Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Forgive me for it has been over a week since my last entry. Traveling with kids is exhausting. What's more exhausting is navigating around a big bustling city and constantly getting lost. I love the fact that Buenos Aires is a walking city. You walk every where you want to go. If it is too far for two little ones, you can take a taxi (which scares me since the drivers LOVE to talk to you while making eye contact). Did I mention they are driving...with my children in the car? Although taking a taxi is fairly cheap ($6us for an in town 15 minute ride), we decided to try out the buses, trains, and subways.

The last time we were in Buenos Aires we used the subway system called the subte. I really liked taking the subte with the exception of rush hour. The subte was jammed packed full of people trying to make their way home at that time. I have found that if you travel with children any where you will be assured a seat. There is a wonderful etiquette here about allowing people with children and elderly ladies to have priority seating. People are generally nicer to you too when you have two cute little girls with you. This is no exaggeration. When I make a run to the store, people appear distant and busy, but that is not so when I have the girls with me. Everyone wants to stop and chat.

We decided to take the train out to an area called Tigre. This seemed easy enough when we went with friends. Although we must have lucked out because the second time we tried to go we took the wrong train and did not realize it until an hour into the train ride. We ended up in Suarez. There was a super nice guy sitting behind us who told us we had to go all the way back to the train station and board the next train out. Yikes! The train station is quite confusing but a really cheap ($0.25 us and interesting alternative to taxis or remises. And by interesting there is no shortage of on board entertainment from the buskers. Make sure to bring a few pesos to give to these guys. On our last train ride to San Isidro there was a man playing a harp. He rocked it too!