Arriving in Buenos Aires

The bus from Puerto Iguazu to Buenos Aires was very comfortable.  Seats with enough space between them that you could lay the seat down completely.  Foot rests.  Little curtains to pull across and make your own little room if you wanted.  The only complaint was that the wifi wasn't working on my bus and the charger was loose, but it was a very pleasant 20-hour ride.

Since my bus was coming in early and I wasn't able to check in to my AirBNB until afternoon, I had thought about storing my luggage and walking around Retiro.  But, the neighborhood around the bus station was a little intimidating to me.  I learned later that the bus station is right in the middle of what people here call Villas, which are the slums, one step up from homelessness.  The buidings appeared to be in significant decay with some appearing to be falling down.  Many of them didn't have four walls or full ceilings.  They don't necessarily have any electricity or running water.  The city apparently allows people to live there instead of condeming the buildings in an effort to relieve homelessness or "situacion de calle", as it's called here.  Of course, the slum lords who own the land and buildings are still allowed to charge rent.  After a long and contentious discussion on Facebook about homelessness in Buenos Aires, this is another place the US could take a few lessons.  While traveling around the city, I had noticed that I saw no homeless encampments, but that the homeless appeared to be able to pitch their pallets, mattresses, shelters and whatnot in parks or on streets at their will.  Police would walk past them without disturbing them.  I did see an officer gently nudge a sleeping person until that person raised a hand.  Then the officer went on his way and the person went back to sleep.  It appeared that the officer was just checking that the person was okay.  I have learned that some Villas are primarily tent-type cities, similar to our encampments.  Those tend to be on the outskirts of town where there are more open spaces.  Those in the "situation of the street" inside the city, seem to have found a place where they can rest relatively easily and have access to food and basic needs, such as bathrooms.  The city provides free bus passes to the homeless, and they are allowed to sleep in parks, on sidewalks, on benches, in underpasses, etc.  I have seen homeless at most of the tourist spots I have been to.  Stories were told to me about homeless who live close to restaurants who give them food and water, and dumpster diving is not illegal here.  In fact, there is even an industry of people who pick through dumpsters to gather recyclable materials.  I have seen no spike strips, no strategically placed boulders, no central arm rests installed on benches clearly to prevent people from laying on them.  When I saw the police interacting with the homeless, it was in the same way they interacted with other members of society, and some of them seemed to have a friendly relationship.  In my talks with others, I did learn that the government in Buenos Aires allows homeless people to exist and take up space so long as they do not harrass or interfere with others.  If a business or person complains about a homeless person's behavior (not their existence), the police will deal with that behavior.  But they are not "herded out" like garbage or livestock just because they have no place inside into which they can disappear from sight.  Homelessness is no small problem in Buenos Aires, and from what I can gather, the percentages rival those in Seattle and Portland, where people are screaming about the homeless crisis (and blaming the homeless for it).  However, except where there are slumlord landlords, it appears that the city is cleaner and has a more welcoming feel to it where the homeless are treated with humanity and are visible when compared to cities where they are shuffled from encampment to encampment with all or most of their scant belongings burned or otherwise disposed of on the random whim of city officials.  Just my two cents, and I'll get off my soap box now.  I took no pictures of this, as I felt that would be an intrusion into people's individual privacy.  They have so little privacy to begin with, I didn't want to take what did remain.

Anyway, because I was uncomfortable with the immediate area (Turns out the discomfort was unwarranted, but I always trust my gut.), I hung out in the bus station and had a sandwich at an inside cafe until time to find my AirBNB.  I took the worst possible transportation option since I just wanted to get there - a taxi.  Once I got outside of the immediate area of the bus station and the Villas, I was simply awestruck at the beauty of the city!  No pix of this ride, either, as I was white knuckled, hanging on!  My driver was INSANE!  But, he got me there in one piece - somehow.  He did not seem to be the normal driver in Buenos Aires.  I messaged the AirBNB host that I was here.  Crickets.  Kept messaging her and kept getting nothing back.  I was sitting on the sidewalk waiting.  Even sent her a picture asking if I was in the right place!  Still crickets.

And yes, that is all the luggage I am traveling with!  A purple carryon at max dimensions, my BiPAP, a blue waterproof bag full of meds and medical equipment such as my TENS unit, and my brown personal bag at maximum dimensions (which is actually a large water resistant camera bag).  With airlines losing so much luggage and me having connecting flights getting down here, I didn't want to check a bag and risk losing anything.  After waiting about an hour with no response, which was highly unusual for this host, I finally contacted AirBNB support.  They were giving her an hour to respond to them, and then they assured me they would cancel this one and find me someplace else if she didn't respond.  Meanwhile, I'm asking anybody coming out of or going into the building if they know her.  Finally, just before the deadline, a guy walking his dog knew how to get in touch with someone who could get in touch with her, and voila, response!  The guy walking the dog let me into the lobby, and someone else came down to settle me into the apartment.  The second balcony.  It was a rough day, but I was finally in.  I went to the little tienda across the street for something to eat, settled in, and went to sleep.

I woke the next morning with the intention of getting my time in Buenos Aires set up.  I needed to get to the closest mall to get a ticket for the ferry to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, and I needed groceries.  I went to the bus stop by the apartment, told the driver where I wanted to go, and learned the busses here do NOT take cash.  Sube card only.  As I was getting ready to get off the bus, a guy in one of the front seats, scanned his card for me and would not let me give him any pesos for it.  My faith in humanity restored, I rode to the mall and got my ferry ticket for Tuesday, the 25th.  I then started walking home, stopping in at every shop that had a Sube sign.  They could all refill a card, but none had the actual card they could sell me because of some problem with plastic in the supply chain.  Supply chain disruptions are not limited to the US.  It's a global issue right now, guys.  I didn't find a Sube card, but I did find the Botanical Gardens.  It's huge and beautiful and was designed by a guy named Carlos Thays, who designed most of the green spaces in town.  He was very talented!  Also, let me mention now that everywhere you turn here, there is statuary.  Most of it is beautiful, and the Jardin Botanico is no exception!  Being early spring, most of the flowers were in early stages, so the garden was mostly green.  I'm sure it's bursting with colors later in the year, though.  The greenhouse was closed.

It took me a little longer than planned to make it to the grocery (which was on my way) and home.  And I didn't find a Sube card.  I'm also sure you guys are going to get sick of statuary by the time I finish writing about Buenos Aires, but I'm loving it!