Sunday, December 16, 2007

Argentina - Part I

OK, so I first want to tell you about Argentina. If you look on the South American map, the fascinating country of Argentina is bordered to the west by Chile, the North with Bolivia and Paraguay, on the east by Uruguay, Brazil and the Atlantic Ocean, while to the south is the Beagle Channel marking its boundaries. When I was in Argentina it was before the economic crisis, and the dollar and the peso were one-in-the-same. Today it is about 3 pesos to the dollar, and eveything is very cheap to whoever comes with foreign currency.

Argentina is a great country to visit. Its people are very very nice, the culture is very European but the feeling of South America is always in the air. The prices are very affordable, there are thousands of places to see, great food (it's the meat capital of the world!), the music is superb, and the women are....don't even get me started on the women....so beautiful!

Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, has much to offer. You can spend days, weeks, and months, and still be fascinated by the city. There's so much to see there, and the
porteƱos - the local inhabitants of Buenos Aires - are such nice people. If you're ever in Buenos Aires go visit the San Telmo region, where Tango is heard from every tavern, and the buildings are preserved as they were a century ago. Make sure you go at night to hear the lovely music being played and if you're lucky, see a show. La Boca is a very run-down part of town, except for its caminito - the only nice part of town - with its colorful houses and tango dancing in the streets. La Recoletta will offer you a touristy cemetery with all the great people of Argentinian history buried there, such as Juan Peron and his wife Evita, and many other rich and famous. Be sure to check out the artisan market being held in Recoletta every Sunday. If you're looking for touristy shops head over to Calle Florida right smack in the middle of the city. You'll find everything there from real-leather belts and gaucho hats to genuine mates.

If soccer (or as the English call it - football) is your thing, then Argentina is the place you want to be. With world famous players of past and present, Argentinian futbol is a soccer lover's delight. The leading teams are Boca Juniors and River Plate, and if you're lucky enough to see a game between these two longtime rivals you're in for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Try staying alive and alert in these games, as tensions tend to get high and violence is no stranger in these matches even among the crowd.

If meat is your game head over to any parillada and take your pick of the world's finest beef at very affordable prices. Though you may think all-you-can-eat buffets are low-level, here they are anything but that. Also,
with roots in Italy, Argentinians make excellent pizza AND ice-cream so make sure to try out Argentinian pizza and ice-cream; you'll be pleasantly surprised at their quality, and Argentinians are very proud of these two almost-national foods.

Buenos Aires is a very special city; vibrant and hip and indeed a big city. Be sure to keep safe, and guard your belongings as pickpockets and muggings are not strangers to this town. Oh, and keep up your Spanish. You'll be needing it, since most Argentinians don't speak English at all,and the only way of communicating with them is by first learning Spanish. I'll give you more information about this in another post.

Che...hasta luego

5 comments:

xxx said...

Hello...I just came across your blog randomly. And South America is my biggest PASSION. I can't wait to visit it one day! Needless to say, I find your posts fascinating. Keep on writing. I'll keep on checking this URL :)

I'm Saadna, by the way.

The Wolrd Wide Wanderer said...

Hey Saadna, thanks for your warm comments...it really helps to know there is someone out there genuinely interested :-)

I'm Roy, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I hope you make it to South America one day...

(update soon)

xxx said...

I hope I make it there soon too! :)
But it's unlikely right now. I'll probably only be able to go there after I finish college..in a few years.

Are you living there NOW?

And, nice to meet you Roy :)

The Wolrd Wide Wanderer said...

Hey Saadna,
I'm not living there now, I only traveled there. Stayed for a long time though, about a year, and came back a few times later. I'm sure I'll be back to visit. I love the people and the places of South America...heck I think I was probably there in a past life or something :)

Check out my latest posts!

xxx said...

I did read your new post. Nothing surprising about that tale. It's something I expect of South Americans. They're so passionate and ellos gustan la vida tanto :)

Ooh. I think I was South American in a past life too. I feel a strange and very strong bond with it. I think I was an Incan. What about you? ;)