Last Day in Buenos Aires

On my last morning in Buenos Aires, the rains came. And in the tropics, when it rains, it pours. Despite this, I had a few last things I wanted to do before my bus left for Puerto Madryn that afternoon, so I caught the subway into town. First on my list was a short subway ride on a different line, where the original wooden cars where still in use. Sliding open the wooden doors by hand and sitting down on the benches inside was a little unnerving, but an experience I didn't want to miss. I couldn't help but imagine what it must have been like to ride the subway when it was first built, on these rickety wooden cars.

Leaving the subway at the next stop, Plaza de Mayo in the center of town, I headed towns San Telmo, where my guide had informed me there was an antiques market which was only open on Sundays. Despite the rain, the streets were lined with market stalls selling local crafts and souvenirs, for several blocks until I reached San Telmo. I'm not particularly bothered about antiques, and I certainly wasn't in the position to be buying anything much, but the market was definitely worth a visit. The market was already teeming with people at 11am, as well as street performers ranging from traditional tango dancers to digeridoo players. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time here, and after a fairly brief stroll around the market stalls, I had to head back.


Arriving back at the hotel at 2pm, I picked up my (excessive) luggage and took a taxi to the bus station, where I boarded my bus to Patagonia. I was pleased to find the bus was as luxurious as promised - large, comfy seats which reclined and air conditioning would definitely make the 17 hour journey more bearable. Food was served on board and we stopped several times along the way so I was able to smoke. In relative comfort, I managed to sleep for most of the journey, and awoke around 7am the following morning in time to have breakfast before arriving in Puerto Madryn, in the Chubut region of Patagonia.