When we told our Argentinian friends we were going to Buenos Aires, they told us we should visit Tigre. It turns out that Tigre is where Porteños go in the summer to get away from the city. Most of Tigre has no roads, just canals like Venice, so everybody gets around on boats.
Our trip began with a train ride from Retiro station. When we arrived at the station, I lined up like usual and asked for 2 tickets and handed over 10 pesos. The attendant asked if I had any change since the cost was 7.50 and I said no. So he said, "No moneda, pase gratis." I just stood there looking confused and again he said, "Pase gratis." I thought he was saying he has no coins to give me change so I can ride for free but that just sounded wrong to me. So Mareen and I slowly and cautiously approached the gate and entered, still not sure if I understood correctly. I was relieved when we got on the train and there was no conductor checking tickets. So I did understand correctly! Letting people ride for free because you don't have change is definitely different from what we are used to but I'm not complaining.
When we arrived in Tigre, we got information on the highlights of the city (a market, casino, few museums and churches) and bought passes on the city tour bus for 35 pesos. We spent the afternoon riding the bus to some of the highlights and walking along the boardwalk to the Fine Arts Museum. The city is full of beautiful houses, nice boardwalks, and restaurants. Everything is catered to the tourists from Buenos Aires and has a very relaxed atmosphere. After all the sightseeing we took a one hour boat ride in the canals, which everybody does here. The thing about me is that I fall asleep easily. So anytime I am in a vehicle, whether it's a car, train, plane, or boat I fall asleep in minutes. This was no exception and I basically paid 60 pesos for a 1 hour nap :-) After my nap, we went to the market for a drink and then took the train back (this time I had to pay). Tigre was a good escape from the city and worth visiting. It was something that was nice to do after a week and a half in BA.
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