Days 40-45: Buenos Aires

Introduction

I’ll start by saying that Buenos Aires is, so far, my favorite of the cities I have visited – the stunning architecture, cosmopolitan atmosphere reminiscent of NYC, intimate sidewalk cafes and steakhouse diners, the incredible museums, and beautiful parks – this city really won my heart.

It is quite challenging, then, to express the complexity I experienced while visiting: a wonderful culture and people plagued by a constantly looming cloud of financial difficulty & inflation.

Arriving at Ezeiza Airport, about an hour away from my stay in Palermo, I was immediately confronted with the complexity of the economic conditions plaguing Argentina. In the taxi from the airport to my apartment, our route was derailed after protesters began blocking highway roads around the city. Residents who had been experiencing significant power outages from the power company, Edesur, amid high electricity demand, the protesters were noticeably upset. While fairly small, I could not help but be reminded of the mass protests in Argentina 6 months prior, where demonstrators marched to the National Congress demanding action to solve inflation and the economic crisis.

Over the past year, Argentina has seen prices nearly double, as the country’s annual inflation rate (94.8%) hit its highest level in more than 30 years. Last year, Argentina’s central bank raised its main rate of interest to 75% in an attempt to rein in soaring cost of living.

As a foreigner, the rate of inflation made expenses in Argentina quite reasonable ($6 for a meal, $1-2 for a coffee, etc..) but it was also unsettling to feel like I was unfairly benefitting from these economic difficulties.

In spite of this reality, I have been blown away by the friendliness and hospitality of the Argentinians I have met. I have never met people so open, insightful, and willing to help me experience their country (despite my mediocre foreign language skills). If I were to recommend a country to a first-timer in South America, it would be Argentina. The combined safety, openness to tourists/travelers, and general courtesy and kindness of the people makes this ideal for someone looking to get their feet wet (not to mention enjoy the incredible food…. and Malbec!).

Buenos Aires – “La Reina del Plata”

My first day was mostly consumed by recovering from my time in Patagonia, and so I took it easy, exploring the Paseo El Rosedal Garden, visiting the Latin American Museum, and enjoying a steak (sorry to my vegetarians).

Pictures from the Muses de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires

A friend of mine and I had lunch at an Argentinian restaurant, El Sanjuanino. I wouldn’t usually take photos of restaurants but I thought this place was so unlike anything I am used to – coupling what I can only describe as an American diner with Americanized-Italian decor and a steakhouse menu.

The next day, I visited the Museo National de Bellas Artes

…and Recoleta Cemetery – located in the wealthy Recoleta neighborhood, this huge graveyard contains the graves of notable people including former presidents of Argentina, Nobel Prize Winners, military commanders, and wealthy business owners.

One of my favorites was of Luis Leloir, who was an Argentine physician and biochemist who received the 1970 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery of the metabolic pathways carbohydrates are synthesized and converted into energy by our bodies!

And walked around the Parque Naciones Unidas (there are so many wonderful parks to stroll around in)

AND! I found a cool – albeit incredibly touristy… – cafe near my hostel, Cafe Tortoni!

The next few days, my friend, Bren, showed me around her city – here is an assortment of some of my favorite photos!

San Telmo Market & The beginning of Carnival-

And, of course, she had me try Mate

Before we had dinner with her family 🙂

Conclusion

My goal of this trip is to gather a taste of a lot of different countries and cultures in the short 6 months I have. This makes it particularly challenging when I find a place I love – needing to depart promising to return. Argentina is a country I am certain I want to return to. While I got a sense of the region from my time in Argentine Patagonia and Buenos Aires, there is much more I leave wanting to explore in the future – Mendoza, Bariloche, Cordoba, Iguazu, back to El Chalten for more hikes to name a few! Argentina has sparked a drive to explore more the country has to offer and I hope to be able to do that in the near future. That is the point of this trip, after all!

But for now, I will leave Argentina for Brazil, where I will be for the next week before my flight to India.

See you then.

Sam