightlife before we arrived - pubs fill up around 12.00, then empty at 3.00 when people go on to nightclubs before going home at around 6.00. All these things that would have excited me greatly 5 years ago now struck me with fear.Both Seonaid and I feared we would struggle to handle an all-nighter, but on Friday night we simply went for it.Manchested United scout Jose was very kind to arrange for us to get into Asia DeCuba at a greatly reduced rate, so after getting a bottle of wine, a couple of beers and a cocktail into us we headed to Asia DeCuba at the Port.Half-cut, I tried to recit in Spanish the instructions I had learned, to the bouncer. Luckily he half understood and we were in.

The place was packed, the dancefloor full and the music terrific.We left our coats in and then Seonaid disappeared before my eyes making a beline for the dancefloor. I joined her, dancing my way through the crowd, the wine and beer conspiring to make me think I was John Trevolter, white suit and medallion. As we shook our thangs all over the dancefloor I felt the whole place was looking at us, captivated by my snake hips and Seonaid, stunningly beautiful, with her badass dancemoves. Im quite sure reality was quite different, but I maintained this fantasy for the entire evening until we eventually left and got a taxi home at 5.30.A great nights craic and we spent the whole evening dancing.

Boca Game

I had been keen from the start to get to a Boca Juniors game, but was disappointed to find the price was prohibitive. The agencies were charging a small fortune to transport you in and out of Boca safely. Again our good friend Jose was able to help and arranged 2 tickets for Boca V Tigre on Sunday. He collected us at the apartment and took us to the game where we had excellent seats right on the half-way-line. Before the match I was enthrawled by the Boca Cheerleader girls, and Jose suggested to Seonaid that they may be recruiting if she fancied a job here in Buenos Aires (I guess someone must have told him about Seonaids performance in the Dancefloor of Asia DeCuba).

The atmosphere at the game was terrific, with the Tigre fans in fine voice and using blue and white baloons to barate the Boca fans oposite them. When their team came onto the pitch the hundreds of baloons were released and showered the whole of the stadium - quite a sight. The game turned out to be a 5 goal thriller, with the plucky Tigre team really going for it and taking a 2 goal lead before Boca fought back to equalise, just before half time Boca had a man send off and scored to take the lead 3-2.With a man down in the 2nd half Boca lacked the firepower to get back into the game and it finished 3-2 to Tigre.Many thanks to Jim and Jose for helping us out with the tickets to the game.

I also feel I have been able to develop my Spanish quite a bit since we arrived here. I have tried to do 20 minutes studying per day, and bit by bit have tried to challange myself in practical situations. The language is one thing I hope to continue to develop when I return home.

We leave Buenos on Wednesday and get a morning ferry to Colonia in Urugay.