1. Question: What are some of the “things” or activities that the people of Quito do for fun?

Answer:

The classic South American tradition of enjoying restaurants and cafes is evident in Quito. The Quitenos with a vibrant dining scene enjoy time around the table, exploring the art of conversation and lingering over steaming coffee.

The city at a whopping 9,350-feet above sea level, surrounded by steep-sided hills, volcanoes, and the Andes Mountains, affords the opportunity for adventurous outings such as a ride on the teleferico cable car up Pichincha Volcano, or a hike to the summit of Pancillo that dominates the city, and is crowned with the statue of Virgin Mary. Other pleasures are drives into the countryside and to the indigenous craft and produce markets. Quitenos are avid soccer or football aficionados, and support the city’s ongoing festivals.

2. Question: What’s one thing the public probably does NOT know about Quito?

Answer:

The official currency for Quito and Ecuador is the American dollar. All fees, charges, and store prices throughout the city are noted with United States currency. Quito does not acknowledge summer and winter, but goes by rainy and dry. The rainy season, roughly, December to April is a better time to visit, with warmer nights, sunny mornings, and easily avoidable afternoon rain showers. Quito has one of the largest and best preserved historic centers in Latin America, covering some 800 acres, and the first city in the world to be declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

3. Question: Share some aspect of what Quito has contributed to the world.

Answer:

Quito has impressive conservation agendas in place. In the northwest of the city there are several ecological reserves ideal for the observation of native and endemic birds, and is ranked among the most internationally recognized bird-watching area in the world. Quito was also honored by National Geographic in 2017 as among the 17 best nature destinations to visit.  Quito’s Festival of Lights in August, unique to South America, draws over a million visitors from throughout the world.  Quito is also noted as the world’s second largest rose producer, and near the top for variety.

The post Three Things About Quito, Ecuador appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Ecuador ranks 25th in the list of Covid-related deaths per capita per nation, according to the Johns Hopkins University. But my friends here in Mindo doubt this statistic. “The death rates are much higher,” they insist. “Look at all the coffins outside the hospitals. There are so many uncounted deaths.”

A few months ago, I nervously watched two coffins borne past the town plaza and into the local church. “Oh, no!” I thought. “The virus has finally invaded this remote pueblo!”

I asked a friend about them. “Not Covid,” he assured me. “They were driving drunk on a motorcycle.” He shrugged. “These days, what else is there to do? There are no jobs.”

My friend is a chef in Mindo. Locals know him as Signor Crab because he sautés crabs in coconut milk and spices, in the style of his coastal village. Before the pandemic, we barely had time to talk because he was too busy serving his signature dish to tourists visiting the pueblo. Nowadays, I see him sitting alone in Mindo’s formerly bustling, now silent, plaza. Without a job, Signor Crab asked me if he could cook for me in exchange for money. He told me he needed to buy medicine for his two sons.

I am in Mindo to study the cloud forests around me. Each cloud forest is a unique habitat, a home to scores of plant and animal species that are found only in Mindo. Over eons, these forests formed when the Pacific Ocean’s warm vapors wafted against the cooling Andes peaks, creating the ideal environment for orchids, bromeliads, and ferns. These mountains are home to Guadua Augustoflora, the South American bamboo that, with greater efficiency than most plants, sucks carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converts it into material used to build local houses.

Before leaving the United States, I worked on environmental, computational models. Now, I use Artificial Intelligence and satellite images to track tree cover loss in these forests. My studies suggest that in the past two years, in a place about a third the size of Washington, DC, Mindo lost tree cover in an area equivalent to more than 3000 tennis courts (Tracking Cloud Forests With Cloud Technology and Random Forests).

These trees are victims of the perfect storm brewed by joblessness, poverty, record gold prices, Covid, and climate change. The desperate poor hunt for gold in illegal, artisanal mines. The rich raze forests to build country homes to escape Quito, Ecuador’s congested capital, where infection rates are at an all-time high. Beyond these immediate threats, climate change insidiously destroys Mindo’s ecosystem. With warmer temperatures, the clouds to which the trees have adapted over thousands of years are dissipating.

The same week I witnessed the funeral of the two victims of the motorcycle accident, the International Panel for Climate Change issued its report, referred to by the United Nations’ Secretary General as a “code red for humanity.” Destroying the Andes cloud forests amounts to a negative, feed-back loop: the forests around me can potentially buffer the world against the effects of greenhouse gases; but they are being destroyed partially because climate change is wreaking havoc on local farms that must contend with dramatic, climactic changes.

At the end of each day, I watch the clouds drift down from the heavens to rest upon Mindo. They are like feathery intimations of hope. As long as the clouds persist, so too will the forest ecosystem.

Similarly, I see hope in the stoic persistence of Signor Crab and of my other friends on Mindo’s streets: the shopkeepers; the Venezuelan refugees; the artisans and buskers. They stake their lives on ecotourism. They know that without the trees, the tourists will not return if and when the world regains some version of normalcy after the pandemic.

Stubbornly, I make the deliberate choice to cling to hope. On Tuesdays, I muster hope by teaching data science and Artificial Intelligence to a small group of students. They are graduates of Mindo’s school for at-risk families. All of them are healing-from poverty’s ills; from familial instability; from domestic abuse; from the violence of classism, racism, colonialism, and sexism.

My ambitious students are my heroes. With each backpacking, laptop-toting tourist they see in Mindo, my students are reminded that opportunities exist beyond their threatened mountains. They talk about this as they type their code and run their algorithms, using my project to monitor deforestation as an example of Artificial Intelligence’s power. They muse that perhaps in the future, they might conquer the virtual, data-intensive world of rich nations, in the way their ancestors’ lands were once conquered by white Europeans.

My students dream of the future. They want to conduct non-extractive, profitable, sustainable work. They want to produce knowledge-based goods and services for the world. My students-who have lived their entire lives among the marginalized and the discarded-long to conduct creative, intellectually challenging work…while being nestled within Creation’s embrace…while being nurtured by the Divine work unfolding among the clouds.

For more on Mindo, Ecuador, read Mr. Pasky Pascual’s scientific journal of Life in Mindo, Ecuador.

The post In the Andes Mountains: The Grand, Silent Victims of Climate Change and Covid appeared first on Traveling Archive.

The historic city, as high as it is, is entrenched in a river basin tucked between towering Andean Mountain peaks and snow-capped volcanoes lying on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, a Strata volcano. The ageless landscape dictates a long and narrow city with an Historic Center that is one of the largest, least altered and best protected in the Americas, not unlike Bordeaux Historic Center in France and the walled city of Antiqua in Guatemala.

In 1978 Quito was honored by UNESCO as the World’s First City for their Cultural Heritage, Traditions and Architecture, and Geographical Beauty, a tribute that also recognized the opportunities Quito provides to experience an historic slice of South America.

A View City Where Nature Speaks

The historic area is crisscrossed with narrow cobble-stone streets covering an impressive 800 acres. From the 15-room Hotel Castillo Vista del Angel high on the eastern flank of Old Town, astonishing 360* views and vivid impressions emerge under the night sky. Countless twinkling stars above are mirrored below as though their twins plunged downward into the valley, landing across the mountainous landscape in a romantic display of Ecuadorian design.

The Quitenos explain, “We compare the weather to politics, unpredictable and tricky. We can have four seasons in one day so a rain coat, sun block, and sun glasses are ideal when you’re out and about. On a clear day we can see 22 volcanoes, but when the afternoon rains arrive it’s time to pop into a cafe for a cup of coffee.”

In the heart of Quito, thousands of houses, and dozens of churches and Cathedrals line Old Town streets just wide enough for a horse-drawn carriage. A maze of white, sky blue, light yellow, and pale peach buildings spread up the sides of the surrounding steep-sided mountains and ancient volcanoes like a mind-boggling jumble of puzzle pieces not yet assembled that challenges visitors to put on their walking shoes and explore.

The streets and narrow sidewalks in Old Town are alive with Quitenos, an engaging blend of students, young nicely dressed business women, families, indigenous groups from the Andes Highlands, Otavalo and Cotacahi, some ingeniously carrying their babies in the traditional backpack, and vendors selling fresh fruit. Yellow cabs weave like crazed ants in search of their Queen through the streets, expertly navigating the five pedestrian-free streets that lace Old Town and connect with legendary Plaza Grande or Independence Square in the heart of the city. The 16^th century square is neatly lined with the Presidential Palace, City Hall, the Cathedral, Archiepiscopal Palace, restaurants, coffee shops, and Café Galeria. The café offers Pacari organic chocolate tastings, not unlike the wine tastings of other regions, where it’s explained that Ecuador’s climate is ideal for producing some of the world’s finest cacao which is shipped in great quantities to Switzerland.

Cathedrals and Churches: An Historic Understanding

Quito’s churches reveal the history of Ecuador and her people preserving the art of the 16^th and 17^th centuries, the architecture, extraordinary wood carvings, rare fine art, and the traditions of the Ecuadorians. Quito has 27 churches in a 33 block area, including La Compania de Jesus, 1605, adjacent to Plaza Grande. The church is considered the crown jewel of the Baroque Period in America with an interior exquisitely covered with 23-karat gold leaf. Nearby, the Cathedral with Rococo, Neo-gothic, Baroque, Moorish and Neo-classic architecture has a dome that can be accessed up a narrow passageway for views of the plaza, and, for those collecting photographs, a special memory.

A guided walking tour leads to San Francisco Market, 1893, offering vegetables, meats, herbs, seasonal fruit from the Andean highlands, roses in abundance, and a food court to experience potato cakes, chicken stew, potato soup, and slow roasted pork topped with fresh juices. Indigenous holistic herb healers encourage an herbal massage and cleansing using leaves, branches, and flowers that leave legs and feet tingling and give instructions not to shower in the evening in order to let the herb treatment settle. Ecuadorian roses are a major export and foremost city adornment leading one local Quiteno to say, “You can buy 25 roses for one dollar so if you’re not a romantic in Quito you have a big problem.”

In this city of neighborhoods, La Ronda is a bit off the tourist trail in the Southern Historic District. It is an artistic and colorful block-long stone-lined alleyway, similar to those in Southern Spain, with flowered iron balconies, restaurants, classic museum-quality wood carvers and small wall to wall boutiques.

Leave The Driving To Your Guide

Sixteen miles south of Plaza Grande is a monument marking the general location of the equator while nearby a Solar Museum with a modern GBS unit calculates the 0 latitude exactly. A location known to Quitenos as “the middle of the world,” the equator is also the origin of the country’s name, in Spanish, Ecuador.

A two-hour drive brings travelers to Otavalo’s craft market and Plaza de Ponchos, South America’s largest outdoor market, a vibrant array of Indigenous weavings from scarves, blankets, and ponchos, to embroidered blouses, hammocks, and jewelry. In contrast, Cotacachi, 45 minutes northwest of Otavalo, is known as the city of leather with some 50 shops.

Cotacachi is also a glorious stop for lunch, home to the exquisite 23 room La Mirage Garden Hotel & Spa, a five-star expanse of beauty and elegance. A former hacienda, opened in 1987, La Mirage is the only Relais & Chateaux property in Ecuador with a wall of prestigious awards. Chef Hugo Flores works with the local farmers and creates delightful specialties from the Andean Region. Out on the grounds, eight peacocks take turns staring through the windows at Chef Flores’ shrimp, avocado, and pineapple salad.

The Annual Festival of Light

South America’s premier Light Festival in August draws visitor’s world-wide. Twenty-one buildings are cleverly lit along with a street of multi-hued umbrellas, and a stunning 12-minute presentation depicting the history and life of Ecuador, Quito, and their people, created with dazzling artistic skill similar to the quality of Pixar or Disney. The streets of Old Town are blocked from traffic and an evening under the lights of Quito is exceptional.

Drink only bottled water and Quito’s diverse gastronomy offerings will be a distinctive highlight with recipes to share.

When You Go

The official Ecuadorian currency is the U.S. dollar with small bills and loads of singles essential. Driving in Quito is not recommended; a personal guide is. Marcelo Guerra, born and raised in Quito, speaks fluent English and can arrange a tailor-made itinerary.

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or 011-593 9 8458-7400. Various airlines serve Quito including JetBlue connecting through Fort Lauderdale. The Quitenos recommend visiting from December to April with warmer nights, sunny mornings, and easily avoidable bursts of rain in the afternoon.

For further information, visit Quito Turismo

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The hike was one of four daily activities during our 8-day adventure exploring Amazonia. Calling the Motor Yacht Tucano, an 18-passenger river yacht home, we traveled over 200 miles along the River Negro where the only other waterborne human we saw was the rare fisherman in a dugout canoe. For our daily excursions, we clamored aboard a small power launch which took us hiking, bird-watching, and village hopping, and on night-time outings that dramatized the allure of the river not experienced in any other way. But more on that later.

Souza demanded quiet during our launch rides, using all of his senses to read the forest, listening for the breaking of a branch or a flutter through the trees, sniffing for animal odors, scanning leaves above and below for motion, or the water for ripples… and alerting us at every junction of what he has discovered.  On our own, we would have heard, felt and discerned nothing.

Souza’s most amazing talent was his ability to identify the multitudes of birds traversing the river and forest, many of whose calls he could replicate precisely.  What to us was a dot on a limb was declared a green ibis. Then a snow egret, crane hawk, red-breasted blackbird, jacana, snail kite — so many I just stopped taking notes. So confidently did he identify the inhabitants, we would have believed: “That’s a green-tongued, red-beaked ibirus with one brown eye and a pimple on his right cheek…”

He could imitate more birds than the most gifted comedian can impersonate movie stars. He carried on such intimate conversations, that halfway through a lengthy discussion with a blackish gray antshrike, I think they became engaged. Then Souza, fickle male that he is, romanced a colorful azure blue-beaked Trogan perched upon a dead branch high in a tree. Birds have a surprising preference for dead tree parts. As one of my travel companions observed, “If you don’t like birds, you might as well take the next flight home.”

Back to Machete Man. Our forest walks also were a time for observation, not conversation. On a stop to view teca ants swarming over the bark, Souza wiped his hand across it, proceeding then to rub the ants over his forearms. Instant mosquito repellant — handy tool in the Amazon.

At one point, I looked down and saw a long brown twig draping a log. Souza saw a snake. I looked again and still saw a twig, albeit one that now had an eye. I stepped more gingerly.

We learned of the many medications the forest supplies to the natives; of vines for baskets and brooms; bark for strong rope; plants providing poison for arrows. As we heeded orders to be quiet, the dried leaves below screamed in protest at being trampled, the buzz of the horsefly the most persistent sound.

And then there are the leaf cutter ants! A long assembly line of tiny leaves paraded up a hill, as organized as a marching band. A closer look revealed leaf cutter ants to be the burly carriers. Hard to believe something so fragile can carry so large and unwieldy a load as much as half a mile to its colony.

Surprised at how much he learned about himself on the trip, Ritesh Beriwal, a 23-year-old worn-out Wall Street trainee, noted: “I didn’t realize how interested I’d be in the little things, like how insects such as the leaf-carrying ants build homes. Before it was just an ant; now it’s an ant with an entire life and work history.”

Each day brought new revelations and insight into our surroundings whether on land or water. Our visits to several villages only reinforced that impression.

Commonalities among villages: a dance hall where residents party once a month; a soccer field where youth exercise once a day; a school room where students of all grades learn; a clinic that caters to the medical needs of the community, 2-3 requisite churches where parishioners of different persuasions pray — and a generator. And that’s about it. But the differences are notable as well.

I found the contrast particularly interesting between one village of no more than 30 families producing one farm product and a larger “company” town in which thrives an asphalt industry. In the larger village, there is a convenience store, a small café, a bakery. Each hut has its own outhouse and there are several satellite dishes throughout the community.

The entire economy of the farm community revolves around manioc — a product made from grain that is the mainstay of the Amazonian diet. “If there is no manioc on the table, there is no meal,” explains Souza.

There are no stores in the village, no satellite dishes, and there are no outhouses. Using the woods that border their village as their toilet, it was clearly the largest bathroom facility I had ever seen. On the other hand, the men don’t have to worry about remembering to put the seat down.

Although every day was an adventure, nothing compared with the nighttime jaunts. Our post-dinner sojourns, beginning around 8 p.m., pitched Souza and his searchlight against the dark horizon, scanning shoreline and trees desperately searching for something to entertain his charges.

An all-pervasive quiet loomed, yet everything, including the sounds, seemed magnified: dolphins snorting, fish jumping, caimans slithering, monkeys howling — all vying for attention.

Eventually the flashlight, seemingly darting randomly above, below and beyond the trees, alighted (so to speak) on a caiman in the brush, his whole snout protruding for a moment before slinking away. Or perhaps instead the light reflected off a kingfisher’s eyes, temporarily blinding him so that we could drift in almost close enough to touch. Then for an encore, we watched a spider grab a dragonfly from a crack in a tree directly in front of us — and diligently devour it. Did I mention it was pitch black?

Once again, the refrain in my head: “How does Souza do that?” Either he has a seventh sense about the animals, or the Amazon Tourist Board set them up ahead of time.

Whereas during the day, the trills, tweets and twerps of the birds dominate the landscape, at night it’s the croaks, caws and throaty outpourings of the frogs and caimans.

In between our first launch at 6 a.m to our final return sometime after 9, we pretty much spend the rest of the time eating. The native foods, beautifully prepared and presented, are a surprise this far from civilization.

As much as that is a typical day, so are the exceptions. One particular day we got to sleep in until 6, still early enough to watch the sun pull itself over the forest, and late enough to feel the already oppressive heat seep into my lightweight, washable. anti-bug-treated blouse (though overall, the weather was much more comfortable than anticipated). We were going fishing.

I sat with my Tom Sawyer fishing pole thinking the Amazon’s a long way from the Mississippi. I attached the chunks of beef to the end of the line thinking this was strange bait until I remembered our prey. Watching Souza rattle the water with his pole, I remembered that being quiet was the order of the day on most fishing sojourns. Still, I followed his lead — make the quarry think there’s a wounded fish thrashing about — and within a minute I knew I had snagged the big prize: at the end of my line was the famed carnivorous predator — a 6” piranha.

Souza held it up to a tree and used it like a scissors to cut a branch in two. Just looking at its imposing teeth, we knew it came by its reputation honestly. Still, piranhas get a bad rep. The truth is unless they’re starving, or you’re bleeding, we’re really not in their food chain. Nonetheless, the fried piranhas we had that night as appetizers were scrumptious, their tiny bones crunchy and the meat flaky, proving the wise adage that more people eat piranhas than piranhas eat people — at least in Amazonia.

If You Go

I flew United, one of several airlines that go nonstop from several U.S. cities to Sao Paulo, then transferred to TAM for the hop to Manaus. American Airlines and LATAM Airlines also have daily non-stop flights from Miami to Manaus.

When to go. The January to June rainy season brings heavy but relatively brief downpours. Rivers rise dramatically — often as high as 45 feet. The high water enables small boats to reach areas inaccessible at other times of year

During dry season, roughly July to December, rivers run shallow, and while white sand beaches — excellent for a refreshing swim — appear, most of the area is more arid and less lush.   Best time to visit is April to September.

For more information, contact Latin American Escapes or call 800-510-5999.

Some Caveats

• If you’re looking to see a lot of four-legged wildlife, go on a safari.
• If taking a nightly hot shower is important, stay at a hotel (although the river water is tepid enough so as not to be too uncomfortable). There are hot water showers during the day on the vessel.
• Although we didn’t experience any, the pre-trip information warns of glitches, inconveniences and delays and advises to bring along a lot of tolerance and patience.
• Post-hike showers are required, including the need to wash out your clothes to prevent any insect mishaps.
• There is a certain sameness to the daily activities.
• There is also a 5 day/4 night option.

The post Amazonia: Not Your Typical Tourist Destination appeared first on Traveling Archive.

As my taxi cruised down 9 de Julio Boulevard, the driver informed me that it was the widest boulevard in the world, named in honor for Argentina’s Independence Day. He added that due to Argentina’s fluctuating economy “BA” was really dirt cheap ten-years ago, but do not be concerned for today it is simply dirt cheap, and your Yankee dollar will go far. I’d ditch your gaucho costume if I were you, he laughed. It’s always seemed to me that the best information comes from a taxi driver who has seen it all and gives it to you straight unlike many PR firms who have a tendency to sugarcoat certain attractions. But sugarcoating was not required for I was already dazzled by this city proper of approximately 2,891,082 people, with a lifestyle and architecture that is more European than any other city in South America.

The cafes were filled by stylish-looking people speaking a unique dialect of Spanish with an Italian accent, with many words and phrases in Italian. Over 62.5% of the populace is of Italian heritage, and I could not help but notice porteños (locals, people of the port) gesticulating with their hands like Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in the Godfather film.  Mate (pronounced “mah-tay”), the national beverage of Argentina, is a tea made from yerba mate, courtesy of the Tupi People, who introduced it to the gauchos (skilled horsemen) of the pampas, the vast plains extending westward across central Argentina from the Atlantic coast to the Andean foothills.  Served communally in a gourd (squash rind), and sucked through a bombilla (metal straw) which acts as a filter, the bitter flavored tea seemed to be consumed everywhere I looked: shops, offices, saloons, picnics, even a bus driver on his route. Sampling this local tradition is an easy way to get a literal taste of Argentinean culture.

Beef from the pampas is also a defining cultural tradition. You’ll find the delicious steaks served at countless restaurants, but vegetarian empanadas are also widely available for those who shy away from meat. My first lunch was at a simple San Telmo restaurant where I consumed a steak with fries, an empanada and a local beer. The cost was a staggering $5. Didn’t my cab driver say something about my Yankee dollar going far.  Not to be missed is a tango show, a scandalous dance born in the brothels of Buenos Aires’ immigrant quarters. It gained respectability and popularity when Argentine students traveled to Paris and introduced it to the French, who proclaimed it a dance of great artistic value.

A walking tour of the vibrant La Boca (Italian for “the mouth”) barrio (neighborhood) was on my list.  Established by Italian immigrants from Genoa in the late 17 century, it’s a bit of a helter-skelter barrio, complete with colorful houses and a pedestrian street where tango artists perform and tango-related memorabilia are sold. It is also an unofficial national shrine dedicated to internationally famed football player, Diego Maradona, where his football career kicked off while he was playing for the Boca Juniors football club. It’s still a fairly poor neighborhood so keep an eye on your valuables.

My brief trip would end with a stop at La Recoleta Cemetery to pay homage to María Eva Duarte de Perón (1919 – 1952) at her simple black tomb. Born into a poor rural family, “Evita“ moved to Buenos Aires and secured a living as a B-movie actress. Her fate dramatically changed when she married Col. Juan Perón, later president of Argentina. Despite his dictatorial and fascist leanings, Evita dedicated her life to helping the poor, caring for orphans and the homeless. She was also a strong proponent for women’s rights. Even today, I noticed her passionate admirers placing flowers and notes at her tomb. Apparently on the anniversary of her death crowds grow to the thousands.

Well, my time was over. I did my best to explore Buenos Aires from a tourist’s perspective: wide boulevards, Italian heritage, mate, beef from the pampas, the gauchos, the tango, Evita; but I know I barely scratched the surface. I decided to contact Turismo Buenos Aires to get a wider perspective for our readers. And this is what I was told:

“Buenos Aires is a large metropolitan city with a lot for everyone. BA is home to over 100 parks, so it is very common to see groups of people at the park drinking mate picnic-style. For those that are night owls, locals really like to spend time at the many speakeasy bars around the city as well as bodegones – a typical neighborhood restaurant featuring local cuisine and popular selection of national wines. Also, for those that like to dance, milongas are very popular as well. These traditional social tango dance events are really popular with locals, and about 20-30 milongas take place in the city every night spread across different neighborhoods.”

There are actually a few things that most people don’t know about BA. Here are 10 really interesting ones:

• Buenos Aires has an official tea time – much like the UK.
• Tango (declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO) originated in brothels surrounding the city and the moves are meant to dramatize the relationship between a prostitute and her pimp. The tango is a fusion of cultural influences from Africa, Argentina’s native gaucho and colonial traditions.  Every August, the city hosts the Tango Buenos Aires International Festival and World Cup, with milongas, shows, classes, exhibitions and the most important international tango dance championship
• BA has the most bookstores per person of any city in the world according to a 2015 World Cities Cultural Forum report
• La Recoleta Cemetery is considered the most important cemetery in Latin America for its historical and architectural significance
• Avenida 9 de Julio is the widest avenue in the world
• Jardin Japones de Buenos Aires is the largest Japanese garden outside Japan
• The Buenos Aires Underground is the oldest system in LATAM
• The first ever animated feature film was made in Buenos Aires
• In 2002, Buenos Aires because the first Latin American city to allow gay marriage.
• BA has highest percentage of pets per capital.

For further information about Buenos Aires, visit Buenos Aires Ciudad

The post Buenos Aires: The Paris of South America appeared first on Traveling Archive.

1. Question: What are some of the “things” or activities that people in Buenos Aires do for fun?

Answer:

This is a tricky question because Buenos Aires is a large metropolitan city with a lot for everyone. BA is home to over 100 parks, so it is very common to see groups of people at the park drinking Mate picnic style. For those that are night owls, locals really like to spend time at the many speakeasy bars around the city as well as bodegones – a typical neighborhood restaurant featuring local cuisine and popular selection of national wines. Also, for those that like to dance, milongas are very popular as well. These traditional social tango dance events are really popular with locals, and about 20-30 milongas take place in the city ever night spread across different neighborhoods.

2. Question: What’s one thing the public probably does NOT know about Buenos Aires?

Answer:

There’s actually a few things that most people don’t know about BA. Here 10 really interesting ones:

1. Buenos Aires has an official tea time – much like the UK
2. Tango (declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO) originated in brothels surrounding the city and the moves are meant to dramatize the relationship between a prostitute and her pimp.
3. BA has the most bookstores per person of any city in the world according to a 2015 World Cities Cultural Forum report
4. La Recoleta Cemetery is considered the most important in Latin America for its historical and architectural significance
5. Avenida 9 de Julio is the widest avenue in the world
6. Jardin Japones de Buenos Aires is the largest Japanese garden outside Japan
7. The Buenos Aires Underground is the oldest system in LATAM
8. The first ever animated feature film was made in Buenos Aires
9. In 2002, Buenos Aires because the first Latin American city to allow gay marriage
10. City has highest percentage of pets per capita

3. Share some aspect of what Buenos Aires has contributed to the world.

Answer:

Declared intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2009), tango was born on the shores of the Río de la Plata in the 19th century through a fusion of cultural influences from Africa, Argentina’s native gaucho and colonial traditions, and the contribution of European immigrants, mainly from Spain, Italy and the Middle East.  Every August, the city hosts the Tango Buenos Aires International Festival and World Cup, with milongas, shows, classes, exhibitions and the most important international tango dance championship.

The post 3 Things We Didn’t Know About Buenos Aires appeared first on Traveling Archive.