Seeking South America

The Real Chicago explores the finer points of Argentina

Travel location: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Traveler: Jenna Friedman

Where you stayed: I stayed with a friend who was studying in Buenos Aires. She had a fabulous apartment in the up-and-coming neighborhood of Palermo. Palermo in a way reminded me of of Bucktown, with tons of wonderful cafés, restaurants, bars and shops. A few years ago, there used to be prostitutes working on every street. But in the recent years, they have been moved to a park, and the area is flourishing now. I was fortunate enough to stay with somebody who was living there for over a year, but there were many smaller hotels in the area and it was very close, either a short bus, subway or cab ride to many attractions. Another inexpensive option is renting an apartment for your stay there. You can rent them for very short periods and find them by doing an internet search.

The people, the culture: Argentine people were as nice as can be. For an American, I speak Spanish very well. However, the accent that I learned to speak with is Spanish, so I struggled a bit to pick up the Argentine Spanish. But after a few days, I was more comfortable, and everybody was very nice and patient with me. Many cab drivers asked questions about America, like Michael Jordan and George Bush. Nobody discriminated against us for being foreigners.

Their culture reminded me very much of European style. They take siestas, eat big lunches and smaller dinners. They shop daily for fresh fruit, vegetables and bread. There are wonderful outdoor fairs during the weekends with street performers and other entertainment. One thing that I also noticed was the separation of wealth. There were neighborhoods strictly for the poor that I didn’t even attempt to go to because they were unsafe. Other areas, like La Boca, which is known for its colorful buildings and its soccer team, were great, but there was a different feeling about it because there were more street beggars and such. The wealthier areas were beautiful, with old houses and just a different feel. It was great to see both and the difference there was, but there is a huge line of wealth.

Life is definitely different there. Locals spent hours at cafés, having coffee, doing business deals, chatting. They aren’t in a rush there like people are here. Dinner doesn’t start before 10, and that is early. Maybe 11:30 is more normal.

Activities of note: A must-do on the weekends is a visit to the Feria Recoleta and the Feria San Telmo. Both are street fairs that sell everything from clothing, to food, to accessories and art. Definitely go see a tango show. Tango originated in Argentina, and I saw a show at Cafe Tortoni, which is the oldest café there. It was great. One can also go tango dancing, if they dare! The Malba museum is full of modern art and very cool if you one likes that. Palermo Viejo is a great shopping area with trendy shops for clothing and accessories. (I saw quite a few American students shopping there.) Calle Florida is closed off to cars and is a great touristy shopping area. There is a nice mall and tons of outdoor booths to choose from. Puerto Madero is the port area and just beautiful. There is a lot of building going on there, so it’s pretty cool. One side of the water is filled with restaurants and the other is more businesses. It’s more of an upscale area. There is a ferry that leaves from there a few times a day to take people to La Colonia, Uruguay. I took that ride and spent a day in Uruguay, which was pretty nice. One of the most popular things to do is visit the Recoleta Cemetery in the Recoleta neighborhood. Some of the wealthiest residents of Buenos Aires are buried there. The mausoleums are unbelievable, and you will spend more time there than you expect.

The government area is also really cool. The Casa Rosada, where the president works, and other surrounding buildings have a great deal of history to them.

I recommend bringing a guide book and walking around because there is so much to see and do. Enjoy the big parks and see the Flower, which is solar powered. Kind of reminds me of our Bean in Chicago.

I also took a side trip to Mendoza for two days. It’s about a two-hour plane ride from Buenos Aires and totally worth it. Mendoza is near the Andes, and it is their wine country. I went in March, just at the beginning of harvest season, so I was able to take vineyard tours and eat grapes right off the trees and taste many different types of Argentine wine. The tours were offered in both Spanish and English, and they were all free of charge. Our hotel/hostel arranged a ride for us, and we visited two vineyards and then had a huge lunch at the restaurant at one of them. It was a wonderful day. The following day, I went whitewater rafting in the Andes (it was only $25). It was incredible. There were other adventures to choose from too. I would highly recommend taking the side trip there!

What makes you want to go back: The people there are just so nice that they would make me want to bring others back to see how peaceful their way of life is. It was a great change from what I’m used to here. And Mendoza’s vineyards were just spectacular, something I don’t see very often in Illinois.

The costs: Argentina is ridiculously cheap. It’s just over three pesos to a dollar. I found myself taking more taxis just because it came out to like $3 to get anywhere. The food there is amazing as well. Argentina is known for beef. The average Argentine eats about 150 pounds of beef each year, so plan accordingly. A steak dinner with wine will cost about $15 at a nicer place. I ate at the most famous steakhouse, Las Cabanas Las Lilas, with my friend. We shared a steak, salad and side and had appetizers and a bottle of wine, and it was $21 each. And that was fancy! I even ate sushi there — which happened to be only salmon — with sake for about $15. I don’t think I had one bad meal. One can drink the water there, which is a great help, but bottles cost one peso, which is about 29 cents. Also, they dip everything in dulce de leche, which is a caramel dip, and it’s delicious!

What you’d do differently: If I would have known how close Mendoza was to Chili (six hours by bus), I would have gone there for a couple of days. I didn’t research that, so I had no clue. I also would have maybe tried to go on another two-day trip somewhere, maybe Iguazu Falls, Punta del Este or the Perito Moreno Glacier in Southern Argentina, all plane rides just to see more of South America. However, my trip was planned around Buenos Aires, and I got to see almost everything I wanted to. I would have loved to go to a soccer game, but it wasn’t safe for two women to go alone. That is about it. Buenos Aires is a fantastic city, and I’ve recommended to it to many. I have a few friends who are going in November, and I’m helping them plan their trip and can’t wait. I’ll definitely go back sooner than later.

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