The City of Love and Opportunity

When I arrived in this big City that so many people raved about I was taken aback by its size.  So much so that the first night I called Christina (girl from St Gregory’s) and went round to her new apartment for dinner, bit of familiarity.  I knew that this was not a wise thing to do before you have got your bearings of the place as you can become reliable on that person.  Nonetheless I decided once again to ignore my wise words and go ahead and meet her the next day.  It did not set me back too much, as you become better at acquainting yourself with your surroundings the more you travel, but it did add to my slight anxiety when on my own, oh that and my dickey tummy. 

I soon got over my nerves, (not my upset stomach though unfortunately) and spent the next few days wearing down the rest of my stubs by insisting on walking everywhere.  It is difficult not to walk to places as you get to see so much more and Buenos Aires is a lovely City and I can definitely see why people stay here, that and the fact that it is love central.  With so many plazas and beautiful green parks, (unfortunately located right next to busy roads) it is difficult for a young couple to resist the benches of romance.  As well as seeing young couples clasped together by love I also went to see the famous cemetery in Recollect where Evita was buried.  I have never seen a cemetery like it.  Apparently it is the best placed to be buried in, but you not only have to have money to be claim a spot you have also, and more importantly  have to have status, a big thing here in Buenos Aires.  The graves and statues are ten times grander than the houses here, and probably cost ten times as much as well, with altars within the houses made from marble, some even have a down stairs so that there is room enough for the whole family.  Who says you can’t spend your money once you are dead! (Again no offense meant).

It was not until I got off the metro that I realised I was getting a little more attention than usual

Of course I managed to see the Cathedral in the main Plaza de Mayo, which I have to say, was not as spectacular as I have seen, it being more modern and having less character than the previous ones I have visited.  I even had a problem getting into the building the first time I intended to visit.  It was the first day that I went into the centre of town and it was boiling, especially being in a big city with all the pollution the temperature tends to rise, I therefore decided to put on a nice pair of black shorts with matching black top (typical Sophie).  It was not until I got off the metro that I realised I was getting a little more attention than usual.  I didn’t expect this in a city where I would look out of place.  After a couple more comments in Spanish, which luckily enough I couldn’t understand I moved towards the place of calm and peace, but as I walked up the steps to the Cathedral I saw a big board with drawings of girls with bold red crosses over their skirts and short sleeved shirts.  Running my fingers through my hair and subtly turning away as if I was just admiring the entrance I was keen to find out why, in a City where it is known for its liberalness and where there are couples kissing on every corner why on earth was I attracting attention.  Christina happened to mention that Argentine girls do not wear skirts, and as I looked around I noticed everyone wearing jeans in 30 degrees of heat.  Of course, there are conservative areas of every place, I happened to be in one of them.  The next day I arrived with a long sleeved shirt, jeans and shoes, only a few comments that time.

A City of Love definitely, a City of opportunity is another matter.  Many people travel here, and many stay but nepotism rules the work market and unless you know the President of Argentina you are more than likely to be working in a call centre unfortunately.  Such a promising City with so many bright young things, it just goes to show that there are ups and downs in all the cities that you visit.

So after walking the distance of the London marathon again and seeing all the green parks, plazas, graves and historic buildings I could see that I needed just a little time to just to chill and I knew just the place.