Today I decided to leave my wound open to the elements. It looked a bit messy to start with but by the end of the day had started to dry up nicely.
Our third breakfast in this Hotel and even I was getting fed up even with feeling obliged to force down the free Champagne.
We didn’t have big plans for the day but had decided to walk to the Obelisk on Avenue 9 July for the obligatory photo opportunity to start with. Rather pleasingly they had planted and trimmed some large bushes into the shape of the letters BA in front of it. As expected there were lots of other people also trying for that unique shot. The sun was already beating down and Karen may have mentioned she was hot once or twice. To cheer her up and cool her down we headed to a Starbucks. Yet again they messed up making the tea despite Karen insisting she had asked for cold milk. After fuming for a couple of minutes I decided to take mine back and tried to instruct them in the noble art of tea making. It was an unqualified success and I returned with a lovely cup of properly made English Breakfast tea. They probably correctly wrote me off as a mad Englishman who they politely humoured. I prefer though to think that they felt privileged that I taken to trouble to educate them in one of the finer processes in life.
After this we decided to walk to the Puerto Madero. Which as the name implies is the trendy Port area. Well it probably was when it was completed 10 or so years ago. Already in many parts it is run down and ram-shackled. Nevertheless it was pleasant walk to it and even more so along the revitalised docks. Karen still wasn’t feeling Buenos Aires and so rather than having a nice lunch at many of the cafe/bars we ended up in a fast food takeaway where she felt more comfortable. It was almost ok as we sat there watching a group of youngsters practice a rather nifty pop dance routine using the reflection of the windows of the next door restaurant as their outside dance studio. We walked a little further but Karen still wasn’t feeling it and wanted to head back to the area around the Hotel. It was a shame as there was plenty further we could have walked and it was very safe and full of other people doing the same. Once almost back at the Hotel we sat a while in yet another Starbucks and just watched the world go by.
We knew we had an early start the next day so we went back and picked up most of our bags ready for the next day. Tonight we fancied either Pizza/Pasta. I found a good one on Trip Advisor and sought advice from Reception and they of another one that was within walking distance in the same direction. Well they should have been if we could find either of them. After walking for over a mile (but discovering the famous Opera House by mistake) we gave up and ended up back at the same restaurant we had eaten before as at least we knew where to find it. What Buenos Aires lacks is a common area or plaza with lots of restaurants within it. A proper restaurant row. They just seem to be scattered miles from each other. We both had the Chicken & Chips cooked on the open fire and very tasty they were too, even if it was rather repetitive. Almost as much as the 3rd Starbucks we stopped in again on the way back to our room. Karen’s defence was that we couldn’t make a hot drink in our room and couldn’t get one in the Hotel.
And with that we had an early night.
