Cheap as 'Churros'

We have been in Buenos Aires for about a week now and have been pretty busy. Having set ourselves quite a strict budget we have been forced to find free and cheap things to do and see. I have been really pleasantly surprised that you don't have to spend a fortune to have a great time.

I would be lying if I said it is easy all the time as there have been some draw backs... 

We have been walking so much our feet are definitely feeling it; no money means no taxis and it's easy to forget that when you have explored for 4 hours you still have to find your way home! 

Our hostel, although lovely and authentic, is pretty basic, not amazingly comfortable and unfortunately we have a very noisy German couple next door to us who play 80s pop on very loud speakers quite late at night; no money in this case means a lack of sleep and Aha's 'Take on me' stuck in our heads!

So, draw backs aside, having no money to waste has been an adventure in itself. Buenos Aires can actually be done pretty cheaply. All that we have had to spend money on is drinks (maybe 50pesos/day), food  (from supermarkets and local street vendors about 80pesos/day) and the occasional underground ride (only 2.50pesos for any journey). That comes to less than £20/day for 2 people. Not bad. 

There are some things I have really  enjoyed doing that don't cost a penny... taking some eerie looking photos and getting lost in the maze of the Recoleta Cemetery, wandering the streets of Palermo being inspired by the street art, relaxing in the shade of one of the many parks and maybe practising some of the new Spanish words we've picked up, browsing the books in the gorgeous Ateneo bookshop and happening upon whatever music or dance the city has to offer us that day. Who needs to be rich?!

When we have been feeling particularly tired or fed up and in need of a treat we have been able to have a 'Plato del Dia' at lunch times for 35pesos each (about £6 for a 3 course meal, including drinks) sit in an air conditioned restaurant and eat enough to fill us up for the rest of the day. Lovely.

...still not seen any tango.

Not-so-hidden costs

We've been shopping! I have spent a lot more money than I expected to in the last couple of weeks and we haven't even left the country yet. Oops. There have been a lot of unexpected costs that keep popping up and it makes me wonder if everyone who goes travelling has the same surprises we are having...

Not exactly hidden costs but easy to forget ones;

• Redirecting post for a year.
• Fixing clothes. For some reason I have a lot of clothes with holes in them.
• Very expensive Vaccines.
• Walking boots. 
• Good quality sandals.
• Ruck sacks.
• 9 months supply of daily contact lenses.
• Travel insurance (and photography equipment insurance if you're taking any good kit).
• Worldwide adaptors.
• Medicine, first aid kit and wash kit.
• Netbook computer. not essential but we've gone for it.
• A Kindle. again, not essential but I'm really glad I've got one.
• Batteries for everything that takes batteries.
• Gadgets that Jim can't do without... head torch, travel sink plug, rucksack liner, padlocks, washing line, sporks, and more gismos I can't remember.
• Nice new stationery because it's just too hard to resist.
• Bits and bobs that say 'travel' on them so I suddenly think I need it!

It all seems so obvious but I hadn't really planned for most of it and I had really underestimated the prices on the things I had planned for. The way things are going we really will be doing the next year on a shoestring!