Sunday morning. Another whole day in Buenos Aires. Today I want to take a tour to San Telmo. They have an antiques marked and art marked there. After the breakfast I order a taxi. As Uber is not very dominant here, I try another app I found online – Cabify. It seems to be the same system. This are not regular taxis. My driver arrives after a short time, but has problems finding me (even when I stand directly in front of the hotel at the pick up point).

But I saw him and managed to get into the cab. The driver is not the most friendly guy. He is grumpy, tries to talk to me all the time, even after I tell him, that I don’t speak a word of Spanish. Then he get’s more grumpy and drives another way than the fastest one. He tries to explain – I think that he does. Me looking all confused i mutters something like “Close, close, close…” pointing at different street. Now I get it. All the streets are closed, due to the Buenes Aires Marathon. He tries to find a way around but when we get stuck in all other cars trying to avoid the closed streets, he let me out at a corner, trying to explain how to get to my goal walking. I don’t understand, but that is why I have GPS on my phone. 🙂

It is only a short walk. Plaza Dorego is a small square which is full of small stalls, selling all kind of old stuff. And mot like on many of the European markets cheap China stuff from eastern European sellers, but really old stuff. Even old newspapers, signs, cutlery, silverware, soda bottles and all kinds of small stuff. Quite fun to walk there and watch at all the things. I am as always on the hunt for something for my wall at home, where I have souvenirs from the different places I traveled to. But nothing that really catches my eye.

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After looking around for about an hour I try the small side road, where they have put up more stands. This is not the antiques part of the marked, but the area where local artists sell their stuff. Here I find what I want. A painter who sells small pictures of local buildings, with different motives around tango etc. They look nice and are what I am looking for. He tells me, that all the pictures are painted with coffee… interesting. I ask for the price of on picture I like and he tells me 250 Pesos… that is 4 Euro… extremely cheap. I buy it.

Next stop is at a shop where an older woman sells the special cups for the South American Mate tea. Made out of a kind of fruit, she tells me that this is the traditional way to make them. In all the shops you get metal an plastic ones, but originally they are made like she did it. All of the cups are decorated with metal work that she also does herself. Plus a pack of tea the total is about 600 pesos (9,50 Euro). Not a bad price at all.

Bags filled I start to walk up Defensa towards Plaza de Mayo. All along the street are small market halls, antique shops and further up the street many more stands with local produces. A lot of these mate tea cups, leather products etc. I get some metal straws which I like.

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A lot of walking but I finally end up at the Plaza de Mayor. I decide to walk to Puerto Madero which is the new area around the harbor close by. I have the hope of finding some geocaches there. Like many of the new building projects, there is definitely a lack of architecture here. This could be anywhere. Nothing special and seen many times before all around the world. I am very unlucky with the geocaches and only get one here. A short stop at the McDonald’s to get a fast bit to bite an then I walk on. I have to go to the other side of the city center. There is a geocaching event today which I would like to attend. My adapter for charging my phone broke, so I don’t have much energy left. That is not good. I know that it is close to the French embassy. Should be easy to find.

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I find the right buses to get there. Takes about 45 minutes from where I started. I am a little bit early. The whole square is packed with people. There is a French festival, with a lot of food stands and the Argentinians do, what they like to do… sit on the grass and eat/drink have a talk. It will be impossible to see the right people here. I wait until 15:00 when the event should start, but see nobody that looks like a geocacher. Even put my geocaching event tag on, but nobody there. After 20 minutes walking around and waiting I leave. Not time to waste. That means another longer bus ride back to the hotel.

I get some dinner at the empenada place close to the hotel. Very cheap, not that good, but I won’t complain for the price. I have tickets for an Astero Piazzolla Tango show tonight. The meet up at the theater is 21:30. So a little bit of time to relax at the hotel, recharge the phone and check the best bus to get there. A short ride and short walk. The theater is located at the shopping street and I walked passed it because it is inside a shopping center/passage. But I am at the right place. I get my ticket and have to go 3 stairs down – underground. The theater is under the building. A nice theater. You wouldn’t think that it is there. Get my table and sit at the side of a french traveler. A little bit of travel small talk before the show starts. I didn’t know that 2 drinks were included in the ticket. So water and white wine it is.

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The show is really great. Totally worth the time. Loved it. Astor Piazzolla created a new style of Tango – Tango nuevo. The show is a mixture of dance, singing and music. The 90 minutes of show pass by very quickly. If you go to Buenos Aires, I can recommend this show. Best is the trip back to the hotel with drivers that wait outside the theater. Also included in the ticket. You get a lot for the 35 Euros.

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Finally at the hotel and preparing all my stuff for my trip to Uruguay tomorrow. That will be an early start. So all cameras, batteries and phone on charger. I have ordered a wake up call and have my phone on alarm as well. Looking forward to the trip tomorrow.