Buenos Aires

My original goal to Argentina was to enjoy its natural beauty, such as glaciers and Iguazu falls, and bypassed any big cities.  Buenos Aires was part of our itinerary merely because of transits for the domestic flights.  Our long layover during the day time in Buenos Aires enabled us for some self-guided excursions.  Looking back, I wished we had spent a night in BA in order to enjoy their slick and professional nightly tango dance.  

Tango is synonymous for Buenos Aires, and it is an integral part of the large city. You can find the tango all over Buenos Aires: in authentic neighborhoods, such San Telmo and Recolate, in some cafes, and of course in milongas.  Some hostels even offered some free short lessons.

Cementerio de la Recoleta

Ranked top in LonelyPlanet as a must-see attraction in BA. Founded in 1822, it's the final resting place for the nation's most illustrious corpses, laid out in a compact yet very extensive maze of granite, marble and bronze mausoleums decorated with impressive statues and sarcophagus. You can wander for hours in this amazing city of the dead.  

These inhabitants were once the city's most elite sector of society. They lived a grand life while alive, but buried grandly as well after death.  Among them are Eva Perón, presidents of Argentina, Nobel Prize winners, the founder of the Argentine Navy and a granddaughter of Napoleon.

The mausoleums resemble chapels, Greek temples, a miniature of their professional office (such as a doctor clinic), and miniature mansions.

Yes, this is definitely a must-see on any tourists' list.

Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral, and San Telmo are not too far from one another. 

We visited them all in less than six hours, including strolling through the Sal Telmo Sunday Antique fair.

San Telmo, oldest neighbourhood of BA, lies six blocks from Plaza de Mayo.

We arrived at BA on Sunday morning, therefore we got to enjoy the SUnday Antique market fair in San Telmo.  The fair begins from around Plaza de Mayo and continues six blocks to San Telmo. There are hundreds of stalls that sell leather purses, belts, shoes, jackets, lots of street performers, many cafes/resturants, and more opportunities to buy souvenir mate cups and other unique products than anyone could possibly need! It was very crowded, and its cobblestoned streets make walking a bit difficult. My heart went out to children on stroller. What a bumpy ride.

I refrained myself from getting anything as this is the first day of our 14-day trip and I hate to lug additional stuff for the remaining days.

We indulged ourselves with steaks for dinner from day one, except when we had King crab, Patagonian lamb or other authentic Argentine dishes.