Buenos Aires and a cousin Kayla

When you travel with people you learn a lot about them; you either love or hate them after the trip.  I love my cousin Kayla.  Growing up we didn’t spend much time together, and even as adults we only saw each other at the occasional family gathering, but when I announced I was taking off for a world tour she said she wanted to meet me.  I tried to think of the best place to meet up with her since this would be her first time flying internationally alone, and her first trip outside of the United States.  I settled on Buenos Aires, a bustling metropolis with endless activities and access to the sea.

I flew up from Ushuaia and waited patiently for her to arrive!  When she landed we met in front of the McDonald’s in the airport and shrieked in unison.  IMG_5952

Downtown Buenos AiresIMG_5973

We booked a hotel in downtown BA just a few blocks from the Obelisk.  As we admired the view from our hotel room Kayla said wow look at the lady singing!  I said I didn’t see anyone singing anywhere, she was adamant that it was huge and right in front of us.  I was actually looking for a lady singing on her balcony……It was Evita.  Later that night after grabbing dinner we downloaded and watched Evita.

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The shower was interesting, but we managed to avoid eye contact during showers.

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We spent the first day walking though Palermo and visiting the Buenos Aires Museum of Modern Art.  I am more of a contemporary art gal, but this museum had an outstanding exhibit.    On the taxi ride home Kayla was alarmed by my unphased attitude at South American driving habits.  I mean we had seatbelt, that in itself was a bonus.IMG_0010 2 (1)

The next day we signed up for a walking tour of the city.  We started at the Congress and toured the full city to the ending point of the Casa Rosada – the Argentine version of the White House.  After the walking tour and learning about the desaparecidos we watched the movie ….. with Antonio Banderas. IMG_6028

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La Boca

After the walking tour we headed to La Boca to see the colorful neighborhoods and pick up local jerseys.  There wasn’t a game on but we saw the stadium and we got shirts to commemorate our trip.IMG_0036 2 (1)Although this neighborhood isn’t known for its safety I wish we would’ve spent more time there, it’s vibrant, full of life, and an iconic neighborhood in the city. IMG_6056

Steak

A trip to Argentina is not complete without a trip to a steakhouse.  We found a highly rated steak house via yelp and it was delicious.  These two broiling, massive steaks came out along with mashed pumpkin and french fries.  We went to town and took the leftovers back – I later at them cold and raw shamelessly.IMG_5992

We spent the majority of our time in Buenos Aires, however we did take the Buque Bus to Montevideo for a few days.  The waters were rough and we agreed that we liked BA more than Montevideo.  This is how I managed:IMG_0110 2 (1)

As our trip came to an end we both agreed we were grateful for this experience and to get to know each other better.  This was a trip to remember.  At the airport where she was headed back to the USA and I to New Zealand, we embraced for a long time, I was truly sad to leave her.

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