The past week has been absolutely amazing, if also more than a little bit emotional! This city has everything - steaks, red wine, tango, culture, interesting history, friendly people, perfect weather and all affordable. I have fallen in love with it all over again, and could even see myself living here one day! Hutch loved it too because it reminded her of Paris- some of the architecture is really European and the city has a similar vibe. She's convinced she's going to learn Spanish when she gets home! All 8 of us were totally made up right from the beginning and we had an action packed 7 days.

We arrived mid afternoon on Monday and after checking in to the sweet Milhouse Avenue hostel we set the tone for the week ahead by heading straight to a cafe for a bargain 3 course meal and £4 bottles of red wine! In the evening it was then party time over at the other Milhouse hostel, and it was strange going back to where I had stayed for almost a fortnight last time I was here.

On Tuesday we did a walking tour of La Boca, led by our slightly crazy but really nice guide from the hostel, Joy. This was a small but colourful district where tango started, and after going round the Boca Juniors museum and even getting on to the pitch, we then stopped for lunch at a brilliant local restaurant that oozed character for yet more MEAT! A couple of hours before, my hangover meant that I couldn't even contemplate having another steak and red wine, but all of a sudden I was fine again! As we all sat there outside in the sun, with an old guy adding to the atmosphere by singing away in the background, we really couldn't have been happier! The evening was a bit of a novelty by recent standards - a quiet night in consisting of a pot noodle for tea and an early night!

We teamed up with Joy again on Wednesday to explore another neighbourhood - this time Recoleta, which has some nicer shops, parks and a big cemetary where Evita's grave is. We had a slightly strange addition to the tour when Joy first took the best part of an hour to arrange, and then another hour to show us, the inside of the law school. Despite assuring us how beautiful and grand it was inside, is was just like any other university building, and we later found out that actually she just fancied a guy there! It was striking how Joy, who was only our age, at times got a bit emotional when she was explaining the history and significance of certain things - in particular about Eva Peron. The passion of it's people is just one of many attributes which seem to lure you in to loving this place!

In the evening, Mr Sowerby fronted up another masterpiece in the kitchen using limited resources and after a few drinks at the bar, and Hutch and I clearing some space on the dancefloor to throw some serious salsa shapes, we then headed out to Kika nightclub for some boogying with the locals. It was pretty rammed for a Wednesday night and it turned heavy again, finally rocking into bed around 5am!

Unfortunately I'm not as young as I used to be (can you notice a theme here?!) and the following day saw the heavy last week or so finally catch up with me to mean whilst the others went out and put the day to good use Hutch had to look after me as I spent most of it in bed! But if Thursday day was a bit of a waste, Thursday night was, for us anyway, our favourite night if the entire trip so far! It was time to sample the local passion for tango!!

First we had an hours lesson (there will definately be more where that came from when we get back!). This was a really good laugh and we learned a tango 'pose'. It was fine when we practised the pose with each other but slightly more embarassing when we all had to swap partners and wrap our legs round randoms! Then we had a gorgeous 3 course meal (more steak) with as much wine as we could drink, and then we were treated to a superb tango show! As the 8 of us sat there by the stage, with the dancers right in front of us and singers strutting their stuff in the aisles next to us, it was another one of those 'I couldn't be happier' moments! And to say some of us weren't too bothered about the lesson before the night started, the fact that we all ended up on the hostel balcony outside our room practicing when we got back suggested otherwise!!!

Friday involved a bit of faffing with us all sorting some stuff out for our next moves, and then after stopping off at the obelisk we headed out ourselves and had a mooch round Palermo, naturally breaking up the day with a bottle of red! In the evening, seen as it was the last supper, we treated ourselves to a meal at one of the best restaurants in BA - La Cabrera - which served up amazing steaks which you order to share and which come with all the trimmings!! It really was the perfect way to sign off being a octet!

We headed out into the early morning sunshine on Saturday back to Recoleta for the big markets where we all did some souvenir shopping, before rushing back to the hostel to say our tearful good-bye to Ste. It had been brilliant having him out here with us, and it's frightening to think how quick the 5 weeks have gone, even if the dorm was immediately more peaceful!! Hutch especially needed a bit of consoling (and I'm supposed to be the emotional one of the group!), and the only way to try and get over our loss was to sleep it out in preparation for a Saturday night in Buenos Aires at Pacha!!

The best pizza we have had so far for tea got us on our way and at 2am we got picked up from the hostel. 4 hours later we were watching the sun rise from the balcony at the back of the club in yet another moment that we just won't forget! After getting a taxi back in broad daylight we got back in the room amid confusion as to whether the clocks had gone forward an hour, only for Frenchie to find a website saying that BA had chosen not to observe the change! Either way, after less than an hours sleep we were up again to make a tearful and totally surreal farewell to Frenchie. This one struck equally as hard, and just continued the rollercoaster of emotions for the last few days!

That wasn't helped by having to finally, after 3 months of lugging the stupid sticks that Robbo and I bought at Machu Picchu, give up on them as first Sowers had tried to take them back on the plane with him, and then after trying to hide them in a plant at the airport Frenchie couldn't find them the following day! Not a security risk at all! It felt like we had lost a child to us!!

Needless to say our bodies didn't have a clue what was going on, but by mid afternoon we summed up enough energy to head out to the Sunday Market in San Telmo, and we were so glad we did because it was brilliant! There was such a bustle about the place and allsorts going on up and down the street that was heaving with locals and gringos, there was such a cool vibe. So we spent a good few hours strolling along the stalls and despite the tiredness we were so, so happy and content!

The only thing that was distracting us from the chilled out feel was us having a last minute deliberation whether to change our plans and stay with the girls a bit longer and head down south. Even into the evening meal (where I had gone on my birthday last time!) and waking up on Monday morning we had kinda decided that we wanted to do it. But unfortunately, despite a hectic morning which kinda distracted us from the emotion and reality that we were leaving the girls behind, logistics and cost meant that it just wasn't meant to be and after a good few hours of contemplation we decided we would stick to our original plan.

And so we waved off the 4 girls with a heavy heart to bring to an end almost 4 months of incredible experiences. It had been amazing, and straight away it felt strange not being together. In less than 2 days we had gone from 8 to 2!! After strolling around centro for a bit Hutch and I decided the best way to bring to an end the most amazing week in Buenos, and to mark the start of our adventure as just the two of us, was to treat ourselves to lunch back at La Cabrera!!

So for the next 6 months 'we' refers to only us 2, but it's gonna be good!!!!!