In many ways, one city is much like the next. All have the same basic features; buildings, highways, airports, homes, and so on. But there's no denying that while all share a common structure, some cities are hip and fun, and others are quite simply not! How do you define this difference? I don't know. Maybe its the people? Perhaps you need some history, good or bad to make a place interesting? The answer, I think is elusive and could be entirely subjective, but the vibe I get from some cities is palpable and real.
I'm still very much a kid when it comes to travel. Some places excite me, and Buenos Aires is near the top of this list. Why? A few reasons come to mind. One, this place has a volatile history marked by populist highs and military junta lows, prosperity followed by repression, and on and on. It was only thirty years ago that intellectuals, college professors, and lets face it, almost anyone with an non-sanctioned opinion brave or foolish enough to voice it were not so quietly "disappeared", more than thirty-thousand of them. Today, street protests are, common, the government feels like it is one short step away from ouster, and the cycle continues. There is a hint of tension in the air - I like this.
But apart from history, this place has a lot to offer a tourist like me. The architecture is very european, in fact walking the narrow side streets of Recoleta, you could easily forget you were in South America. The food and restaurants are in general superior. The climate is mild. The people I have met are warm, friendly, and by and large, beautiful. I dont want to understate this, but these are really pretty people. Argentina was settled by natives first, and later by waves of Germans, Italians, Spanish, and later still by Eastern Europeans, and I must say, at least genetically it makes for a really nice combination.
And there is still more! Want a great wine? No need to import that. Some of the best wines I've tasted in recent years were Malbecs from the Mendoza region.
Want to learn how to Tango? Just look down!
Or even look up! By the way, that not the side of a truck, its the entire side of a rather large building. They like their tango here.
By the way, if the Argentine Tourism Bureau wants to donate a bottle or two their finest Malbec for these kind words, I'll be only too happy to provide the mailing address! Just doin' my part for the cause...
I'm still very much a kid when it comes to travel. Some places excite me, and Buenos Aires is near the top of this list. Why? A few reasons come to mind. One, this place has a volatile history marked by populist highs and military junta lows, prosperity followed by repression, and on and on. It was only thirty years ago that intellectuals, college professors, and lets face it, almost anyone with an non-sanctioned opinion brave or foolish enough to voice it were not so quietly "disappeared", more than thirty-thousand of them. Today, street protests are, common, the government feels like it is one short step away from ouster, and the cycle continues. There is a hint of tension in the air - I like this.
But apart from history, this place has a lot to offer a tourist like me. The architecture is very european, in fact walking the narrow side streets of Recoleta, you could easily forget you were in South America. The food and restaurants are in general superior. The climate is mild. The people I have met are warm, friendly, and by and large, beautiful. I dont want to understate this, but these are really pretty people. Argentina was settled by natives first, and later by waves of Germans, Italians, Spanish, and later still by Eastern Europeans, and I must say, at least genetically it makes for a really nice combination.
And there is still more! Want a great wine? No need to import that. Some of the best wines I've tasted in recent years were Malbecs from the Mendoza region.
Want to learn how to Tango? Just look down!
Or even look up! By the way, that not the side of a truck, its the entire side of a rather large building. They like their tango here.
