{"id":12352,"date":"2019-06-11T09:20:00","date_gmt":"2019-06-11T16:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/?p=12352"},"modified":"2020-12-31T01:14:16","modified_gmt":"2020-12-31T09:14:16","slug":"buenos-aires-the-paris-of-south-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/buenos-aires-the-paris-of-south-america\/","title":{"rendered":"Buenos Aires: The Paris of South America"},"content":{"rendered":"

Three days were not long enough. Nevertheless, when I had an opportunity to visit Buenos Aires<\/a>, Argentina, I jumped at the chance.\u00a0 Buenos Aires had long been on my bucket list, and three days of exploring this remarkable city, dubbed “The Paris of South America,” \u00a0was better than none. As soon as I climbed into my cab, I was immediately awestruck by the city\u2019s wide boulevards, grandiose monuments, rolling parks and distinctive neighborhoods of somewhat faded glory.<\/p>\n

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The epic boulevards and magnificent monuments of Argentina\u2019s capital city.<\/span> Photograph courtesy of Turismo Buenos Aires<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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\u2019s fluctuating economy \u201cBA\u201d was really<\/em> 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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Mate, the national drink of BA, was introduced to the Argentine gauchos from the indigenous Tupi People.<\/span> Photograph by wyncel from Pixabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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 porte\u00f1os<\/em> (locals, people of the port) gesticulating with their hands like Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in the Godfather film.\u00a0 Mate<\/em> (pronounced \u201cmah-tay\u201d), the national beverage of Argentina, is a tea made from yerba mate,<\/em> 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. \u00a0Served communally in a gourd (squash rind), and sucked through a bombilla<\/em> (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.<\/p>\n

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You haven\u2019t been to BA if you didn\u2019t attend a formal tango dinner show.<\/span> Photograph courtesy of Deb Roskamp<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Beef from the pampas is also a defining cultural tradition. You\u2019ll find the delicious steaks served at countless restaurants, but vegetarian empanadas<\/em> 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\u2019t my cab driver say something about my Yankee dollar going far.\u00a0 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<\/a> and introduced it to the French, who proclaimed it a dance of great artistic value.<\/p>\n

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A stroll through the eclectic La Boca Italian immigrant barrio must be on everyone\u2019s list.<\/span> Photograph courtesy of Turismo Buenos Aires<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A walking tour of the vibrant La Boca (Italian for \u201cthe mouth\u201d) barrio<\/em> (neighborhood) was on my list.\u00a0 Established by Italian immigrants from Genoa in the late 17 century, it\u2019s a bit of a helter-skelter barrio, complete with colorful houses and a pedestrian street where tango<\/a> 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\u2019s still a fairly poor neighborhood so keep an eye on your valuables.<\/p>\n

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La Recoleta Cemetery is where \u201cEvita\u201d Per\u00f3n was laid to rest.<\/span> Photograph courtesy of Deb Roskamp<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My brief trip would end with a stop at La Recoleta Cemetery to pay homage to Mar\u00eda Eva Duarte de Per\u00f3n (1919 \u2013 1952) at her simple black tomb. Born into a poor rural family, \u201cEvita\u201c moved to Buenos Aires and secured a living as a B-movie actress. Her fate dramatically changed when she married Col. Juan Per\u00f3n, later president of Argentina. Despite his dictatorial and fascist leanings, Evita dedicated her life to helping the poor, <\/strong>caring for orphans and the homeless. She was also a strong proponent for women\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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Tango on the streets at La Boca.<\/span> Photograph courtesy of Harrison Liu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Well, my time was over. I did my best to explore Buenos Aires from a tourist\u2019s 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:<\/p>\n

“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<\/em> \u2013 a typical neighborhood restaurant featuring local cuisine and popular selection of national wines. Also, for those that like to dance, milongas<\/em> are very popular as well. These traditional social tango dance events are really popular with locals, and about 20-30 milongas<\/em> take place in the city every night spread across different neighborhoods.”<\/p>\n

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Photographs courtesy of Deb Roskamp<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are actually a few things that most people don\u2019t know about BA. Here are 10 really interesting ones:<\/p>\n