NEW YEAR IN BA!

Day 304

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WIll post pics here but forgot the camera so will add them later!
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Last night was our last night in Buenos Aires. It was also New Years Eve!

New Years Eve is different in BA. The streets are really quiet. IT´s like everyone is preparing for a big night..and they were! Bars were back up on the buildings in San Telmo..and people were quietening down.

We tried to find an open post office to send some of our travel paraphanalia back home so our packs were a little lighter but nothing was open. All public buildings and a lot of restaurants were closed for the afternoon.

We had planned to go to the famed BA cemetery where Argentine notables including Eva Peron (Juan Peron is at a different cemetery?) but it was SO hot we decided to leave that excursion until we came back in a couple of weeks.

We ate dinner at a restaurant in Avenue Florida and then staggered back to our hotel room perspiring from the incredible stifling heat! If was 37 and humid.

At 11pm we heard all the fire crackers start going off in the street so we quickly packed our books away and headed straight out to the San Telmo streets, on our way to the market square.

People were letting firecrackers off in the streets..gathered in small groups on the outside of their homes. They were getting louder and more prolific. There was an hour to go...but it was heating up. It was mainly kids letting the firecrackers go, in tins and other homemade crackers with the parents watching. Some were huge. There were some professional looking ones going off as well.

They don´t have a huge fireworks display like we have! It´s all homemade and every house has a small group of people letting them off. I guess we have the big show because home firecrackers are illegal!

When we reached the Square there was a lot of music...a couple of flutists and drum players and people singing..and lots of people drinking but no one was unruly. IT was an organised chaos really! BUt exciting...

We joined in the dancing...and had such a great time soaking up the atmosphere. At about 10 to midnight there was a bit more fervour to the drum playing but that was it...nothing more. People just kept dancing and celebrating and a few of us kissed at midnight! A girl saw us taking our own picture and took a great pic of us...the first (of many! ha!) for 2008!

ANd that was New YEar....a great Buenos Aires party in the Square!

At about 1pm we decided to head to a pub to find a agua (water) and the only thing available was beer...so....with our resolutions out the window, we sat in the pub and drank beer. We headed home about 1.30pm and collapsed into bed..it was still about 30C and hot!

We knew we were heading to the cold the next day..so were we worried!???