I boarded my plane for Buenos Aires ten minutes after it was supposed to depart. Sometimes, you've gotta love Brazilian airlines. I knew I was leaving Sao Paulo for an entirely different city in South America, but how different, I had no idea.
After three days in the capital of Argentina, I can tell you that the cities are as different as the tango and the samba.
Buenos Aires used to be considered the New York City of South America about 100 years ago, the financial and cultural capital of the continent. Of course, today the financial hub of South America is Sao Paulo, but Buenos Aires still packs a cultural punch.
I spent my first day in the city taking a first-class, personal tour of the area courtesy of a couple of American friends. It was a great way to learn about the history and the variety of BA. From the beginning it was apparent that Buenos Aires is different than any Brazilian city I've visited. The streets meet at clean, 90-degree angles, you don't feel like your suffocating in concrete and it's really not necessary to look over your shoulder every couple minutes to make sure you're not being followed.
On my tour, I got to see the variety in architecture that exists and learned oodles about the neighborhoods. I saw the colored houses of La Boca, the renovated industrial buildings near the river, which now offer restaurants like Hooters, and the granite mosques of the wealthy in La cemeterio de la Recoleta where the body of Evita Peron rests. I am staying in an apartment in the neighborhood of San Telmo, an historical area which used to house the city's wealthy before an outbreak of yellow fever in the mid-19th century. The architecture in San Telmo is supposedly Spanish, and the neighborhood is currently undergoing a revitalization process. At different points, I've heard parts of Buenos Aires compared to Paris, New York and New Orleans. All I know is that it definitely isn't Sao Paulo.
Even the people are classy. At one point during my tour, the money pouch that I had strapped around my waist beneath my sweatshirt fell off onto the ground. Before I had even noticed its absence, a man had picked it up, looked at the name on the debit card and was looking for the owner. I had my only way of withdrawing money and 100 pesos in that thing and found it before I even knew it was lost! Had I lost my debit card and cash in Brazil, I am 99.9% sure I would not have got it back.
We made some stops at historical cafes, nice restaurants and extravagant churches. I drank the richest cup of hot chocolate in my life at Cafe Tortoni, a cafe famous for having regulars such as the author Luis Borges. I got a better taste of Argentine beef on Friday and Saturday. (I think the beef I had on Argentina's side of Iguacu is why I was running to the bathroom that night.) I also visited an art museum and toured an old navy ship that was active around the turn of the 20th century. On Saturday night, I had my cheapest night/morning out abroad at an Irish pub/club. Argentines likes to go out late as in early-late. I made sure to take a nap beforehand.
The exchange rate here is much more favorable than in Brazil. The peso is around three to the dollar, and food and public transportation seems dirt cheap. Argentines seem much better educated than Brazilians as a society. I heard the average Argentine reads more than seven books a year. That is several times more than the average Brazilian. Instead of focusing on the body like Brazilians, Argentines prefer to obsess over the mind. The psychiatrist replaces Brazil's plastic surgeon as the glamor profession. It's common for the residents of Buenos Aires to visit their psychiatrist regularly to improve their mental and emotional health. To me, this seems nuts.
Another noticable difference between Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires is the racial makeup. People appear far more homogeneous here than in Sao Paulo, although the blue eye/blond hair combo is just as uncommon. I no longer see the Asian and African characteristics that are common a country away.
Although Portuguese and Spanish are very similar, there are enough differences to make communication a challenge at times. Pronunciation is completely different. Luckily, a lot more tourists frequent Buenos Aires and many people speak English.
The weather is a tad chilly, hovering around 50 degrees during the day and 40 degrees at night. Makes me wish I'd packed a few more long-sleeved shirts and a few less pairs of shorts, but I'll survive.
On July 5th, I'll be traveling west towards the Andes mountains to the wine country of Mendoza. Then, I plan on going north to Salta, where the dry climate and low pressure create a unique climate.
It will be my first time outside of urban life since April. Definitely gonna soak it up.
After three days in the capital of Argentina, I can tell you that the cities are as different as the tango and the samba.
Buenos Aires used to be considered the New York City of South America about 100 years ago, the financial and cultural capital of the continent. Of course, today the financial hub of South America is Sao Paulo, but Buenos Aires still packs a cultural punch.
I spent my first day in the city taking a first-class, personal tour of the area courtesy of a couple of American friends. It was a great way to learn about the history and the variety of BA. From the beginning it was apparent that Buenos Aires is different than any Brazilian city I've visited. The streets meet at clean, 90-degree angles, you don't feel like your suffocating in concrete and it's really not necessary to look over your shoulder every couple minutes to make sure you're not being followed.
On my tour, I got to see the variety in architecture that exists and learned oodles about the neighborhoods. I saw the colored houses of La Boca, the renovated industrial buildings near the river, which now offer restaurants like Hooters, and the granite mosques of the wealthy in La cemeterio de la Recoleta where the body of Evita Peron rests. I am staying in an apartment in the neighborhood of San Telmo, an historical area which used to house the city's wealthy before an outbreak of yellow fever in the mid-19th century. The architecture in San Telmo is supposedly Spanish, and the neighborhood is currently undergoing a revitalization process. At different points, I've heard parts of Buenos Aires compared to Paris, New York and New Orleans. All I know is that it definitely isn't Sao Paulo.
Even the people are classy. At one point during my tour, the money pouch that I had strapped around my waist beneath my sweatshirt fell off onto the ground. Before I had even noticed its absence, a man had picked it up, looked at the name on the debit card and was looking for the owner. I had my only way of withdrawing money and 100 pesos in that thing and found it before I even knew it was lost! Had I lost my debit card and cash in Brazil, I am 99.9% sure I would not have got it back.
We made some stops at historical cafes, nice restaurants and extravagant churches. I drank the richest cup of hot chocolate in my life at Cafe Tortoni, a cafe famous for having regulars such as the author Luis Borges. I got a better taste of Argentine beef on Friday and Saturday. (I think the beef I had on Argentina's side of Iguacu is why I was running to the bathroom that night.) I also visited an art museum and toured an old navy ship that was active around the turn of the 20th century. On Saturday night, I had my cheapest night/morning out abroad at an Irish pub/club. Argentines likes to go out late as in early-late. I made sure to take a nap beforehand.
The exchange rate here is much more favorable than in Brazil. The peso is around three to the dollar, and food and public transportation seems dirt cheap. Argentines seem much better educated than Brazilians as a society. I heard the average Argentine reads more than seven books a year. That is several times more than the average Brazilian. Instead of focusing on the body like Brazilians, Argentines prefer to obsess over the mind. The psychiatrist replaces Brazil's plastic surgeon as the glamor profession. It's common for the residents of Buenos Aires to visit their psychiatrist regularly to improve their mental and emotional health. To me, this seems nuts.
Another noticable difference between Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires is the racial makeup. People appear far more homogeneous here than in Sao Paulo, although the blue eye/blond hair combo is just as uncommon. I no longer see the Asian and African characteristics that are common a country away.
Although Portuguese and Spanish are very similar, there are enough differences to make communication a challenge at times. Pronunciation is completely different. Luckily, a lot more tourists frequent Buenos Aires and many people speak English.
The weather is a tad chilly, hovering around 50 degrees during the day and 40 degrees at night. Makes me wish I'd packed a few more long-sleeved shirts and a few less pairs of shorts, but I'll survive.
On July 5th, I'll be traveling west towards the Andes mountains to the wine country of Mendoza. Then, I plan on going north to Salta, where the dry climate and low pressure create a unique climate.
It will be my first time outside of urban life since April. Definitely gonna soak it up.
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