BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA — We arrived in Buenos Aires around 11 p.m. and immediately set out to figure out our stay arrangements. That caused more trouble than I bargained for and created an annoying first night in Argentina. Within a few hours, with only the gleaming moon as our company we had to figure out our stay, the new currency exchange rate and finally find food. But, we tried to make the best of the night and we went out to a nightclub.
In the morning, I planned to figure out my stay arrangements to eliminate any other problems. Luckily, that’s exactly how things worked out at Hostel Florida. I wanted to spend the day exploring the city. I had to masters the new currency I would be using for the next couple of days and utilize my navigation skills. To get around the city, I used my handy-dandy tourist brochure and screenshots of directions from my phone.
Chile borders Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. Although you can be in another country in just a few hours when crossing the borders into another space you’re able to experience a completely different culture. In the United States, although there are opportunities to travel to Canada and Mexico, we don’t have as many options just a few hours away.
Things were looking up for the trip and I began to compare and contrast Santiago and Buenos Aires. From first glances, Buenos Aires looks perfect, but like any other places in this world it has it problems.
The Argentine economy was something that caught me by surprised. I found irony that outside of these magnificently structured buildings with police less than a few blocks away people were outside trading money. It seems as if it’s an accepted practice in the city of Buenos Aires, but I was certain it had reasoning and decided to research it a bit following our trip. It’s a complicated issue to understand, but most of the articles I read mentioned the effects of the economic collapse between 1998-2002 have continued to effect the country to this day.
Once I felt like I had a hold on things, there’s was nothing I couldn’t do. I caught cabs across town by myself to explore one of the oldest cemeteries in Argentina, the area around the Bellas Artes Museum and grabbed a bite to eat at Filo Ristorante. With my camera in tow, I captured the beauty of this incredible city.
I met up with my friends each night for nighttime festivities, but the wait was painful. In the states, most people party until about 4 a.m. at the latest, but in Buenos Aires the party-goers don’t get started until after 1 a.m. At least!
The next day, I went to explore some more. I indulged in one of my favorite types of foods at Lupita, a Mexican bar with a few locations around the city. While I was there, I watched the too intense game between Chile and Brazil. Freddo has amazing ice cream that melts in your mouth and makes your stomach beg for more. I visited the Sugar Bar for happy hour drinks and bar style food. We finished our night out at Milion, one of the top rated bars in Buenos Aires. In fact, I didn’t go to sleep that night. We left the bar, grabbed our things from the hotel and headed straight for the airport.
In just a few words, I’d describe the areas I saw with intriguing architecture, mouth-watering food and a nightlife that never stops. If you’re in Chile and want to travel outside the country I recommend Buenos Aires.
