December 17: Best Uber Ever

With the remnants of the rich creamy Argentinean ice cream still drying on my lips from the grand finale of my Buenos Aires food tour, I chortled with glee as my driver revved his motor and propelled us across the bumpy cobblestones on our way back to my hotel – on his motorcycle! It turned out to be the best Uber ride ever.

My small group tour of local eateries started at a historic bar where we fellow tourists enjoyed sampling Spanish tortillas made with potato, milk, and egg while introducing ourselves and going over the plan for the day.

From there we moved to the San Telmo Market, brimming with fresh fruit and vegetable stands, poultry and meat markets, and dozens of traditional Argentinean eateries. We tasted a palmeritas con queso azul – a baked piece of bread with blue cheese and pineapple on top before feasting on a piping hot empanada filled with meat and potatoes.

Our next stop included a soft on the inside crispy on the outside grilled provolone cheese slice as well as a spicy dish of chorizo sausage swimming in a succulent sauce with potatoes and onions.

Dessert was at an ice cream shop known as a “helado,” serving gelato-like frozen flavors. After sampling several, I settled on a spectacular option that included hazelnuts, dulce de leche, and chocolate.

With my hotel almost 20 minutes away by car I opened my Uber app to see what my options were. Right below “comfort” and “UberX” was a choice I hadn’t seen before – “Moto.” Doing a double take, I thought to myself, “why would anyone take a car when a motorcycle is an option?”

Although the driver looked young enough to be a middle schooler, he had a helmet ready for me when he showed up on his Zanella bike and deftly navigated us between cars, around construction signs, and through gutters, saving us several minutes and making our trip back more of an adventure. For a price of less than $4 it was an incredible deal.