On the plane + Buenos Aires with kids

Buenos Aires with kids

The trip to Buenos Aires took 25 hours with all the transits. We didn’t leave the airport during this time so I could breathe in the fresh air the day after boarding our first flight. Now I can say it might not be the best way to travel to Buenos Aires with kids, but it was very affordable.

Flights to Argentina

We took 3 flights, only in this combination my ticket to South America was so cost effective at £200 per person return 🙂  From Madrid we flew to São Paulo, then Santiago de Chile and back through Andes to Buenos Aires. The airport Guarulhos wasn’t as bad as it’s reviews, and so TAM airlines were quite ok. It was my first long distance flight though so I have no comparison. I was quite confused though as I spilled red wine on my trousers and when I woke up in the morning there were no stains, hence not sure I was served!

We arrived in São Paulo at 4am in the morning and we had to wait 7 hours for our next flight. I didn’t have Brazilian currency because we didn’t plan to stay in Brazil. To exchange any amount of dollars I would need to pay $11 fee ,  I tried to pay for a water bottle with a 20 dollar note but the shop couldn’t accept it because they didn’t have enough change. Luckily I found free tap water at the airport otherwise it would be a very expensive purchase!

V went for a nap and I was guarding our small luggage.

From Sao Paulo to Chile we flew with LAN. The view over Andes was breathtaking but landing wasn’t the best. In Santiago we only had 1 hour for a transfer but the plane was looking quite old so this last flight was the most scary. We also landed at the different airport than planned but it suited me better anyway and taxi ride was cheaper than I budgeted for.

Film scans:

Arriving in Argentina

In Buenos Aires we were hosted by Ana who stayed with us in Edinburgh last year. I was really happy when we found her apartment because wasn’t able to use my mobile phone since arriving in Santiago.

Ana lives on the 9th floor of the tall building, this is the view from her apartment:

And the morning next day:

Only in the morning I realised I have lost my jacket somewhere – possible left it in one of the planes! To be honest I was happy my luggage was lighter now.

First things first, we went to look for a lab to sent my film for developing. We found this lovely wall with Che Guevara:

What to do in Buenos Aires

Ana lives in Palermo, the most green area of Buenos Aires, full of coffee shops and restaurants. It would be easy to get lost Herę without a map, so glad I had one. We went to the biggest park in Buenos Aires – Parque de 3 Febrero designed by Jordan Czesław Wysocki from Poland. I must admit, I prefer much better the park in Madrid. There were no public toilets and no children’s play parks in the park. There is a botanic garden and a zoo nearby.

We walked all the way to Palermo as it was much easier than looking for a bus. You need to speak Spanish in Buenos Aires!

In the evening we went with Ana to visit her sister and brother-in-law. In Argentina dinners are eaten late, it is normal to eat at the restaurant at 9pm. This evening we tried traditional empanadas, dumplings with different fillings. And of course red wine. We left Maria’s apartment at 1.30am and I had to carry V while she was sleeping.

What to pack to South America for a 6 week trip

I took with us in 2 separate luggages, 5 kg each. We could take a hold luggage with us but I thought it would be probably lost somewhere on the way so didn’t want to risk. To be honest, I don’t think I have missed not having any item during our 6 week trip. There were a few clothes I haven’t used at all. My biggest regret was taking 2 cameras and 2 lenses as there were quite heavy. And I was worried all the time that I might lose them.

Reading scary stories about daylight robberies, I left my smartphone at home and I had only old Nokia with me. My best tip is to take some older clothes that can be left on the way, so you can collect some souvenirs on the way home. Although we had only one flight back home and I could take big luggage, I didn’t want to carry it though South America!