I arrived in Buenos Aires on September 15 which was a Saturday. It was a breezy arrival and with confidence walked to the front of the airport and booked a remis to my hostel. "San Telmo en la esquina Peru y Chile, por favor." The airport is a fair way out from where I stayed and when we reached San Telmo, it immediately was familiar. I stayed in the same place as it was 'my corner' and I needed to be there again. They advised me that check in wasn't until midday. No bother, they happily looked after my suitcase and I went around the corner to La Poesia for my standard tres media lunas and a cafe con leche. After breakfast, I walked around to check out the neighbourhood and then headed back to the hostel. This time,my experience wasn't the same. They placed me in a crappy room with a single bed so small I'm sure a five year old would have problems sleeping in it. Poutily, I changed my clothes and headed into Retiro to get supplies. It was if time had stood still. Same guys on Florida saying 'Cambio' as you walked by, same market of jewellery and crafts, same people begging for money with their children.
I arrived back at around 5 and took a siesta. I knew exactly where I was going for dinner and I was so excited to be going there,hoping that the same staff would be there and that they would remember me.
I dressed up and went downstairs at around 9.30 and the first person I saw was Marianos. He remembered me and gave me a big hug, They were all still there except for Luciano who left to start his own parrilla with his father. Lots of hugs and fussing-it was like a homecoming. The restaurant was packed inside so I took a table outside as it was a nice night. My first sip of malbec and the first bite of my bife de chorizo and I was in heaven. After the meal, an American guy who was sitting a couple of tables away from me came over and asked for a cigarette. I said "of course and please join me." His name was Carlos and we got on like a house on fire. We ended up getting a bottle of wine then going out to a bad club for a couple of beers. Thankfully, he spoke flawless Spanish which made it easier to get around. At the end of the night, he announced that he was tired and wanted to go so I was saying good bye and he said 'no, I want you to come and stay at my hotel." So I thought, why the hell not? Beats my crappy room and my spaghetti-thin bed. He was staying in an amazing hotel with 2 huge beds. I took one and he the other. Carlos is gay so there was no hanky panky gonna go on there! The universe came through with the solution for the crappy room!
The next day, waking up with hangovers, we walked to a nearby restaurant and had a lovely Sunday brunch and Carlos insisted on paying. After that, he needed to go as he was flying out of BA that day and needed to sort out things out. We said goodbye and gave each other big hugs. I am definitely going to catch up with him when I go to San Francisco again! So lovely and so much fun!
That day when I got back to the hostel, I jumped onto the Airbnb site and found an apartment just down the road for $50 a night. I gave the hostel the news that I was leaving as I just couldn't sleep on that bed and they had no other rooms for me. To illustrate the point, later that day after a siesta, I rolled over to check the time on my phone and fell out of bed!
The new apartment was amazing I stayed there for the rest of my time in BA. I also discovered a great place for coffee at the San Telmo market and befriended the staff there. I adore that city. It's a place I feel totally at home at-despite my lack of Spanish. A place where I can just be.
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