Buenos Aires: The Paris of South America

Full Disclosure: I have never been to Paris. Buenos Aires being described as “Paris of South America” is a very popular phrase that comes up when you research the city, but if the point of this nickname is to refer to how European it is, then it is very correct.

When I walked along the tree covered streets of Buenos Aires, I really did feel as though I was in Europe. The people, architecture, and general environment are all heavily influenced by the large Spanish, French, Italian, and Eastern European groups of immigrants that have come to form what the city is today. While you may expect see all monuments to people with Spanish surnames, there are a great deal of very public monuments that are dedicated to Italian, French, Polish, English and Arab citizens of Argentina all throughout the city. Even though the country is majority Catholic, it is not unusual to see Jewish, Muslim, or other Christian places of prayer. In fact, I got to visit the LDS Temple on the outskirts of the city and it was unlike any other I have ever seen. The point I’m trying to make it that Buenos Aires really is a melting pot of different people, and I didn’t see any signs of prejudice against people because of their religion or race.

Getting There

If you are an American, Australian or Canadian citizen, there are a couple of hoops you are going to have to jump through before going to Argentina, but likely nothing like Brazil. Yep, say it with me now: RECIPROCITY. You will have to pay a fee of $160 USD, if you’re American (I’m not sure what it is for Canadians or Australians) and have a receipt printed out before you can even get your boarding pass. I got to the airport in Brazil three hours before my flight and by the time I made it through the line to get to the counter, I was surprised by the insistence of the airline employee to see it. Luckily, the manager was an angel and printed the paper for me (Interesting fact: I was never asked for the receipt by any Argentine official).

Currency

The Argentine Peso (ARS) has an official rate of $1USD for every 8.9 ARS (approximately). I say “official” because there are people who will exchange your US Dollars at a rate of 1:12, but beware: these people aren’t in any kind of official capacity. If you get ripped off, you have no recourse. I didn’t use them, but I was propositioned many times by people on the street and it just didn’t feel right. Come to find out, often times these people will slip in counterfeit bills with the real ones, or just take you around the corner and rob you. I wouldn’t suggest it.

The People

The people are very nice, very fashionable, and seemed to be very educated in etiquette and languages. That being said, they call this the “Paris of South America”, so what would any good Francophile society be without having “higher standards” (I’m being a little sarcastic here). There are some people in Buenos Aires who just think they are better than everyone, as every city has, but they do it big here.

Also, I keep bringing up the European appearance of people, but it was very surprising for me. When you think South America, there’s a certain image that came to mind before I visited, and this was not it at all. Even compared to Rio, there seemed to be much more people that were from Europe. I mean I saw red hair and freckles on a daily basis; not the normal appearance for the city, but just to illustrate my point.

The Food

As a good friend of mine said when he found out I was going to Buenos Aires: “Eat lots of steak. If they ask you if you want chimichurri with it the answer is 1000x YES.” He was not wrong. The first bit of steak I had there was actually from a father/son street vendor team. The steak sandwich was grilled fresh in front of me and it cost right around $2USD. It was amazing! Some of the best steak I have had in a while. Other than steak, you can find anything you are looking for. I would suggest you check out any pizza before you buy it though, because this is one area that Argentine cuisine is definitely lacking (as a whole) in my opinion.

The Places

Palermo: Any of the Palermo neighborhoods is a lot of fun. They are colorful, full of artists, and a favorite amongst tourists and the “hip” fashionable types. A lot of fashion stores here are actually on the same level as their European counterparts, but less known and much less expensive. Palermo is also a great location for nightlife. Keep in mind, the “nightlife” doesn’t begin until at least 11pm. Some bars and clubs don’t open until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. Also, don’t think these locations are all techno or hip hop, there are plenty of relaxing wine bars…and the wine from here is world famous.

Teatro Colon: This amazing theater is well worth the 180 Pesos it costs to take the tour. The esthetics, history, and acoustics of this place are amazing. You hear stories of the drama that took place with the architects and painters, as well as why the positions of your seat meant so much. I really felt as if I was being told the story of a soup opera, rather than an actual opera house, but it was all very entertaining. More info here.

Casa Rosada: The “Pink House”. This takes up the whole East Side of the Plaza de Mayo. It is a really interesting sight and kind of weird. I like weird though, because what’s normal?

Plaza de Mayo: Since you came here to see the pink house, you might as well explore the rest of the plaza. This is the home to many of the city government buildings and looks great all lit up at night. No worries about the safety issue at night, plenty of security around.

Tango: You can’t come to Buenos Aires and not enjoy the tango, in one form or another. There are plenty of street performers around the city, as well as whole institutes dedicated to the tango.

Conclusion:

I wish I had more time in Buenos Aires. This place really surprised me. Warm weather, but not much humidity. Beaches. Friendly people. Fun nightlife. Very European. I like it and I recommend it for anyone.

You Are Awesome!

-Mike

Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Please leave them down below. 

The Truth About Rio

Rio is a very fun place. A lot of beaches, tropical drinks, and beautiful people; but we have all heard and seen this before. What you don’t hear about is the weather. I assumed it must be quite beautiful for the beaches to always be packed, when the truth is there are times when it was miserable (90F, 90% humidity). YUCK. Maybe I just had unreasonable expectations after having to go through the headache of getting a visa or years of hype from different media sources. I don’t know. Fun place, but far from my favorite.

Getting Here

When you fly into Rio, you get a good view of the city, or rather the beaches and skyline, but it’s not until you drive through the city that you get a true picture of the situation here. Between the airport and where I was staying in the neighborhood of Botafogo, you see where the city is getting ready for the world famous Carnival but you also see the favelas (slums) and smell the polluted bodies of water for miles. Once you get through the many miles of that, and start heading south, things start to look (and smell) a lot better.

Botafogo

Many of you may have not heard of Botafogo Bay, as it isn’t known for it’s beaches, but it is home to the best boating areas in Rio and has a great view of the Sugarloaf Mountain (One of the best panoramic views of the city). Also, there are many restaurants and street vendors open at any time of the day or night.

Copacabana

There’s that song right, “at the Copa, Copacabana”. Well, you weren’t the only one to hear that song. This beautiful beach is HUGE. Highly suggest it for your day(s) at the beach. A ton of people, but there is room for everybody and plenty of chilled coconut for sale to keep you hydrated. Along the boardwalk you find a lot of activities going on: soccer, volleyball, samba, and tons of street vendors. Across the street, there are many hotels, bars, and restaurants (beware: HUGE tourist tax being paid here). During the day and night, there are also many prostitutes here; the later you are out, the more aggressive they become. They usually walk in pairs of two, make advances on you, and have very strong forearms. My first night out going to the different bars in Copacabana, I had to use the pull my way out the grip of more than a couple of these girls. The working girls really aren’t my thing, and they don’t like that answer. So, just know that.

Ipanema

Ipanema is another place that has a song about it, “the girl from Ipanema”. I did meet a couple girls from there, but couldn’t track down “the girl from Ipanema”, sad I know. This is a place that is much smaller than Copacabana, but just as packed. The feel here is that of somewhere in Jamaica. A lot of Rasta themes and a lot of open marijuana use. Be careful here. When I visited there was a large police presence (close to 50 visible officer, many vehicles, and a police helicopter) and large brawl including a large group teenage boys and girls happened. I attempted to enter the water, but couldn’t work my way through the crowded main beach. If you head towards the end of the main area, there are some boulders and on the other side is a much more secluded beach. I recommend this area.

Christ the Redeemer 

This is one of the most famous landmarks in Rio. The giant statue of Jesus Christ on top of a mountain, with his arms out; a symbol of Brazilian Christianity. Look, I’m Catholic and love visiting Holy places, but this place is overrated and overpriced. You go up there and everyone is taking the same picture of them mimicking the outstretched arms. If you think that there will be a good view of the city, there are very few times in a day where that would be correct because of how much pollution there is. Most locals say it’s not worth going up there and I agree. You can see the statue from almost everywhere in the city, pollution permitting, so take a picture from there or go to the Sugar Loaf Mountain.

Sugar Loaf Mountain

The Sugar Loaf Mountain is awesome! Not expensive at all. Fun to ride the cable cars. Good food at both stops along the way. 360 views. Activities. Seriously recommend this place.

Escadaria Selaron

Escadaria Selaron is in the neighborhoods of Lapa and Santa Teresa in Rio de Janeiro. Chilean artist Jorge Selaron began this madness in 1990, and in prophetic way claimed that “this crazy and unique dream will only end on the day of my death” (prophetic because he was found dead on the famous steps in 2013). There are 250 steps, with more than 2000 tiles from over 60 countries. An interesting place indeed.

The Women

Okay. I’m only discussing this because it has come up in every conversation I have had about going to Rio. “Brazilian women are some of the most gorgeous women in the world”. People in Rio don’t have a certain “look”. I could put five different women born and raised in Rio in a line up and all of them could look different. There are people from all over the world: Spanish, Portuguese, Eastern European, Asian, African, Arab. With the weather, diet, and active lifestyle in Rio, there are many very attractive women here. Yes, they don’t wear much clothes (I think more as a necessity because of the weather). Yes, the people of Rio are very open with their sexuality….That being said, this city of nearly 7 million people isn’t a living Latin American rap video. You are going to wish some of these people were wearing more clothes.

Overall

If you do come to Rio, make sure to check out the beaches, food, and nightlife. The people are very warm and welcoming, but English isn’t very widely spoken, so learn some key phrases in Portuguese ( if you have something very specific in mind, make sure to use google translate). I don’t regret coming to Rio, but I don’t think I will be back anytime soon.

You are awesome!

-Mike

Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Please leave them down below.