On our own once again, we set out to explore as much of Buenos Aires as we could. Overall, we think we did a pretty good job. These are some of our highlights from the rest of our time in this wonderful city.

The Botanical gardens were about a miles walk from our apartment. We spent part of a day walking around the beautiful park. It’s a nice place for Argentinians to go and escape the busy city. There were lots of different species of trees and flowers to check out. The boys loved wandering around the paths. The US embassy was very close by so we headed over there next to check it out. We asked the guards if we could see inside but you needed an appointment.

On Friday the 13th, we explored the Recoleta neighborhood. We figured what better thing to do then check out the famous Recoleta cemetery. It is said to be one of the nicest and most beautiful cemeteries in the world. It contains 4691 above-ground mausoleums including Eva(Evita) Peron’s. Every mausoleum is incredible with ornate carvings or statues and they are made of marble or stone. There is a beautiful columned entryway into the cemetery and a gorgeous church connected to it. The cemetery is laid out in a grid pattern with tree-lined cobblestone streets. We were really glad to have gotten to visit.

After the cemetery, we went to a children’s museum called “Prohibido No Tocar” or Prohibited Not to Touch Museum. Every exhibit was interactive, and kids were encouraged to touch and play with everything. There were lots of science, engineering, and musical exhibits. Our kids had a blast and so did we! As we were leaving the building, there was an interactive art exhibition, 3 dark rooms one with a giant glow in the dark snake that you could walk through, one with large drums, and one with a jaguar. It didn’t seem to be related to the museum but was very cool.

Across the road from the museum, we stumbled into another building. As we were walking around, we found a room filled with thousands of building blocks. We were there for quite a while seeing who could create the tallest structure. Another room had a bunch of sculptures that looked like nests or eggs to play on. And finally, a room to draw pictures with tables full of paper and colored pencils. The kids loved hanging up their drawings on the wall. The building was the Recoleta Cultural Center. It was a very neat place for the public to come to hang out for free. There were many other rooms for concerts and other events. Next, we went over to one of the coolest, widest, and craziest trees we had ever seen. After a delicious Italian meal with lots of gnocchi and other pasta dishes, we headed home.

We took the number 39 bus over to the Palermo Soho neighborhood to check out their feria (Sunday market). The Feria surrounded a park with a playground. It was a smaill market, but the kids had fun checking out a new playground. It was a very hip and trendy area. Our plan was to watch the Vikings Vs. Packers game at an American ex-pat bar in the area called Chicken Bros. They advertised that they had 3 TVs and played NFL games. We even messaged them early in the week to make sure the game would be on. When we got there it was very small and loud. The DJ in the corner blasting music was not a good fit for kids. We ended up watching part of the game on our phone at an Irish pub. The area outside of the pub had another Feria that we loved.

There is a beautiful old theater called Teatro Colon. We would have loved to see an opera or other show there, but never had the opportunity. Instead, we took a Subte train over and walked around it to appreciate the architecture. A short walk from the theater is the famous Obelisco. It looks like a replica of the Washington monument. We took some photos before heading over to pizzeria Güerrin. We had read that they had the best pizza in town. It did not disappoint. Both the Fugazzeta pizza and empanadas were amongst the best we have had.

We took a train ride to see the city of Tigre. The train left from the grand Retiro station. It took about 45 minutes to get to Tigre. Tigre is best known for its Sunday Feria and for its boat rides down the river. We checked out the small market and then walked over to the city’s China town area for lunch. After lunch, we decided it would be fun to take a delta riverboat cruise. The ride was 1 hour long and brought is down both the Paraná and Uruguay rivers. It was very interesting to learn more about the history of the surrounding area. It was a fun afternoon and worth the trip. Get there early, because it can get busy.

Buenos Aires has a really nice planetarium that we took the boys to see. We watched a very cool movie on the solar system in the domed theater. After that, we checked out the interactive floor. They had a robot that answered questions about the universe, games and a ride that simulated the big bang. Across the street from the planetarium is the rose gardens. We headed over and walked around the gardens for a while. Unfortunately, most of the roses had not bloomed yet. It was still a beautiful place with lots of other things to check out, and we imagine that it would be wonderful in season.

We had not eaten lunch, and it was late the afternoon, so we wandered over to the only area near us with restaurants on our map. It turned out to be one of the coolest places in the city. The area was called Los Arcos Del Rosedale. It is an arched train bridge where each arch has been filled in with different restaurants. We thought it was such a creative and inventive use of the space. The trains still go over the top. Mason really wanted to sit outside so he could eat and watch the trains at the same time. We had a great meal at a hamburger place called Williamsburg and then ate ice cream one arch over at Lucciano’s. Further down the tracks, they have a new outlet shopping mall with stores under the arches.

Chelsea heard about a really cool bookstore that she wanted to check out. We took a bus to El Ateneo Grand Splendid which was a 100-year-old theater that has been converted into a three-story bookstore. It was so fantastic and unique. In fact National Geographic has deemed it the most beautiful bookstore in the world. We could have spent all day there if the kids had allowed. One of the things we loved about Buenos Aires was their architects’ ability to repurpose old buildings or structures and give them new life. Who would think to turn a theater into a book store?

Our second to last day was so much fun for everybody except Horacio. Chelsea has stayed in contact with many of her families from teaching through social media. About 13 years ago, a family came from Argentina to Excelsior. They stayed for three years and Chelsea was the children’s ESL teacher. When they left Minnesota, the kids (L, M, and C) were in 4th, 2nd, and kindergarten. We were so lucky to reconnect with them before we left. The whole family took the time to see us, even with their busy teenage schedules. They picked us up from the train station and we went to the San Isidro Nautical Club. Their family has been a part of this club for over 80 years. It is like nothing we had seen. The club owns its own island. They have 3 restaurants, so many club activities and services. The plan was to take the family’s boat to the island for lunch. The kids loved exploring the inside of the cabin. It was felt like a little kid’s house.

While sailing, we had a beautiful view of downtown Buenos Aires. Then Cooper, who was down below, said that he smelt something funny. There was some smoke coming from the engine! We returned to the marina, and as Horacio stayed with the mechanic to figure out the problem, we took one of the club’s ferry boats to the island. There we got a delicious lunch, but we also had a call from Horacio saying the boat was fixed and he was coming to meet us, but that he had gotten stuck on a sandbar near the shallow part of the channel near the island. He was going to wait until the tide rose. We continued on to see L’s team play in their club soccer tournament. Later, Chelsea and C took the boys out in a little rowboat. They weren’t coordinated at rowing in the right direction and mainly went around in circles, but it was still fun.

We stopped for a quick rest at the family’s house and then they brought us to the train station. By the way, we never did see Horacio again. When we left, he was still stranded but L had brought him some lunch. We were sad to say goodbye to our friends at the end of the day, but the boys were getting tired and we had to take the train back to the city. We will forever be thankful for our adventurous day. The L, M, and C were such a joy! Their parents were so gracious, and we wish them all the best and hope they come back to Minnesota for a visit someday.

On our final day in Buenos Aires, we went and had breakfast at the restaurant below us. It was a beautiful day so we decided to eat at a table outside by the street. We got to sit and people watch one last time. People watching from our balcony had become one of our favorite things to do. The kids would try and guess where people were going or what they were doing. After breakfast, we jumped in a cab and headed back to the Recoleta area. They had a wonderful Feria with tons of vendors. We ended up buying a painted porcelain mate cup. It was our only souvenir other than patches, magnets, and postcards.

The boys had a couple of big plastic buses that they had gotten in Chile. Grandma Cathy had carried them in her suitcase to Argentina for them with the kids understanding that they would not be going with to New Zealand. Chelsea put post-it notes on both buses that said gratis(free). Tom and the boys walked down to the park one last time and the boys each picked out a kid to give their bus to. Both boys were very excited and happy to have found kids who would like. We were very proud of them and had a talk about what a nice thing they had done.

Just like that three months in South America were over. We took one last look at the apartment all feeling a little sad to be leaving and then headed down to catch a cab to the airport. It truly has been an amazing journey so far. There is no doubt in our minds that we did the right thing by taking this trip. Both the kids and we have learned so many new things, met the most wonderful people and have seen so many amazing places. We can’t wait to see what lies ahead of us.