Recoleta y La Boca

Todays events were on the refreshing side of unexpected and that goes for more than just the beer! Taking the bus seems to be the cheapest method of travel at about 25 cents per ride even from the hostel to the famous Recoleta cemetery which was the first destination on the agenda. This place was absolutely amazing. Its an above-ground cemetery that comes complete with crypts and tombs. From a distance it actually looks like a city as it is walled in similar to a castle or an older Spanish town. The cemetery yielded plenty of photographs and could definitely double as a horror movie set or an amazing place to play hide-and-seek. Some of the tombs date back 300 years and possibly more. While strolling through the necropolis we(my mother and I) came across a pride of cats that seemed to have taken over a section of the cemetery. she came prepared and the gatos got to enjoy an entire bag of treats.

Food and beer are two of the things high up on my to-do list while traveling and today I made a couple of amazing finds. The Buller brewing company, located in the Recoleta barrio produced quite possibly the BEST burger I have ever had. Now if you're asking why I would eat something as American as a hamburger in Buenos Aires, let me tell you that they can do it much better than anything you get stateside. It came "complete" with a fried egg, amazing cheese and fresh tomato and lettuce. Paired with the legendary Argentine beef it was mouth watering to say the least. An egg on a burger, why didn't I think of that? To go with it I had a tough choice between either a honey beer or an IPA. I ended up going with the latter and made a promise to myself to make a return trip when I come back from Chile.

Id say I managed to burn of the calories from the afternoons meal after we met some fellow travelers in the hostel. Amy, who is from Ohio and Erik who is from Holland and an artist who knows his way around the city better than some of the locals. Together the four of us made our way through the La Boca barrio which is said to be one of the shadier and more dangerous parts of the city until you make it to the center. San Telmo was historically the art district until inflation drove the cost of living up and as a result, many of the artists moved to La Boca and you can definitely tell. The setting is incredibly vibrant and very much alive with music, dancing and art. The tour through La Boca eventually led us back towards an ice cream parlor near San Telmo that gave us a nice reprieve from the heat.

I think I can now leave Buenos Aires without feeling guilty for not exploring it fully. Definitely a great day!