Speaking of maximizing time, we took a red eye flight on Friday night after work, and our first stop is Buenos Aires, Argentina. We had a layover in Mexico City for a couple hours and we arrived on Saturday night (A direct flight would have been a lot more expensive..... maximizing time with limited budget..... poor student T_T) We decided to stay in a relatively nicer hotel in Buenos Aires called Lennox Hotel. (It's going downhill from there) It is at a very convenient location and very close to a lot of the tourist attractions by foot as well as the subway station.
After we had a good night rest, we woke up early the next day (did not want to waste any time), and we walked around the city. First day of the vacation, first day in a foreign country, everything is so new and exciting and AWESOME. It was a Sunday morning, so the streets were still quiet. I just LOVE the architecture here, everything looks so historical.
Then, we went to San Telmo, which is a oldest "barrio" (neighborhood) in Buenos Aires. This is a very well-preserved area, with cafes, antique stores, There is a flea market held there every Sunday called Feria De San Pedro Telmo. This is definitely a must-go attraction if you happen to be there on Sunday. Antiques, vintage, handicraft, jewelry, art, street performances, all in one place. I had so much fun picking souvenirs for friends and families. The price is very reasonable with room for bargain. I had a hard time controlling myself not to go too crazy!! I don't want to spend all the money on the first day of the trip!
Anyways. We found a nice historic restaurant for lunch around the area, and the place is called "El Federal". Everything there looks so historical. The tables, the chairs, the tableware, even the people!!! OMG!!! It feels like I went back in time.
Then, we went to La Boca. The early settlers of this neighborhood are thought to be Italian and probably this is the reason this area retains a strong European flavor. If you are a big soccer fan,definitely go to "La Bombonera" ,which is the famous soccer stadium in Argentina. After that. we went to the Caminito, which is a street museums and traditional alleys with colorful houses. This is the place where Juan de Dios Filiberto for its famous tango piece "Caminito". It is a little touristy for my taste, but oh well..... you are in Buenos Aires already, must as well go take a look. There are a lot of street tango performances, and also street vendors that sell tango-related memorabilia. This place is right next to the river Riachuelo, which is very nice to walk around.
This pretty much concludes the first day in Buenos Aires. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped by the Plaza de Mayo, Casa Rosada, a couples cathedrals, buildings, memorial sculptures, everything was so pretty!! We couldn't wait for tomorrow!!!!