Print version of Buenos Aires and 31 Hours in Rome

We left South Africa in 1997 with the plan to go to London for six months, earn some pounds and then go traveling in South America. We didn't get to South America that year or the year after that. Six years later we booked our ticket flying via Rome to Buenos Aires in Argentina.

Some must-sees: Casa Rosada (pink house), the presidential palace where the Perons addressed the people from the lower balcony; La Boca soccer stadium, where Maradona played as a junior; La Boca, area where the Tango was born; Recoleta, graveyard where Evita is buried; the harbour area for the late night dining and great seafood; San Telmo antiques market; and Bar Sur, a tango bar which I highly recommend. Tango dancing, the reason so many people visit 'the Paris of the south', is breathtakingly beautiful.

Out of town:
- From the main train station catch a train to Tigre, which is at the River Delta. Here you can take a slow cruise up the delta taking in the scenery of wealthy homes and sandy beaches.
- From Buenos Aires take a 30-minute flight to Punta del Este in Uruguay, 'the St Tropez of South America'. It is on a peninsula jutting out between the Atlantic Ocean and the Rio de la Plata and is a popular holiday destination for South Americans. In March it was quiet and we had long sandy beaches to ourselves (much like Durban’s beaches minus the people). There are great waves for surfing and the city is geared up for the surfing lifestyle. Hiring a bicycle for the day is a very cheap way to see more of the fantastic coastline.
- The Iguazu Falls are a 2-hour flight from Buenos Aires and a MUST SEE. These incredible waterfalls stretch for more than 2.5km on the border between Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina. The falls are in a subtropical rain forest, which is a national park, and you should plan to spend at least 8 hours here. There is so much to do: view one of the 2,000-plus falls from above or below or any vantage point in between; take a four-wheel-drive tour through the jungle; take an exhilarating and terrifying motor boat ride through the rapids and right up to one of the falls; take a helicopter trip over the falls or just walk around and enjoy the amazing fauna and flora and the heat heat heat. You can stay in the park at the Sheraton Hotel (which I recommend) in a room with a view of the falls, or at one of numerous hotels in or around Iguazu town. Buses ferry tourists to and from the park all day. I will never forget the thundering noise, the spray, the heat, the magnificent birds, thousands of butterflies, lizards, us discovering hidden paths with 'secret' views of smaller falls, walking across what seemed like miles and miles of bridges, friendly knowledgeable guides and clean toilets wherever we stopped.

PS. The Mission was filmed here.

Links
Uruguay: http://visit-uruguay.com/uruguay.htm
Iguazu Falls: http://www.greatestplaces.org/book_pages/iguazu2.htm

31 hours in Rome
It may seem decadent to fly to Rome for a night, but we decided to do it after rejecting the alternative: not spending time in the Eternal City with friends from Cape Town who were on holiday there. Also, decadence and Rome seem a good match, at least in my head. Leaving London early on Saturday morning had a sense of magic about it. We saw foxes, a squirrel, crows and a rabbit (all alive and apparently well) on our journey (by road) to Stansted Airport. Seven years on, London is still full of surprises!

The self-confidence of the Romans, ancient and modern, is evident everywhere. I think you would have to have a heart of stone not to have your breath taken away when you turn a corner and stumble upon an ancient treasure. There are so many that a day touring could easily become a heavy breathing affair. Walk a block or two and you are fast forwarded a few thousand years to a world where window dressing is loud and proud, to say the least. We didn't have time to shop but we were often drawn to the shop windows. I was surprised at first, thinking the Italians would have been more sedate but then I thought of Dolce and Gabbana. There is a certain unexpected harmony between the very old and the new in Rome; it seems one is walking through time with the ages on view in their many layers. There seemed to be no old people though. We threw money into the Trevi Fountain hoping like hell we would get back to this mesmerising city. We were amazed by the many ancient sites and were delighted by the beautiful churches. With so little time in the city wehad decided to be relaxed about not seeing every site so we walked around and just enjoyed what we came upon. On Sunday morning we went to the Vatican and, as we arrived, the Pope was starting his midday address/mass from a window in his apartment (it is broadcast in St Peter's Square, which his window overlooks). We understood none of the words (Latin) but really felt the power. St Peter's Basilicais
jam-packed with enormous and spectacular works of art and I could imagine spending quite a few hours there. Unfortunately the Sistine Chapel was closed on the afternoon we were there; it was foolish of us not to check opening hours at the start of the weekend. (I think it is one Sunday afternoon a month that itis closed to the public). Anyway that left us time for more walking (Rome is definitely a walking city) and a couple of hours at the Colosseum. We joined a tour group, which was worthwhile in terms of getting us around quickly and cramming in information.
It must have been a dream: the ancient history, a night in Rome with friends from Cape Town, the art, the churches, the Pope - all this in a 31-hour weekend.

By Siobhan Cassidy