Sunday 12^th March 2017

Transfer Colonia, Uruguay to Buenos Aires, Argentina by ferry (BuqueBus). Left 0915 from hotel, but ferry didn’t leave till 1130 from a few streets away.  Had to go through Argentine immigration with the cheeriest ‘master of ceremonies’ I’ve ever seen as an official.  Duty free gin and rum purchased, purely for medicinal purposes you understand. Collected by Laura our new guide and transported to Waldorf Hotel, which we all expected to be posh. Small rooms looking like a 1960s throw-back, but at least had working air-con, TV, fridge and en-suite. Told you we were getting posh.

Sorry, Kirstine, I had to show the enormous steak sizes

 

 Went on walking tour through town which ended up about 9km. Sunday, so streets were fairly quiet in banking area until we reached the central square and market-time. Superb street market with all sorts of sellers from S America, buskers, puppeteers, bands, food and finally some wonderful tango dancing. Absolutely mesmerising.  One female dancer with 3x men of ages from 18 to 80 in a ‘tango school’. Such style and grace. Could have sat there for hours, but finally packed up.  Had a beer in a very old pub with coffee machine a al ‘Heath Robinson’, old-fashioned till and all sorts of antiquated furnishings. Monkey nuts provided, leaving heaps of discarded shells all over the tables. Then wandered around the antiques fair until that also packed up, upon which we started meandering back to our hotel. Quick turn-around, demolishing some of the duty frees, and back out in search of the perfect steak.  Found it at a restaurant ‘El Establo’ just over the road where massive steaks up to 1 kilo were paraded to decide what you wanted. I plumped for a 350g rib-eye which you could have cut with a spoon (also demonstrated). Total cost 830 pesos, approx. £45, for two with drinks. Waddled home.