Well, there are several things but I won't focus on that for now. Getting there is kind of difficult in the sense that you don't accidently have a layover in Argentina, like Argentine TV Host Susana Giménez likes to point out. To go to Argentina--the Latin Down Under-- you have to want to! I traveled about 14 hours from the U.S. to Buenos Aires.
Arriving there is an interesting experience. The international airport, Ezeiza, is in need of repair. To make matters worse, there are problems with the airport radars in Argentina so basically the way flights land and take-off is with the old-fashioned look-at-your-watch routine. Air traffic controllers just time sufficient time between flights to make sure there will be no airliner accidents. So yeah, that's a little unnerving but the city is extremely exciting.
The international airport is to the south of the city. The Autonomous City of Buenos Aires is divided into many different barrios. To the east alongside the Río de la Plata are the downtown neighborhoods of Microcentro, Monserrat, Retiro, La Boca, and Puerto Madero. Towards the northwest of the city are the upper-class neighborhoods of Recoleta, Palermo, and Belgrano. Past Belgrano are many beautiful suburbs such as Olivos and San Isidro.
Buenos Aires has been known as the Paris of South America and in some ways it´s quite deserving of the title. The city definitely has grandiose buildings, heritage of its past as the 8th super power. Times have definitely changed and unemployment and poverty are on the rise but the buildings are still there--and that attracts tourists.
The traditional heart of the city is downtown´s Plaza de Mayo. This is where the mothers of disappeared men and women from the time of the military dictatorship rallied and still do. The plaza is home of the Casa Rosada, the Pink House, where the President´s offices are located. One of it´s balconies is where Eva Perón would deliver her speeches and where Madonna sang ¨Don´t cry for me Argentina.¨
Avenida 9 de Julio is deemed the widest avenue in the world and is home of the Washingtonian Obelisco. Running perpendicular is Avenida Corrientes; Buenos Aires´Broadway. This is the home to all major theaters. Buenos Aires has, perhaps, Latin America´s most active theater scene. Plays, Broadway musicals, and major national and international stars perform every night there. Currently, there are Argentine versions of Cabaret, Sweet Charity and Victor Victoria in the city.
Beyond is the Microcentro where all the businessmen are busy in tall skyscrapers. La Boca is a neighborhood very popular with tourists but quite poor in reality. There´s a street loop very famous with tourists because of it´s colorful houses. The houses were painted all the colors of the rainbow from leftover boat paint almost one hundred years ago. These homes look picturesque on the outside but are actually tenement homes for the poorest of Argentines.
Puerto Madero is an ultra-modern, trendy district of Buenos Aires that resembles more Miami Beach than the rest of the city. There are several hip clubs there, restaurants, hotels, and a beautiful modern bridge named El Puente de la Mujer, the Woman´s Bridge.
Retiro is home to the main train station so it´s place where many tourists end up going one time or another. It´s definitely a place where people have to be careful with pickpockets. I mean, nothing happened to me, but even Bush´s daughters were stolen from in Buenos Aires--even with the Secret Service. So just be careful like you would be in any major city.
Recoleta is a stunning district with beautiful high-rise apartment buildings, restaurants, museums, and shopping centers. This is also the home to the famous Recoleta Cemetery. Usually people don´t schlep to another country to see a cemetery but this is a must-see if you´re down there. The tombstones and mausoleums are a sight to behold. This is also where Eva Perón was buried.
Palermo is the largest of all the neighborhoods and also one of the trendiest. Palermo is divided into three different districts; Palermo Viejo, Palermo Hollywood, and Palermo Soho. The first one is the oldest of the districts and the most picturesque and the latter two are more trendier with excellent restaurants, smart boutiques, and fun night spots. The area is also home to the gorgeous Palermo Park.
Belgrano is the last of the northern Porteño barrios and the most calm. It´s main thoroughfare is Avenida Cabildo, filled with stores, restaurants, theaters, and much more. Beyond this barrio are many different suburbs that are beautiful and of interest. These are places that people who are going to spend several weeks in the city should visit.
The city has a very extensive public transportation system. There are several subway lines throughout the city and most of the northern portion of the city is linked with the D Line. There are also hundreds of buses throughout the city, named colectivos that can take you anywhere. It´s a smart idea to buy a Guía T as soon as you get there at any kiosk. Taxis are also readily available. It is best not to hail a cab at night. If you do hail a cab at any time make sure it says Radio Taxi. Remise service is also available by calling a host of different numbers. This service can be more expensive for short cab rides but is better for longer rides because the price is fixed from the time you call.
Buenos Aires definitely has a mall culture. There are many malls throughout the city that are very famous with locals and tourists alike. Some of the more famous ones are Galerías Pacifico, Patio Bullrich, Alto Palermo and Abasto.
The city is aesthetically very European but has all the Latin American charm. The city is suffering from many problems the developing world faces such as unemployment, poverty, insecurity, and theft. The situation is slowly getting better and Argentina is using the increase in tourism to their advantage. As long as people have common sense they should be fine--there are no guarantees--but you all should be fine.
The country is also very affordable. Currently $1 USD is equivalent to $3 ARS (Argentine Pesos.) All your dollars are worth triple that and euros and pounds stretch even farther. Everything is cheaper from restaurants, shopping, plays, movies, and taxi rides.
I had a great time there mingling with the locals, enjoying a great cultural scene and eating delicious food. Argentina is the country with most cows and the meat is to die for... not to worry if you´re vegetarian though-- there are many alternatives.
Remember, that in the southern hemisphere the seasons run opposite. In the North American-European summer, Argentina is in the pains of winter.
Anytime you go down there is fabulous time though and you´ll be glad you did. You´ll discover a unique side to Latin America that´ll be sure to call you again and again.
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