Buenos Aires

'Javier and Sandra, our very helpful friends at Dakarmotos'

In Buenos Aires, there a two suburbs called Florida, our taxi driver took us to the wrong one. Three hours (should have been an hour) of driving around some rather dodgy looking industrial estates, thinking ´God is this where we´re supposed to be staying for the next few days´ and the taxi driver waving his hands around repeating ´Mama mia´. We were like children at Christmas time when we saw an orange Africa Twin (this is a dual purpose motorbike for those of you who aren´t too sure what I´m talking about) whose rider was actually wearing a helmet (in Argentina you have to have a helmet on your body, not necessarily on your head, although most people don´t even bother with this law) and shouted at the driver, ´Follow that guy´. Fortunately it was Javier of Dakarmotos, and not some other overlander on his way to Rio or somewhere else. Five blocks in the right direction and we arrive at Dakarmotos.

Just to fill you in, Dakarmotos is a small motorcyle workshop whose owners, Javier and Sandra, have set up a small hostel also with camping facilities, or you can just roll out your sleeping mat amongst the KLRs, Africa Twins, BMWs and a KTM being stored there - gets you right into the spirit of things although I admit, I had a bed. Predominantly overlanders stay there at the beginning or end of their travels so it´s a great place to meet people doing a similar thing and get up-to-date information on the roads, police and general travel conditions. A lot of people also pass through as Javier is rather handy at welding and fixing all the bits and pieces that have rattled loose, fallen off or just plain worn out. He was also fantastic at making my pannier rack a lot lore ´leg´friendly and quite a few kilos lighter for which I am rather grateful. And also gavce me a hand (actually he showed me how to take my front wheel off, and the front forks and a few other useful bits and pieces). By the time we left my KLR was finally prepared to travel.
Sandra also offers an invaulable service of helping clear the bikes out of customs. And considering between the three of us, we know un poco espanol, she was a blessing. Plus we never would have found the customs house or the warehouse where our bikes were being stored without her help. Mucho gracias to both Sandra and Javier for getting us sorted and on our way.

So Buenos Aires is quite a large city, and as everyone says, rather European. The people are friendly though, which makes for a nice change. And they weren´t laughing at our attempts at Spanish. Not to our face at least.
We did the usual, San Telmo, home of the Tango although we didn´t partake. Motorcyle boots aren´t the best things for gliding around a dance floor or the outdoor pavements. La Boca, the working class area with colourful houses. Palermo, nice outdoor markets and cafes, cheap but not cheap enough for us on our meagre budget. And to Cementario de la Recoleta, where Iain, our ever useful tour guide, informs us that Eva Peron used to be buried here until quite recently but has since been relocated. We later find out that she is still there but her hubby was relocated. Oh well, it´s all a bit morbid taking photographs of dead peoples tombs.

After a week of the best steak sandwiches, it is time to leave and on the Friday we get up early, Javier and Sandra come to the workshop early to unlock and let our bikes out, and finally, after a few hours of faffing (I´m sure I will get the hang of this getting going quickly thing, although Katie might remember, after 6 weeks on the road cycling around Ireland, I still couldn´t manage it) we´re out the front of the shop ready to go. Another 1/2 hour of checking and rechecking that everything is strapped on properly and hasta luegos to Sandra, Javier, Tom and Christina (German travelling on Africa Twins) our hostel companions, we get going.

'Mount up lads, it's time to get going'

Two hours later and three times past the turn off to Dakarmotos, we finally find the correct ruta and start our adventure down south. Next stop Azul.