Argentina as a nation has given a lot to the world – the intoxicating tango moves, the mouth-watering cuisine, passion for football and not to forget my favourite Malbec wine. With all that in mind, Buenos Aires has always been on my to-do lists and Mrs FOMOist and I were fortunate enough to visit this beautiful city in September last year.
We were going to be in Buenos Aires for 8 days, but rather than rushing around the country to see Iguassu Falls or visit the wine region of Mendoza, we just decided that we were going to laze around the city of Buenos Aires and let the city take us on a trip. Mind you, it is something completely out of character for FOMO sufferers, but in hindsight, I am glad we let the city shape our experience.
While we were in London, one of my workmates told me about a hostel in Buenos Aires and he insisted that I didn’t need to research any other place to stay because it’s the best hostel he’s ever stayed in. I followed his advice, did not even research the hostel and booked a private room for our 7-night stay at the Chill House.
We arrived late at night and were greeted by a lovely guy at the reception and checked into our MASSIVE private room. Our room at this “hostel” was better than some of the hotels we stayed at, with a spacious ensuite. We were fairly tired so didn’t pay too much attention, until we woke up. The room was part of a charming 1907 classic “porteñian” residence with a beautiful rooftop, we couldn’t be happier.
We started our Argentine adventure, as per tradition, with a walking tour. What a walking tour this was! Our tour guide loved his city like we all do if we decide to stay in it for the foreseeable future. He was proud of its rich history, the beautiful architecture and the European influence. At the same time, the corruption, inflation and the general state of affairs really infuriated him. This was possibly the most politically charged walking tour I have ever been on and I loved every minute of it!
We spent the next few days just walking around and soaking up the autumn in Argentina.
- We went to a speakeasy bar in the basement of a closed flower shop called Floreria Atlantico. It was bustling with trendy people in their glad rags, while Mrs FOMOist and I rocked our super-touristy, comfy jeans and trainers look. The food and cocktail were on par with European pricing, but well worth a nosy.
- Antoine (one of the co-owners at the Chill House) insisted we try the pizzas at Pizzeria Güerrin. Eating a pizza in Buenos Aires sounded like having McDonald’s in France, but we took his word for it and went anyways. I am happy to report that we are so glad we went.
Mrs FOMOist and I have been blessed with some incredible people in our lives. One such amazing person is the guy from Perth (Australia) we met and hung out in Sao Paulo. He decided that he wasn’t sick of our company, so he took a “slight detour” and joined us in Buenos Aires. As the tradition of the troublesome trio would have it, we had one of the most memorable nights of our lives in Buenos Aires starting with an electrifying performance of La Bomba de Tiempo. We went there with our Aussie mate and some of his friends he met at his hostel. They were all really cool, however I must point out this one lovely physiotherapist that drunk a bottle of wine (yes a whole BOTTLE) by herself, out of a plastic cup. Needless to say, she’s my long-lost soul-sister.
As we exited the Konex after the performance, I got distracted by this procession and convinced everyone that we had to join it. The said procession took us straight to a club, where apart from dancing the night away, the following happened:
- Mrs FOMOist got hit on by a guy who didn’t care that she was married and her husband was dancing next to her.
- Mr FOMOist got approached by a guy who told him that his friend thinks Mr FOMOist is hot. When Mr FOMOist excitedly looked at “the friend” he turned out to be a very excited young man, smiling at waving in our direction.
- Our Aussie mate tried paying the bartender with a ripped (half-of-a-bill) with not even an element of doubt.
- Some random guys buy us tequila and we gracefully (obviously) oblige.
- We leave the club and buy the last two empanadas from a hole-in-the-wall. Mrs FOMOist drops it on the street, picks it up and continues stuffing her face with it.
The above might not sound very amusing, but you had to be there!
In addition to meandering through the beautiful parts of this magnificent city, we also made a life-changing decision right here. Mrs FOMOist and I were sitting in a park drinking Malbec. I am still unsure if we were allowed to do so, but we continued hoping no one noticed (they all did). As we polished off two bottles of Malbec, we decided to give London another shot. It was that same night (at 3.00am) after feasting in the trendy Palermo we booked our tickets to return to London and never looked back!
Confessions of a FOMOist 