Starting this trip off right with an upgrade to Business Class. I made a low-ball bid to upgrade from Vancouver to Toronto and amazingly, got it. I walk into the airport lounge and notice a couple people giving me quizzical looks. I get it. I don’t appear to belong here. With a midsize backpack strapped to my back and another one to my front, I look like I’m ready to check-in to a $5 a night hostel and not a business lounge. But I’m here for the free snacks, so I ignore the snobby stares and head straight for the food.
My seat mate from Toronto to Buenos Aires doesn’t speak English and keeps to herself during the 9.5 hour flight. Except when the lights go out and a roaring snore emits from her wide open mouth. Sweet Jesus🫣. I turn up the volume on my movie and give up any notion of sleep.
After 24 hours of traveling I arrive in Buenos Aires….exhausted but thrilled I made it without any major incident. I’m standing in the arrivals hall awaiting my ride and watch a little boy have a meltdown, complete with emitting loud yowls while laying beside his mom kicking his feet and pounding his fists against the floor. I feel you little dude. I’m kinda done with being in transit too.
Javier, a Buenos Aires native, picks me up and gives a quick rundown of his city in broken English. He learned English from watching movies and listening to music. I’ve heard this method of learning from others and I just can’t wrap my head around it. I watch shows in Spanish with English subtitles and catch one word per sentence if I’m lucky. He says the economy fluctuates regularly and there’s daily protests. There are jobs but the pay is very low and living outside of the city centre allows him to live in a house. The streets don’t seem that busy for 5pm but I know that this is a country where it’s not considered late to eat dinner at 10pm.
The city centre is filled with old and new high rises, paved and cobbled streets, and modern and colonial architecture. I’m looking forward to exploring tomorrow. First on the list is to find the money exchange guy that my friend, Melany, recommended and then to the meet point for my walking tour of the Recoleta and Retiro areas.
