Day Thirteen: Argentina – New Year’s Day, Dakar Race

But as she climbed the rails items in her hand flew across the room landing in different places – we heard ‘Merde’ before she gave up to the temptation of sleep.

New Year’s Day brought a clear skyline, pounding heat and streets lined with Argentine’s awaiting the start of the Dakar. We were in place for 2pm ready for showtime.

2.40pm they began introducing the participants (having not been familiar with Dakar in the past I was unaware of the proceedings): 2 hosts present each and every participant to the crowd, of the 600+ contenders. By 6pm they had only just finished the motorbikes.

 

The start of the Dakar continued late into the evening while we took a siesta and planned our pub-crawl. Again, the restaurants and bars being largely closed meant we hunted to find food for nearly an hour. However tonight was party night and the drink had to flow.

We stopped at Sitges (the bar) with a AR$70 entry fee for all we could drink cocktails until 2.30am – a stupid challenge for any Brit. A cab ride to the Club Human with two large dance floors and a huge outdoor terrace – where most seemed to spend their time chatting. We crawled back to the hotel about 6am, knowing that in just a few hours we would need to get up and lug our bags back to the other hostel. http://buenosaires.queercity.info/bars.htm

However we were actually happy to leave – I hadn’t been impressed with Gran Orly Hotel.

We spent the afternoon – a Sunday – walking around Palmero. While with a hangover it was a relief to find tree shade in the park to snooze beneath, but the large ants enjoyed nibbling at any exposed flesh they came across.

Palmero is meant to be the social side of town, slightly upmarket (which it certainly was) but there was little more to see than the park and Evita Museum.

The history of Evita was phenomenal and humbled myself – a 28 year old – who has only achieved a smidgeon of her achievements (to some though a glorified prostitute). http://www.evitaperon.org/eva_peron_museum.htm

On return to the hotel to our 4-berth room we scurried straight to bed. It was 10pm – our weakest night of the lot. Around 1am another roommate arrived – shocked to discover Francois in her bed – yes he decided to move and be on the bottom bunk. But as she climbed the rails items in her hand flew across the room landing in different places – we heard ‘Merde’ before she gave up to the temptation of sleep...

COSTS:

Entrance to Evita: AR$15

Drinks in Flux Bar: AR$38

Taxi to Human: AR$25 - 30

Drinks in Human: AR$165 (3 x AR$55) http://www.humanclub.com.ar/