'Cambio, cambio'...how to survive Florida Street

While in Buenos Aires I needed to change some money - as you do. I had been told by several people including the hostel staff that the best place to do this is with one of the many ‘cambio, cambio’ people on Florida Street.

It is nicknamed the ‘blue market’ and unlike many other countries you actually get a better rate exchanging money on the street with these guys than going to the bank. It is illegal but the police tend to turn a blind eye. 

Before I left the UK I had also been told by my Dad not to change money on the street as with my poor maths skills I would probably get ripped off and not realise.

Sorry Dad, but I decided to give it a go and change some of the pounds I had with me.

Now I'm sure you may be thinking that Florida Street must be pretty dodgy, in fact it is actually one of the main pedestrian shopping streets in Buenos Aires and is generally full of tourists and shoppers.

As I was by myself I decided not to take any chances and just took the amount I wanted to exchange with me and no other valuables. As I said before my mathematical skills are pretty poor, so before I left the hostel I had worked out (using a calculator) what I should get for my money.

When I got to Florida Street, there were so many people to choose from so after wandering up and down a couple of times I eventually decided to approach a well-dressed man (my crazy logic decided that him being smartly turned out made him a safer option). I checked he was able to change pounds and asked what he could offer me. It turned out to be a little bit more than what I had calculated.

As the transaction can’t be done on the street I went with him to a nearby mall where the exchange took place. I had been told on the tour I went on to check the notes carefully as forgeries are common. I also knew that 100 pesos is the highest denomination note in case I was given anything higher as it wouldn't be legal tender. Thankfully there weren’t any problems and I went away with my money.

However, this isn't always the case and I did hear a story from a fellow traveller who was almost ripped off. He didn't realise that 100 pesos is the highest note and had been given several 300 peso notes. Luckily for him he was with someone who knew this and he was able to get his money back.

My advice to anyone planning to go to BA would be that it pays to do your homework beforehand and if you don't like the rate you're given, you don't have to go with it. Just keep your wits about you and it should be fine.

All is Bueno in Buenos Aires

My journey to Buenos Aires was mostly uneventful until the customs declaration forms came round. All was pretty standard except for one paragraph asking if you were bringing semen in – random!

Once I’d made it through immigration, my next mission was to get from the airport to America del Sur Hostel in San Telmo district. The hostel recommended Manuel Tienda Leon a door to door shuttle service, which was cheaper than getting a taxi and quicker than a public bus.

The main thing I noticed while on the journey from the airport was how European the city feels in terms of architecture. In a way it was quite comforting how familiar it seemed despite being miles away from home.

The hostel staff were warm, friendly and helpful. I booked a four bed mixed dorm, it was pretty basic in terms of décor but it was clean and well presented. I do love a hostel that provides brekkie, again this was quite basic but enough to keep me going and the dulce de leche (caramel) spread was delicious on toast. 

During breakfast on my second day a guy called Adam from Demasiado Tours handed me a leaflet for a free walking tour he was running of the main historic sites. I thought it would be a good opportunity to acquaint myself a bit more with the city plus it was FREE!

They say the best things in life are free and the tour was no exception. It was excellent and I would highly recommend it to anyone planning to visit Buenos Aires. I definitely came away feeling I had learnt a lot more about Argentina/Buenos Aires' history. We also got to see the barbers where the current Pope used to get his haircut! 

Having been told on the tour that one thing worth checking out is the Sunday market in San Telmo that’s exactly what I did. The market occupies the entire length of Defensa Street and there are a variety of stalls selling all manner of things from handicrafts and souvenirs to clothes and homewares. Having been to my fair share of markets on previous travels this one is definitely one of the most laid back, despite it being crowded it didn’t feel hectic and the stallholders didn’t seem too pushy either.

I also moved to my second hostel in the city (I ended up booking two because I couldn’t decide between them) Hostel Estoril, which is near Plaza de los Dos Congresos, it was a 15-20 minute walk from America del Sur Hostel. This should be fine I thought forgetting that I would be laden with all my luggage at what was quite possibly the hottest part of the day. Needless to say I was a bit of a sweaty mess by the time I got there.

The hostel is quite a contrast to my previous one as it is in an older building and has a bit more character to it. It certainly had a bit more of a homely feel to it with a nice lounge area and comfy sofas. Breakfast was included here too and one of the members of staff would cook you eggs if you wanted, I of course took them up on this offer every day.

On my last day in Buenos Aires I decided to do the other free tour offered by Demasiado Tours this time around the more upmarket districts of Retiro and Recoleta. As with the previous tour it was excellent. One of the things we saw was the memorial to those who lost their lives during the Falklands War or as it is known here the Malvinas War. Ironically the memorial is directly opposite the Torre Monumental, which had been given as a present to the city in 1810 by the British community living here.

We also visited Recoleta Cemetery, which contains 4,691 mausoleums it is quite something, especially the different architectural styles. Many prominent people have graves there including Eva Peron (Evita).

Finally, no trip to Buenos Aires would be complete without at least seeing or trying tango. My hostel organised a package where you could take part in a tango lesson then afterwards have a meal and watch a show. The lesson was good fun and you learnt the basic tango steps. The show afterwards was incredible and made me wish I was a better dancer.