Having arrived straight from the rustic streets of Cusco, the moment my hotel elevator in Buenos Aires speaks to me for the first time I am taken aback, to say the least. Feeling as though I am in a spaceship, the elevator takes me to floor 7 and wishes me a good day. Startled by the very smooth and womanly voice, I wheel my luggage down the corridor. Automated sensor lights along the walls systematically light up with every step I take. The hallway gets brighter and brighter as I move past to my room at the very end.
Impressed, I swipe my key pass and enter my room for the next few days. It’s a wide contrast to my rooms in Peru. Complete with two queen-sized beds, a kitchen, a bar, and a huge, all-glass bathroom, the room is incomparable to what I’ve spent the last week and a half experiencing in various Peruvian cities. This is not to say that I wasn’t accepting of the room conditions I encountered in Peru, i.e. no hot water, plumbing gone awry, zero circulation of heat, etc, (it’s all part of delving in another culture, after all!), but I was excited to immerse myself in the steamiest, hottest shower I’ve ever had. And with that, taking a shower was the first thing I did. Choosing not to be conscientious of preserving water for the first time in 2 weeks, I took my time and scrubbed every last inch of Cusco, the Inca Trail, and the Amazon Jungle off me.
I couldn’t feel cooler whizzing through the city of Buenos Aires on a bike made of bamboo! Plus, it was about 10 degrees Celsius and it felt much chillier while biking, so I borrowed Ganesh from Australia’s XXL windbreaker. Now I looked like a puffy marshmallow . . . but it kept me warm! We started by biking to the waterfront of the biggest lake in Argentina to explore along the shore and then take a break from pedaling. At the time, I didn’t realize quite how dorky it looked to continue wearing my helmet as we explored.
The bike ride turned out to be really peaceful and relaxing. I thought the bike tour was a cool way to get around the city because it was: a) fun, b) good exercise, and c) a learning experience too. As a refuge for many Europeans after the Second World War, the diversity of Buenos Aires is reflected in its people: a melting pot of Spanish, Italian, German, Slavic and Syrian descent.
I was surprised how much ground we covered considering how big the city of Buenos Aires. I loved the incredible bright colours on buildings and homes as we biked through the district of La Boca. Another highlight for me was seeing the Punte de la Mujer, which means “Woman’s Bridge” in Spanish. It’s a rotating swing bridge, but somewhat unusual in its asymmetrical arrangement. Our bike guide told us that its angled shape comes from the inspiration of the female tango dancer.
The Recoleta Cemetery, (or Cementerio de la Recoleta) is arguably Buenos Aires’ number-one attraction. You can wander for hours in these captivating grounds of the dead, lined with impressive marble statues. Past presidents, military heroes, influential politicians and the just plain rich-and-famous have graves here. As all visitors will do, I located Evita’s grave.
Thank you for sharing. I lived for three years in B.A. and it is always pleasure to see photos from there.
Hi there, thanks! Amazing city.
Oh yes , sometimes crazy :) but it was nice to be there .
I want to go! I really like your writing style, really sets the scene.
Thanks so much! It’s an awesome country to visit.
Great photos.
Thanks!
Your images are captivating, and truly tell the story of the place. Great post :)
Thanks so much!
Buenos Airies looks like so much fun! I love your colorful photos.
Thanks, Connie!
Agreed bike tours are both and a great source of fitness while travelling! The brought colours and sassy Argentine tango has got me wanderlusting over this multi ethnic nation!
Such a super vibrant city to visit! ;)
Loved your photos! The bamboo bikes are really cool and look like a great way to explore BA.
Those bikes were super fun to ride!
I want to go there so badly. It looks so lively and colorful.
It sure is ;)
I always wanted to come here, looks like a fun place.
It really is!
Buenos Aires is a gorgeous city and doing it on a bike made of bamboo must have been an added element of cool.
I thought so myself, Tim! ;)
Buenos Aires is without doubt the most inspiring city in South America with many different façades. We had a lovely time there while traveling around South America. I loved your pictures, especially that you biked around everywhere! Thanks for sharing!
Exploring such a huge city can really be taken advantage of via bike! I like to be as active as I can.
Buenos Aires looks great! I haven’t heard about the bamboo bikes though!
I hadn’t either but they are super comfy and a lot of fun!
I’ve always wanted to take a bike tour of my own city. However, I live in Rome and sometimes I see the guide having the people drive like on the busiest roads possible! Your pictures capture the city well.
For biking on the road, all it takes is confidence! :D
Biking all over the streets of Buenos Aires? AWESOMESAUCE!
Very true!
Somewhere we would love to visit, looks like a very energetic and passionate city. With so much to do, a bike tour seems like a great way to see a lot and get your bearings.
Absolutely! A great way to add in some exercise during your travels, too!
I spent 6 weeks in Buenos Aires and fell in love with tangos! I felt the people were a bit snobby, but overall I enjoyed my time there. Looks like you had a great time though!
I didn’t have that experience of the locals there, but I wasn’t there for nearly as long as you! I loved all the local guides :)