The constant roar of traffic, people everywhere and so many things to do it kind of hurts your brain… welcome to Buenos Aires. We chose to spend Christmas and New Year in this crazy Capital city caught up in the buzz of the place, it truly was a festive season like no other.
In the run up to Christmas we took strolls around the pretty Palermo neighbourhood, got drunk on cheap beer and played ping pong (badly) to the amusement of many Argentinians whose non-tourist bar we gate-crashed with the lovely Kerry (she’s a fab author, runs the mentoring scheme I’m on and I’ve now decided my new BFF), ate so much steak I may start mooing and enjoyed relaxing days after being on the road practically non-stop since October.
On Christmas Eve we exchanged gifts and sat on the balcony in t-shirts and shorts drinking cold beer, playing cards and watching cracking fireworks until 3am. Christmas day was spent catching up with loved ones, dips in the rooftop pool, recovering from a hangover and yet more steak and wine. It was heaven.
We then moved to the centre of the city in another AirB&B apartment (I’ll do a future blog post on this as it is such a fab lil scheme) where we had a tiny apartment on the 12th floor overlooking this urban jungle. It even came with a gym so after overindulging we promised ourselves we would sweat out the steak but exercising in this heat ain’t clever or pretty (see how easy I made excuses not to go).
Then with the year quickly coming to a close we prepared for 2015. I’m not the biggest NYE fan. I hate the forced fun pressure that you have to be doing something AMAZING, as if that one night will be an indication of how the following year will play out. Meh. We had already decided to have a quiet night in but as we had low expectations of the evening it turned out to be one of my best NYE ever! Why is that always the way?! (The pics are pants but trust me it was a good ‘un!)
We played stupid games, danced around the apartment to cheesy tunes, ate (yep you guessed it) more steak and got very merry indeed. Then a few hours after my family and friends welcomed 2015 back home it was our turn and what a welcome. We camped out on the balcony with a magnum of red wine soaking up the firework fight that lit up the skyline. I have never ever witnessed fireworks like this in my life. Fire crackers popped on the streets, neighbours let off bangers from their balconies, Chinese lanterns floated heavenwards and everywhere you looked were gorgeous bright colours sparkling in the dark sky. My head was turning so fast trying to soak it all up I nearly cricked my neck! It went on for about 25 minutes and even then it felt like it was over too soon.
There may have been a few tears shed for the end of 2014, a year mixed with both happy highs such as embracing my French life, being bitten by the travel bug and finishing my manuscript but also very sad lows especially in losing my wonderful grandma. But a new year a new start and so much fun adventures to be had. Let’s all remember to keep looking forward, never back, as that’s the direction we’re heading!
31st December 2014 was so magical, emotional and bloody fantastic much like I hope 2015 will be for both you and I! *Pulls you in for a big squidgy group hug*
Not Wed or Dead 