Hola desde Buenos Aires. Estoy enamorado de esta ciudad - es muy MUY Linda. I had a fantastic night last night and an amazng day today.

Last night I attended a Tango lesson with dinner and show at Complejo Tango (www.complejotango.com.ar) for a cost of 250 pesos (approx AUD $57) we recieved transport to and from the hostel door, a 45 min tango lesson, 3 course meal (I had a salad, followed by well cooked steak and delicious ojos negros - chocolate brownies with ice cream), unlimited wine and soft drink, and a Tango show depicting the history of the tango dance and music. Great value! Staff spoke both English and Spanish. Lessons were conducted in both lanuages so you learned a little of the language as well as the dance. Very friendly yet professional staff both in the restaurant and dance class. The class was done in 2 seperate groups so that you didnt feel it was overcrowded. Our group had entree and mains (and several glasses of wine) before the class which may have contributed to our exhuberance and enthusiasm. Despite there being around 20 - 30 people in the class, the instructor was able to give each person/ couple individual attention and instruction and we all came away having learned a basic tango 10 count step, loads of laughs and a comemorative certificate.

The Tango show was even more amazing to watch after our lesson as we had an idea of just how difficult those moves really are! There was only the slightest suggestion of the simple moves we had learned, instead they were doing huge kicks, lifts, and all at 100 miles an hour! Most enjoyable all round. Whilst we did pre pay for the evening on arrival at the venue, an opportunity to tip was presented at the end of the show. There was no pressure though and no change in demeaner of the staff before and after the tipping (we tipped around 10 pesos per head as a token gesture).

After being dropped back to our hostel, we decided as it was now just on 11.30 it was time to party. Well ok the young ones I was with decided and then informed me I had to come. Not being one to disappoint, I accompanied them as we walked the few blocks to the sister hostel Milhouse Hipo where a dance party was taking place. I'm not sure what I expected but it certainly wasnt this - they had transformed the communal lounge / bar area of the hostel to a full on night club! Very good DJ mixing the tunes, smoke machines, packed dancefloor, lights and the works. Luckily the drink prices were more hostel than night club - 20 pesos (less than $5) for cocktails served in large plastic cups (about the size of a schooner at the football). They didnt skimp on the alcohol content either! I had a lot of fun dancing until the wee hours, although once the guys I'd came with started to pair off into darkened corners I figured it was time for the olf fogy to head home hehehe. One thing I love about Buenos Aires the streets feel safe even at 2 in the morning! So back to my sweatbox of a room (the airconditioner I paid for doesnt work in this room apparantly - windowless with only a ceiling fan it is a sauna at all hours). Not sure if its my body clock or the alcohol but I only managed to sleep until 6 am (when one of the boys came back). I was still lying in bed awake when the other 2 from my room came back to go to bed at 7.30. Oh to have stamina like that again!

About 8.30 I decided to get up and check out the free breakfast and plan the day. I figured out the walking tours I wanted to do arent on on a Sunday so I had a chat with the guy at reception and decided to check out the hop on hop off tourist bus... but BA doesnt start up early especially on a Sunday so I figured that could wait and back to bead I went! Surprisingly slept until 1pm! So yeah I "wasted" a day but with the way my brain was ceasing to function on no sleep I think it was a worthwhile sacrifice.

The tourist bus is pretty good. One of those double decker open roof jobs with recorded commentary in several languages (just plug your headphone into the one that suits). Very friendly tour guide on board took my cash (70 pesos for 24 hours AUD$15.95) and told me all about how the bus works etc. Pretty good service actually. The buses run every 20 minutes at each stop. 21 stops on the route, each numbered as well as named and announced before you get to them so you have time to get downstairs. Not 100% sure what I wanted to do (I was thinking recoleta cemetary but the San Telmo markets are only on on Sundays) I figured I'd do the full loop first listening to the commentary then jump off on the second go round. I didnt quite realise its over a 2 hour circuit Stupid me had thrown away my bottle of water (after mistakenly buying soda water instead of still) and completely forgetting to bring sunscreen. Needless to say I was a lovely shade of pink and somewhat thirsty by the time I got off! I did enjoythe trip though and met a lovely old guy from Mexico who spoke no English but seemed delighted that we managed to understand each other enough for me to save his seat while he ducked downstairs for a few minutes. I think his name was Henry.

I opted for the San Telmo street markets (partly cause they were a much closer stop than recoletta, but mainly because i know I can do the cemetary when im back here in a few weeks). The markets were amazing! Set up in cobblsetoned streets in front of cluttered antique stores, the markets sell all sorts of handmade crafts as well as antiques. It was absolutely packed, but the crowd seemed to be mainly tourists (many spanish speaking tourists in BA) and everyone was friendly. I didnt feel unsafe at all, nor did I fear pickpockets (although I did take the usual precaustions just in case). It was quite comfortable walking around with my big camera out and many others were doing the same.

Keeping in mind the straining fabric of my backpack, and knowing I could probably buy a lot of this style of things later in my trip, I resisted the urge to buy trinkets. I did however find a nice little restauant for a very late lunch. (it was 4.30 by this stage). I finally got to have some empanadas! Delicious. Funnily despite the restaurant having menus written in English, the wait staff onbly spoke spanish and didnt know what you wanted if you ordered in english or even pointed to the item on the English menu. Luckily a little spanish is coming back to me so I managed to order una polo empanada y uno carne and una coca cola. The empanadas were delicious although I was surprised to find tofu in the meat one. After that I decided I needed dessert which was when i had an amusing "discussion" with the waiter about the sundae I'd ordered being too big for one and trying to figure out a more piquena alternative hehehe. Eventually something was sorted and I ended up with what looked like a bowl of neopolitan with a wafer in it. A tad disappointing on looks, but oh how looks can be decieving! Heaven in the mouth, the strawberry icecream tasted like real strawberries, the chocolate had pieces of chocolate in it and the vanilla had a slight honey flavour. YUM YUM YUM (wafer was not pleasant but who needed one with that delicious icecream!) Feeling rested and refreshed an hour or so later I happily paid my 52 peso bill. Quite cheap when you consider I'd had 2 bottles of coke and the meal sufficed as both lunch and dinner. No wonder backpackers love this city - although most would be horrified at the idea of eating in a restaurant.

The last bus from the San Telmo stop was at around 7 so I decided to head off. I ended up on a Spanish only bus, but couldnt be bothered waiting another 20 minutes for a multi lingual one. As I'd already heard the commentary it wasnt a problem. This ride was beautiful. As dusk fell I watched the city light up as a cooling breeze kissed my sunburned skin. This city is beautiful in the daylight but at night it is just spectacular! I will say however that it is not easy to take hand held night shots from a moving bus, and stops at traffic lights etc are unpredictable (or likly to have you at just the wrong angle) so my photos wont do it justice. Unfortunately I missed the Floralis Generica completely this time round. I must have gotten lucky earlier in the day when i was able to get off a shot as this evening the bus didnt even slow down anywhere near it!

I jumped off the bus at the last stop just on 10pm. The map they give you with your ticket came in very handy and I was able to find my way back to Milhouse with no trouble. My latest room mate was already asleep so hopefully I didnt annoy him too much trying to dig stuff out of my bags to bring down to the bar. I ran into Bruna who I partied with last night on the way down and she tried to talk me in to going out with her again tonight, but with a flight to Ushuaia tomorrow morning I opted to have a quiet one. (Mind you its now 2am and Im still sitting in the bar typing hahahah). At least I was able to get photos off the memory cards and onto laptop and backup drive. Facebook let me upload but im having trouble getting them on here so they may have to wait.

The thing about hostels like this one though is no matter what time you decide to pack your bags, shower, or come and go from the room there is always someone asleep. During the day the partiers sleep and during the night the sightseers and recent arrivals do. Given the partiers loud conversations about whether or not they got to use the condoms they brought and whether Brazilian girls are really Brazilian when they got in this morning, I've opted to pack my bags in the morning rather than tonight. Less impact on the new guy :)

So buenos noches and Ciao from Buenos Aires. Off to Ushuaia tomorrow!