Okay, folks, let’s get into it. My Argentina trip last month? Yeah, total whirlwind. I landed in Buenos Aires after like 16 hours flying, feeling wrecked but pumped.
First Stop: Buenos Aires Chaos
Dumped my bags at the hostel downtown – nothing fancy, just a bunk near the action. Needed caffeine bad, so I stumbled into the first joint smelling like fresh coffee. Hit the streets, just wandering. La Boca? Wow. Totally blew my mind. Those brightly painted tin houses? Like walking into a rainbow exploded. Found El Caminito street packed with tango dancers. Grabbed some greasy empanadas from a street stall, cheap and crazy good. Next day, I hunted down the Recoleta Cemetery. Sounds morbid, I know, but it’s wild. Grand tombs stacked up like a stone city for the dead. Spent ages finding Evita Perón’s vault – way humbler than you’d think.
The Iguazu Insanity
Took a cramped flight up north to Puerto Iguazu. Holy humidity! Got onto this little jungle train heading into Iguazu Falls National Park early the next morning. The noise hit me first – this crazy roar from miles away. Then bam, first glimpse of Devil's Throat. Just this enormous horseshoe canyon where clouds of mist shoot up as the river plunges down. Got absolutely soaked on a boat ride underneath one of the smaller falls – screamed like a kid. Worth it.
Finding the 'Hidden' Bit… Sorta
Everyone talks about the big falls (for good reason!), but my hostel mate tipped me off about this spot deeper inside the park called Salto Arrechea. You gotta hike further, past where most tour groups stop. The path gets muddy and narrower, buzzing with jungle sounds. After sweating buckets, you reach this smaller cascade tucked into lush green, peaceful. Only a handful of people. Sat on a rock, cooled my feet, and just breathed it in. Not truly "secret" anymore, but way quieter.
Lessons Learned the Hard Way
Practical stuff I figured out:
- Buenos Aires is massive: Booked two days? Not enough. My feet hated me.
- Iguazu planning is key: Booked the boat tour late? Big mistake, almost missed out. Sold out fast.
- Pack the repellent: Thought I was tough. The mosquitoes near Iguazu disagreed. Violently.
- Cash rules: Especially for those tiny empanada stalls and smaller shops outside big tourist zones.
So yeah. Argentina’s big famous spots? Epic, mind-blowing, lived up to the hype. But pushing just a little further off the main drag? That’s often where you catch your breath and feel like you found something kinda special.
