Anyone know of a good stay in Buenos Aires?

There are 17 replies in this Thread which has previously been viewed 5,371 times. The latest Post () was by Carlos.

1st Official Post

    I would suggest to visit, in order of priority, the following places:


    1. Buenos Aires, especially the Northern Neogborhood, and avoid to see La Boca.

    There are magnificent pieces of architecture (Beaux Arts buildings) and also Modern ones.

    Also you can visit the Museum of Fine Arts (Bellas Artes) and the MALBA (Museum of Latin American Art).


    2. Bariloche; an almost copy of a Swiss or Austrian landscape and architecture, plenty of lakes and woods, and mountains as well. It is more expensive that BA.


    3. Salta: The Calchaqui Valley, which shows the real old Spanish influence, lost in BA and in Patagonia.


    4. Iguazu falls, at the bounday of Brazil. (quite far from BA, you will need a flight.


    All this can be made in a minumum of a fortnight or a bit more.

    British people are welcomed, despite the conflict of 1982.

    • Official Post

    Buenos Aires architecture is impressive. Mendoza is also a nice city and very popular among foreigners for its winery. Mendoza architecture is very similar to Buenos Aires (lots of French influence). If you want a change of city scenery, then you could go to Salta (Spanish style) and venture in the valley that Carlos recommended


    In Buenos Aires there are free city tours of the neighborhoods, organized by the City of BA. Some are in English, but you usually have to book them in advance (no need to book it in advance the Spanish tours).


    Wildlife: Chubut has impressive wildlife with whales, penguins, killer whale, sea lions... but it depends on the season. When will the eclipse take place?

    Also worth visiting is Esteros del Iberá, especially if you like country life. Look at some pics here.


    New low cost airlines are starting to fly from city to city (in the past all traffic transited through Buenos Aires) and it could be interesting to see how much things you could see in 2 weeks. It also depends on how fit you are and how much you are willing to push it.


    There is a British guy offering city tours and transfers from/to airports, I do not know him personally but he's been doing this for a while and his clients seem happy with him.

    If you have a bit more of time, La Plata, which is about 40 miles from BA, is an interesting "new" city designed in 1881 to be the capital of the Province of Buenos Aires, as Buenos Aires was declared the capital of the entire federal country (As the District of Columbia, in the USA.)

    La Plata has a brilliant collection of Eclectic buildings of the late 1800´s: Greek revival, Rundbogenstil (German), gothic and a beautiful Cathedral, the greatest in Latin America.

    Also has a Museum of Natural History built in 1883 that really is a "museum of the museums", because no changes were made in almost 130 years, all in classical, academic style.

    To can spend only a day to see all this.


    By the way, avoid December, January and February: there could be warm days. The rest of the seasons are mostly sunny and temperate. It never freezes and no snow fall (except in the Southern part of the country).

    Dear Mr Suleiman

    As regards the weather, we are in a temperate zone, (34° latitude South) and therefore we have no bad season to visit. However, for perventing too warm weather, do not come here from December to February, as we could have warm weather, (Mostly 30°C average), but you could visit the seashore and there are nice beaches to see. (Better those from Uruguay, which is about 40 miles from our coast).

    All the other seasons are very temperate, inlcluding winter. Temperatures never goes beyond 9°C abd most of the days are sunny and clear.

    Our city is windswept, therefore there is always clean air.

    In winter the sun appears at 8:00 AM and goes down at 5:30 PM, so the day could be long, not as in the Northern parts of Europe.

    Perhaps if you wife is allergic, do not come in September or October as we have many trees that provokes some allergy in particular people tat are sensitive of this.

    Buenos Aires have a uge cultural life, Museums and Theaters are quite good and inexpensive compared with those of Europe.

    Do not expect a typical Latin American city. We have received a lot of influences from western Europe, (therefore the architecture is quite similar to France, England, Spain or Italy.}

    Also we have received many Ukrainan inmigrants which arrived before the Russian Revolution of 1917.

    Our countryside is almost the same of Ukrania: Great and fertile plain lands, dedicated to agriculture and cattle. But also you have mountains inside the country, some small and others very tall as the Andean Mountains.

    People speaks Spanish but cultured people could manage English and French with acceptable fluency. Of course, no people will understand the language of Taras Schevchenko, your national poet.


    I will be glad if you contact me when you decide to come here. I will be pleased to meet you.


    The very best regards



    Carlos

    As an argentinean, I have some objetions on the type of conscience that the tango like to show, which in my point of vue goes against the material and moral progress of a society.

    The songs always are longing for the old times. The Mother is loke a God in a female body. (Of course I think that all our mothers deserves respect and love). They also are longing for the good old days with their friends doing nothing and loosing time to progress. Then they are sorry because they did not fulfill their wish to success. Then, they blame the others for that.

    They also are boasting for their sexual athletism with their whores. (see the tango "Y todo a media luz")


    Nobody speaks about hard work; even the hardworkers are seen as dull, boring and uninspired.

    They suspect that to be rich you must get a hidden trail to reach this, not the honesty and will for doing things.

    In short, I think that generally the songs are songs of loosers.

    I am not satisfied with this type of thinking. Melancholy could be a good thing if managed with temperance, but could be a stumbling block if you intend to have success.


    Of course, I prefer (as a minor evil) the old tango instead of the domination of caribbean music which we suffer today, that has nothing to do with ours. The "cumbia villera" is the worst music I have heard. And this is accepted even by educated people.

    Of course you are correct, Carlos. The part of Argentine society from which the tango sprung was not noted for its devotion to either honesty or hard work. But suffering? They did that better than anyone else. What, for me, redeems the tango lyrics and makes it all worthwhile is the astonishingly beautiful poetry of the words - and no wonder - because the best lyricists were actually poets first, songwriters second.


    The best of all of them, in my opinion, was Enrique Santos Discépolo: Cambalache, Yira Yira, Cafetín de Buenos Aires, hundreds more songs (including my secret favorite, ¡Victoria!). Cadícamo, Manzi, Lepera, ... many, many others. I never tire of listening.


    But perhaps I have a hidden affinity for the otarios and morlacos of the world (in tangos they are the “straights,” to be taken advantage of by the tango wiseguys).

    I agree with your appreciation of the poetry inside some tangos, and I am pleasantly surprised that a person like you, which comes from a different culture, have understood and likes that poetry.

    I also appreciate the American poetry. I remember very well the Robert Frost's poem:


    The woods are lovely,

    dark and deep

    But I have promises to keep

    And miles to go

    Before I sleep


    I never read a so perfect enhancement of the silent struggle that is inside contemplation and action.

    This is really a poem.