Argentina - Buenos Aires

Why is Imran visiting Buenos Aires?


I was originally intending on going to Santiago in Chile and wanted it to be my first stop in South America, but once again due to some visa complications I ended changing my tickets and RTW itinerary and ended up going to Buenos Aires instead.  Given the choice between Santiago and Buenos Aires, I would have chosen to go to Buenos Aires but since I was getting a cheaper ticket initially to go from Auckland to Santiago and then Rio, I had originally booked that routing and ended changing it and going to Buenos Aires instead.

This was my sixth stop in my first Round The World Trip in 39 days.

On my way to Buenos Aires - Flying over Antarctica.

What I did?


Things to do in Buenos Aires in a day


Streets, Museums & the Buenos Aires Bus Tour


I was in Buenos Aires for a very short period of time, 2 nights and 1 day.  I had no clue what to expect while in Buenos Aires and neither did I know what to do.  Since it was a last minute trip change I didn't do any research on Buenos Aires. I basically just winged the trip and took things as they came along.  I walked around the streets of Buenos Aires asking people what is good to do close by and just went with the flow.  The first night after a long flight (13 hours) from Auckland I was pretty hungry and as soon as I checked into the Hotel I took a shower and left in the hunt for food.  I met some random guy who told me of some good steak restaurants close to the Puerto Madero harbor which was a 30 minute walk from where I was.  I decided to go to Puerto Madero and check out the restaurants there.  To my surprise there was a lot of choices of restaurants to choose from and I was having a tough time deciding where I will be eating.  I walked around Puerto Madero checking out the scenery.  There were a lot of people roller blading and just chilling all around the harbor.  The Puerto Madero harbor is a good place to visit for fine dining and upscale Steak Houses.

Puerto Madero Harbor yo.

Bridge in Puerto Madero.

I am not a mall loving guy but on my flight to Buenos Aires I was told by the lady sitting next to me to definitely check out the Galleria Pacifico mall.  I wasn't going to go out of my way to go check out a mall but since the mall was right next to my hotel I thought I would just check it out and also escape from the brutal Buenos Aires heat, it was 40 degrees Celsius when I was in Buenos Aires.  The only thing hotter than the weather were the girls, as I think Argentinian women are really beautiful ;-)

Galleria Pacifico Mall.

Obviously all malls need to have Starbucks it seems like a prerequisite to building a mall.

Yeah Thumbs Up for the Christmas tree.

Right outside the Galleria Pacifico mall which has all kinds of high end retailers and brands you will find street vendors selling cheaper stuff catering to the budget and bargain hunters. There is couple blocks outside the mall where you will find vendors.  Since I was in Buenos Aires on a Sunday I am not certain if the vendors only sit during the weekends or everyday of the week.

Vendors outside Galleria Pacifico Mall.

I decided to walk towards Plaza de Mayo from the Galleria Pacifico mall.  The Plaza is the main square in downtown Buenos Aires and has a lot of historically significant buildings in proximity to the Plaza.

Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires.

May Pyramid & Casa Rosada.

Bank of the Argentine Nation.

Casa Rosada or The Pink House is the executive mansion of Argentina.  The entry to the Casa Rosada is free and it is a National Historic Monument of Argentina.  It is also a museum and art gallery which contains stuff owned by the presidents of Argentina.

Casa Rosada.

With the guard. 

With Che Guevera we both had similar hats on.

After checking out some of the buildings in Plaza de Mayo (pronounced Maa-Yo not mayo as in mayonnaise) I decided to walk around the plaza and came across a huge flea market close to the Plaza which stretches for many blocks.  Since I didn't have anything better to do I just walked around the Buenos Aires flea market.  There were a lot of things being sold and the market was jam packed.  The market I believe is only set up on Sundays and is a good place for bargain hunters as most of the stuff on sale was pretty cheap and affordable. 

Stoned Incense Burners.

Trying to save a dude from falling in the trash.

After chilling in the flea market I decided to make use of the Buenos Aires metro.  The fare is 2-3 Argentinian Pesos one way. I got on the metro not knowing where to get down and got down wherever I felt the most people were getting off.  I ended up getting down at the station for the zoo. I didn't have enough time to go check out the zoo so I just clicked pictures of whatever was visible from the outside.

Flamingos.

Zoo Buenos Aires entrance.

Me on the Buenos Aires Metro.

Secretaria de Comunicaciones.

Diagnol Sur.

Capital Building Buenos Aires.

After bumming around in the flea market and around the zoo, I caught a train back to Plaza de Mayo and decided to take a 3 hour Buenos Aires sight seeing tour.  The tour gives you a good overview of the city and takes you to all the touristy spots in Buenos Aires.  The full tour is  2 - 3 hours long depending on traffic.  You also have the option of hoping on and off at certain predetermined points.

La Bombonera.

Maradonas Home Football Stadium.

The football stadium is located in the trendy La Boca neighborhood which has a very European feeling to it.  La Boca is home to the Boca Juniors football club.  La Boca is a very artistic neighborhood with many of the colors of the houses coming from left over ship paint.  Since the neighborhood is located close to the docks , the ships used to be left with unused paint which was then used to paint and decorate the houses.  As you can see most of the houses have very loud and bright colors like a ship.

La Boca houses.

La Boca.

For some reason the Simpsons are very famous in Argentina the show was on tv in Spanish whenever i switched on the tv.  There was also a lot of Simpsons memorabilia on sale in the flea markets.

Homer Jay Simpson.

Floating Casino in Buenos Aires.

Miscellaneous Stuff


What I ate?


Things to eat in Buenos Aires in a day


Argentina is known for the good quality steak it has to offer.  Buenos Aires has a lot of upscale steakhouses which don't charge an arm and a leg to eat steak.  Most restaurants look pretty expensive and they are by Argentinian standards but when compared to the states they aren't.  The quality of the steaks is also far better than any steak I have had in the US.  The same quality of steak will probably cost twice as much at any restaurant in the US than in Buenos Aires.  After I walked around in the Puerto Madero area I came across a steak house which was pretty crowded and looked like it was more famous than the others in the area.  Puerto Madero has a lot of restaurants to suit all budgets.  Since I was very hungry after my 13 hour flight from Auckland, I thought I deserved a little extra and decided to splurge and spoil myself with an expensive steak dinner.  I ordered the Rib Steak as my dinner and cow tongue empanada, cow tongue in coconut sauce and cow tongue in olive oil as appetizer.  I had never had cow tongue before and was curious to see how it tastes, to my surprise it was very tasty and tasted exactly like beef duh.  The cow tongue in the coconut sauce was amazing I wish I had ordered more of it.

Cow Tongue Empanada and Cow Tongue with different sauces mmm.

TT: Don't eat a lot of bread before your steak dinner regardless of how tasty the bread is (these breads were super fresh & tasty and the sauces were also off the hook) or no matter how hungry you are, your appetite will decrease filling up on carbs. 

Bread Basket.

With the restaurant manager.

Potato crisps.

Now for the steak what can I say about the quality of the meat and the tastiness.  The steak was amazing and super filling and was just what I needed.  When in Argentina be sure you go to a nice expensive steak restaurant to try Argentinian steak.  I am sure you will not be disappointed.

Rib Steak Dinner - Medium Well.

While walking in the brutal heat of Buenos Aires in the flea market, I stumbled upon an orange juice vendor.  Chilled orange juice was exactly what I needed to beat the heat and re hydrate.  I had one all natural no additive orange juice with ice which was not only energizing but was also helpful in keeping me from fatiguing because of the heat.  There is a lot of vendors who sell this stuff on every other block, be sure to grab one once you get thirsty.  The all natural orange juices are pretty cheap as well costing about 7 - 8 Argentinian Pesos. 

Orange Juice.

I struck a deal for a discount, If I squeezed my own Orange Juice.

After drinking my orange juice I got a little hungry and wasn't in the mood for a big lunch, since I had a pretty big steak dinner.  I wanted something bite sized and which I could carry around while walking and munching on it.  As soon as I walked a little I came across 2 girls carrying a basket with empanadas.  For some reason I felt like brushing up on my Spanish speaking skills so I gave my order in Spanish and asked for "Un Pollo Empanada con Queso Por Favor".  The empanadas were obviously home made but tasty nonetheless.

Pollo Empanada Shopping.

Atgentinian BBQ.

After eating my empanada and walking some more I again got hungry after seeing the pizza guy selling pizza by the slice off a carton.  I was curious to try the pizza and ordered a slice of cheese.  The pizza slice was one of the healthiest I have had as there wasn't a lot of oil on the pizza. The slice was crunchy, which was surprising as I was thinking it would have been chewier since it had not been just baked, but I guess I was wrong. 

Pizza off a carton guy.

Un Queso Pizza Por Favor.

Conclusion:


Buenos Aires is a gorgeous place with spectacular architecture, art, beautiful people and pretty girls (Argentinian women are super pretty).  It has a very European feeling to it due to its earlier Spanish and Italian settlers. It is the second biggest city in South America and the biggest in Argentina.  The city where the Tango was perfected.  I wish I had more time to spend in the city perhaps also had the chance to catch a Tango show or learn some polo.  If you want a European feeling vacation without going to Europe and being in South America, Buenos Aires is the place to be in.

Egypt - Cairo

Why is Imran visiting Cairo?


The main reason to visit Egypt was to step on the African continent.  I knew there were riots going on and a lot of political instability but wasn't sure how much problem it would cause.  Since my mother was accompanying me I decided to be super safe and not go to any areas where there were any signs of riots or acts of protests.

This was my second stop in my first Round The World Trip in 39 days.


What I did?


Al Azhar Park


As I mentioned there were riots going on in Egypt and the amount of tourist activity to be done uber safely were pretty limited.  After Jummah (Friday Payers) I decided to go check out Al Azhar Park which is the only place in Cairo where there isn't any smog, pollution or toxic gases in the air.  There is a 20 Egyptian Pound ~$3 entry fee I think, I am not sure of the exact amount but there was an entrance fee.  The highest hill in the park gives a 360 degree view of Cairo from where you can view the Citadel and Old Cairo.  It is a good place to visit in Cairo and only one of the few places where you will not need an oxygen mask to breathe outside.

Mohammed Ali Mosque in the back.

Mommy.

Panoramic view of the park.

Egyptian Gangsta.

I was going to fall in.

Panoramic view of the Old Egyptian Houses.

Panorama view from top of the highest hill.

View from top.

City Star Mall


Okay now I know a travel blog shouldn't contain an entry for a mall but because of all the riots and political instability we always ended up going to the City Star Mall which was a safe place to go.  I had wanted to go check out the Egyptian Museum and other places to explore in Cairo but due to the environment we opted to go to safe places.  I would call and ask the concierge and always get a reply "no sir it is not the safe go out, you can go to the mall which is the bretty safe." So I ended up hanging out in the mall :(

Mom in the mall.

Big Ice Cream.

Mosques


Cairo is known as the city of a 1000 Minarets and has a whole lot of Mosques.  I was in Cairo during Friday and had the opportunity to pray Jummah (Friday Prayers) at the Sayyidna Al Hussein Mosque.  It is considered to be the holiest Islamic site in Cairo.  It is located close to the Khan El Khallil Bazaar and is very crowded during Jummah.  I was really surprised as to how unclean the mosque was as people were eating and creating a mess in the mosque, even the wudu (ablution) area was unclean.

I also visited the Al Azhar Mosque which is the oldest mosque in Cairo and believed to be the first mosque in Cairo.  It is located within the Al Azhar University campus, which is believed to be the second oldest university in the world. 

Inside Al Azhar Mosque

I also wanted to go visit the Mohammed Ali mosque which has said to been inspired by the architecture of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. Sadly I wasn't able to visit the mosque since after we left Al Azhar Park there was news of riots breaking across Cairo and we opted to go back to the Hotel.

Mohammed Ali Mosque in the back.

Pyramids etc.


There is a high probability that any one who visits Cairo is doing so to go visit the Pyramids, I don't think there is any other reason to plan a trip to Cairo.  The Pyramids are outside the city limits in Giza so it was a safe place to visit, but I wouldn't be surprised if Egyptians started protesting near the pyramids. There are 2 ways to get there a cheap way and a not so cheap way.  The cheap way involves taking a cab driver to take you to the pyramids and show you around, which would cost you around $40 ish, you could probably even bargain more if you speak Arabic or have an Egyptian friend who is good at haggling.  The not so cheap way is to do it through one of the numerous tours that take you to the pyramids and the surrounding area. Although be prepared to pay a premium for english speaking guides and the comfort of ac transport, by premium I mean 4 times more expensive than the cheap way for a full day 8 hour tour.  We took a private tour from the hotel which took us to the Pyramids, Sphinx, Sakkara and the Memphis temple.  Obviously I would have done it through the cheaper alternative if I was alone. We got to the pyramids around 11:00 ish and my first impression was just wow.  I have seen the Pyramids in pictures and videos but nothing can prepare you  once you are there.  I think the pyramids are bigger in person than when you view them in pictures.  There are 3 pyramids and the biggest pyramid is called the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the pyramids are almost 4500 years old and still standing.  I am just amazed at the engineering feat accomplished 4500 years ago with no computers and modern technology.  I doubt the same can be accomplished now even with the aid of computers and modern technology.

Mom in front of the Great Pyramid.

This looks photo shopped.

This isn't.

Walk like an Egyptian.

Mom in a trick shot.

I was trying to see how tough it is to push one block.

Apparently it is pretty tough not even a rough, tough, rugged, handsome guy like me can push it.

Inside the Pyramid.

Me going to explore the inside of the Pyramid.

Me after my exploration, there is a lot of squatting/duck walking involved going inside the pyramid.

Saqqara is a burial ground of ancient Egypt and includes the worlds oldest complete stone building complex.  The complex is about a 20 - 30 minute drive from the Pyramids at Giza.  The step pyramid of Djoser was built for the Pharaoh Djoser by the architect Imothep.  I believe the structure is almost 5000 years old and is still standing.  I am not sure how it was built but it is just amazing that a structure almost 5000 years old is still present.  There have been various conspiracy theories that believe the structures in Egypt were built with the help of aliens due to the engineering magnificence accomplished. Oh well.  (TT: If you do take the trip with a personal guide, they will try to take you to small shops who will like all Egyptians try to rip you off by selling stuff like perfumes or carpets.  You can just politely decline buying stuff from them or just ask the guide not to take you there).

Pyramid of Djoser.

Mom with tour guide.

Ancient gladiator tricks.

Pre historic basement.

We also visited Memphis (not the one in Tennessee) in Egypt.  It was the capital of Egypt during the old kingdom.  The site we visited contained ruins from Memphis.

Rameses II and I

If you do visit the Pyramids at Giza you can pay a little extra and go inside the pyramids.  The entry to the bigger pyramid costs $20 and the smaller is around $10.  The price is not an issue as the opportunity to walk inside the pyramids is once in a lifetime.  Everyone who is able and capable should try it.  The problem is the limited space, which means you need to squat for a considerable amount of time.  The bigger pyramid requires to duck, squat and walk for 20 -25 minutes and the smaller one is probably 10 minutes or so.  I chose to walk in the smaller pyramid, although I wish I would have done the bigger pyramid.  Now there is no electronic equipment allowed in the Pyramids but somehow I forgot to leave my cellphone behind so now you get an exclusive once in a lifetime peek inside the Pyramids brought to you by your local sponsor (Insert Brand Name here after payment).

Indiana Jones Treasure hunt in the Pyramid.

Inside the Pyramids.

Further inside the Pyramid.

The Inside Chamber of the Pyramid.

Fat Ass in the Pyramid.

Walking out from the Pyramid.

Trying my hand at carpet weaving.

Miscellaneous Stuff


People I met


I was visiting Al Azhar Mosque where I ran into some Egyptian guys probably college students.  They were really nice and helped me with directions.  They were the only Egyptians that I met in my whole trip that didn't try to sell me some random things I don't want or try to rip me off.

What I ate?


When you think of Egypt you don't really think of it being a place with good food, although some of the things that I ate were not only cheap but were pretty yummy.  I have heard about Koshary a kind of a spaghetti with chick peas, lentils and spiciness through some of my Egyptian friends.  Koshary can be found on any street corner in Egypt with some places being more famous and serving better Koshary than the others.  I had wanted to visit the famous Koshary joint called Abu Tarek Koshary which I saw on Anthony Bourdains  show No Reservations.  I didn't get to visit Abu Tarek since it was close to where all the riots were going on but I did manage to try a place close to my hotel, the name of which I don't remember.  The place served good cheap Egyptian food, where me and my mother ate for $3.  The meal consisted of 2 Koshary's, 1 Drink & 2 Rice puddings.  Depending on your spice tolerance you can make the Koshary as spicy as you want with the hot sauce they serve you on the side.  It is a carbalicious meal consisting of spaghetti, chick peas, lentils, fried onions and some other stuff.  it is a very filling meal which doesn't cost a whole lot.

I am not a Steelers fan I got the T shirt on sale for $5.

Enjoying my Koshary yo.

You can add the crunchy chips to make your Koshary crunchy.

I also tried the Egyptian rice pudding which is equivalent to the Indian rice pudding called Kheer although the Egyptian version is a little less sweet and contains no dry fruits.

Egyptian Rice Pudding.

After eating Koshary we were walking back to our hotel where I came across a little bakery serving fresh warm bread.  Since I hadn't had any meat that day I decided I should have some Kebab rolls which once again were pretty cheap - $1.  I ordered 1 Kebab roll and a side of bread to eat the Kebab since I was under the impression I am only buying a Kebab and not a Kebab roll.  To my surprise I had ordered a Kebab roll.  The bread which I ordered was also filled with minced beef kind of like an enclosed burger.  The Kebab roll was amazing and had very tender fresh meat.  It wasn't really spicy just bland.

I think I was bothering cook with my posing.

Kebab Roll.

My favorite has to be the beef bread which I had initially thought of as being only bread. Once I had my first byte I knew something was wrong as the bread tasted meaty.  I am not sure what the Egyptian name for the bread I ate is but it was comparable to an enclosed burger which had tastier meat than any burger I have had.  It was also very filling.

Beef Burger Bread.

Anthony Bourdain the host of the TV show No Reservations is partly to be blamed for my travel obsession. I had seen his Cairo episode where he eats hemam (pigeon) an Egyptian delicacy which consists of a fried pigeon with stuffing.  Its kind of like a small scale thanksgiving for one where instead of turkey you use pigeon and is a lot more tastier.  Eating pigeon may sound weird but trust me it tastes exactly like chicken and is a whole lot crunchier since it is fried.  You need to ask a local where you can find good hemam and trust the locals decision.  There is a lot of places where you can eat hemam close to the Khan El Khalil bazaar.  Try going to a place which is crowded and doesn't have a credit card machine.  Eating hemam is a challenge in its self since the bird is real small and the meat is pretty limited, but the inconvenience of using your hands and scraping the meat is all worthed.

Hemam = Pigeon & Kefta Kebab.

Trying to figure out how to eat this joint.

Searching for my lunch.

Now I have heard of Al Baik chicken through some of my friends who just can't stop talking about the fried chicken from the place.  At the City Star Malls food court I was surprised to find an Al Baik location as I thought Al Baik is not international and is found only in Saudi.  I was keen on trying the fried chicken and figure out what all the fuss is about. To be honest I think the fried chicken was aight it wasn't the best I have had.  Its probably because the Al Baik chicken in Saudi is different than the one in Egypt.  I just need to go try the Al Baik fried chicken in Saudi and make a decision regarding my friends fanatical behavior over Al Baik chicken.  I still feel the best fried chicken and wings can be found at Cluck - U - Chicken in collie park bubba sparx, murrland hollaa.

Excited to try Al Baik Chicken yo. 

Cook Door is an Egyptian fast food joint which serves fresh fast food.  It has weird names for sandwiches and combos like the bikini, fried viagra etc..  Although the sandwich names are weird but the taste is pretty good.  I wanted to try the fried viagra but since I am not a big sea food fan I skipped on it.  They have a disclaimer with the sandwich which says "If hunger lasts more than 4 hours consult a nutrionist"

Check out the # 11 Sandwich combo.

Conclusion:  


Cairo is a crazy city with even crazier people.  The traffic is pretty horrendous, the pollution is off the charts, the people are always trying to rip off tourists and there isn't a lot of cleanliness.  Now this coming from a person who has lived in Bombay for 20 years may sound weird but it is pretty true.  It almost seems as if Egypt is going backwards and is always in the news for the wrong reasons.  As much progress as the ancient Egyptian civilization had made seems to have vanished in the present days.  Now I might have had a bad first impression about Egypt which is wholly to be blamed on the political situation.  I am certain there is more that Egypt has to offer and is definitely a good place to visit during times of peace and stability.