Adventures in Argentina

.Adventures in Argentina

Beautiful Buenos Aires. To this day, the eclectic Argentinian metropolis remains one of my absolute favourite cities in the world. What’s not to love? You have a myriad of stunning European-inspired architecture (from Parisian to Italian to Portuguese) blended with a little Latin American spice (think cayenne pepper - caliente! ). You have a constantly flowing river of scrumptious malbec (most bottles run under $5! ), and some of the best damn steak you will ever have in your life (perhaps due to the green lifestyle their cows are subjected to - both in their bellies and in their open-air surroundings). And if you are searching for unique experiences, look no further than secluded tango clubs tucked away behind those ornate romantic facades. You may very well find yourself there until 6 am.

First things first, let’s get you nourished - and then some.

. Eat

Tancat, Paraguay 645, C1006 CABA, Argentina

As it often happens, we found this place off a recommendation from a friend who - thank the beautiful universe - just “stumbled upon it”.

It’s been a year since I have been to Buenos Aires (a year spent gallivanting across six new countries, including the land of notorious culinary masters, la France) and I still claim this to be the best food I’ve ever had in my entire life.

They specialise in Spanish cuisine using Argentinian ingredients - indeed, you can have paella with a side of lomo steak!

This place was so damn delicious that on a post-Patagonia layover - Do not miss that side trip if you can afford it! - my friend and I took a 30 minute taxi ride and wolfed down a three course meal (with some Sangria to wash it down) before our 4 am flight.

Our personal favourites (we went there numerous times! ):

• Patatas Bravas
• Gambas al Ajillo - literally prawns soaking in butter with garlic and dried chilies! It’s essential that you order this and that you try every dish on your table with this divine sauce.
• Steak - any cut! You’re in Argentina, they are all delicious. Remember, dip it in the sauce.
• Black risotto - this was a daily special made with garlic and black mushrooms. We also tried one with lamb on another day, so just go for any special risotto and you’re golden.
• Sangria and / or any bottle of Malbec.

*For those looking to transition into a vegetarian or pescatarian lifestyle, I must urge you: first, go to Argentina and have your fill of amazing steak, then never touch the stuff again! For those who have already taken the plunge, I’m deeply, deeply sorry - but MAJOR props to you for saving our planet!

Also worth checking out...

Ramen! Surprisingly, Buenos Aires has a lot of great finds to boast about:

• Furaibo, Adolfo Alsina 429, C1087AAE CABA, Argentina
• Fukuro, Costa Rica 5514, C1414BTD CABA, Argentina
• 430 / 四三〇, San Martín 430, C1004AAJ CABA, Argentina

  (this last one became our hangover remedy headquarters)

. Explore

Caminito, Barrio de la Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina

La Boca (it translates to ‘the mouth’ in English) is one of those unique hubs that will stay with you for the rest of your life. It’s a bright and colorful place that makes you think you’ve landed in the brain-child of Piet Mondrian and Mark Rothko. And your appetite for art will not go hungry: feast your eyes on the amazing murals scattered around the neighborhood, most notably from local artists such as Benito Quinquela Martín. Though we chose to explore at our own pace and to the beat of our own drum, a friend went on a unique graffiti tour which ended in this neighbourhood (prices range from $20 - $35).

Is it touristy? Yes, of course. But it’s enthralling, nonetheless. And be sure to support the local artists who are there selling their one-of-a-kind crafts and paintings. Art has always been one of my favorite items to collect because it’s (usually) cheap, not too heavy in your suitcase, and makes for a great way to share a slice of your adventures with your friends and family.

While you’re there, there are plenty of tango dancers poised outside of restaurants looking to show you a good time - seriously, I made eye contact with one man and he ended up spinning me around and plopping me onto his lap. You can also check out some tango shows while you grab lunch - more steak! More wine!

El Ateneo Grand Splendid, Av. Santa Fe 1860, 1123 CABA, Argentina

For the bookworms! An absolutely mesmerizing theater refurbished into a cinema in the 1920’s, and into a bookshop later on in its life. Dramatic red curtains, brass railings, Corinthian columns, and sinuous ornamentation bedazzle the eye and soothe the soul. As do the thousands of books that fill the shelves. Note to patrons: Explore this lovely bookshop while fresh and chipper, not hungover after a night of raucous partying and the awful, awful combination of Speed (Argentinian energy drink) + champagne, such as I might have… but more on shenanigans later. And in case you’re wondering, they have an English section, although its dwarfed by the Spanish collection, so best brush up on your español!

El Obelisco, Avenida Pres. Roque Saenz Pena 991 Plaza de la República, Buenos Aires 1043, Argentina

Of course, traveling around Buenos Aires necessitates proof - there’s no two ways around it, first timers are obligated to take this classic tourist shot. Get your BA pic in front of the famous obelisk in the Plaza de Republica (built in the 1930’s). Then comes the fun part: weave your way down 9 de Julio Avenue (the widest avenue in the entire world! ) and soak up the concave and convex historic buildings that line the street. Be sure to take tangents, especially to the streets: Avenue Cordoba, Maipu, Tucuman, and Florida, which are lined with leather shops for reasonable prices:

• Francuir, Tucumán 573, C1049AAK CABA, Argentina
• Maybe, Florida 851, C1005AAQ CABA, Argentina

It’s worth noting that Argentinian style is very, very, very… specific. Throughout the entirety of our stay (2 weeks in Buenos Aires and 2 weeks in Cordoba), the urban runway displayed one recurring look: leather jacket, fur vest, long, super-straight onyx hair, optional fedora, and not-so-optional platform shoes. We called them “moon shoes” in jest, because these contraptions really looked like final touch of a NASA suit rather than streetwear.

Cementerio de la Recoleta, Junín 1760, 1113 CABA, Argentina

Don’t cry for me Argentina! Though Madonna is still alive and well, you can see the grave of the iconic Argentinian First Lady and political leader, Eva Peron, who the queen of pop portrayed in the 1996 film Evita. A pioneer, an actress, powerhouse female, and above all, an unyielding philanthropist, Eva is commemorated by the massive crypt which holds the remains of her and her family behind a marble facade sheathed in copious amounts of flowers from her adoring fans. The Cementerio is full of eerie crypts and stoic statues that seem to be luring you into their clutches - don’t stray too far though, a group of boys tried to spook us by jumping out from behind a tombstone.

. Party

For a great cocktail (their Peruvian style Pisco-sours rival those of Peru! ) in a cozy, artsy bar:

Dada Bistro, San Martín 941, C1004AAS CABA, Argentina

(Incidentally, this is near Tancat, in case you’re in the mood for a double-header, as is a charming gay-bar, but my apologies, due to my alcohol-induced memory, the name eludes me). The second time we went to this place, they were actually filming a TV show, so the man beside us was sipping on his cocktail while announcing huskily into his microphone how delicious it was. Also, it’s worth noting the bartending brother duo here are pretty easy on the eyes!

For a great night of dancing, hit up any number of the following milongas a. k. a. tango clubs (best to start late, so maybe try a spiked coffee before rather than the usual glass of relaxing red). We tried this one from their list:

La Viruta, Armenia 1366, Buenos Aires

A friend and I went thinking midnight would be late enough (after a long day’s work) and indeed, no. Things started to pick up around 3 am just as our eyelids began to droop and the snuggly embrace of our beds beckoned us from afar. But in that last hour we saw dancers whizzing around the hardwood floor with the precision of people who had been doing it their entire lives - and indeed, they had. By 4, the club was packed with locals who knew the art of tango like the back of their hand, a tool they used mid-flourish, post-foot-flick. If you’re wondering, yes we tried it (we’re both ice skaters with some background in dance), but apparently our efforts struck the locals as “too choreographed”; to tango the night away in Buenos Aires, you have to feel it.

And last but not least, my personal favorite experience in Buenos Aires (which, oddly enough, goes down on Monday nights):

La Bomba de Tiempo, a dynamic percussion ensemble that performs at the Konex from 7 pm to 10 pm (Mondays).

Ciudad Cultural Konex, Sarmiento 3131, C1196AAG CABA, Argentina

The Konex is a repurposed warehouse turned music venue - yes, it’s almost too cool to function. But it works, and it’s magical.

The impact of the first hand coming to contact with the drum - this is a sound forever etched in my mind. I stood, feeling all at once solitary and transcendent, surrounded by a vast crowd, each person transfixed, together creating a hollow silence, together waiting in eager anticipation for the next beat.

And finally, they came, each beat seemingly mirroring the clamor of rain falling from the sky outside. The entire audience came alive. Each vigorous rhythm the musicians crafted triggered a vital chord in everyone listening to it - and soon the plethora of individuals melded into one, moving to the same syncopated pulse that the percussionists created around us.

It was truly a work of art to see an environment come to life like that, as if through the power of their music they painted through the audience’s rigid lines and blended all the colors.

If you have ever been to rave you are probably familiar with that mystical energy that seizes the crowd and makes them move like one organism. That is the only way I can describe how it felt to be dancing in that crowd.

Now even though Buenos Aires is an amazing city with a lot to offer, it is also a dangerous one. Looking back, I would say that I was pretty fortunate with what happened to me: after the amazing night at the Konex, I was robbed by a group of homeless people that were posted outside of our hotel. It’s unfortunate because I had grown to trust them - along with a friend, we had given them some leftovers a few times throughout our stay. I don’t want to go into the details - that is a story to be shared over a bottle of wine. All I will say is this: if you are a bit optimistic and a bit naive, please, listen to everyone who tells you to heed caution and do it. I walked away unscathed, with only the inconvenience of having lost a phone and a wallet, and perhaps a bruised idealism, but it could have been much worse.

That being said, Buenos Aires is an absolutely enthralling city, and I would never want anyone to avoid it on the off chance that they might get robbed.

Well, if you’re on your way to an Argentinian adventure, I hope this guide was helpful.

And if you do have the time and the funds, please, please visit Patagonia (which straddles Argentina and Chile) - you will overload your camera with panoramic shots of glaciers and jagged mountains, and you will feed your soul the nature it needs.