Buenos Aires, Argentina: Tour D'Horizon

toma las cosas como vienen

By Christina Nguyen

April 26^th, 2018

Month 7

I migrated over to the western hemisphere, and to the sensual city of Buenos Aires. It is a beautiful place with a mix of European flare, and Latin passion. The streets are filled with astonishing architectural details with colorful splashes making for a very vibrant art scene. The food is dynamic favoring carnivores, and wine lovers. Friends sharing mate can be found in every pocket of the city. Here is the run down on month 7...

Experiences

The Fun Stuff

Living solo in the heart of Palermo Soho, a vibrant neighborhood full of good eats, and street art
Hanging out at all the Asados, a traditional Argentinian BBQ
Seeing La Bomba de Tiempo live, an improvised percussion ensemble that has played every Monday for the last 10 years
Working US business hours again & finding more consistent routine
Taking intermediate Espanol classes twice a week
Drinking all the mate
Learning about the history of music in Argentina, and meeting local DJs/Producers
Visiting Iguazu Falls on the border of Brazil, and Argentina
Dining at El Peron Peron Restaurant, a shrine to the late Juan & Eva Peron
Spending Sundays in San Telmo watching tango professionals dance
Using a clothes dryer for the first time in 5 months

The Not As Fun Stuff

I was utterly exhausted the entire month; 7 months of traveling really catches up!
I struggled to participate in the nightlife because people usually eat dinner around 10PM, and go out at 1AM
Caca de perro está en todas partes en la calle!

El Peron Peron restaurant. Photo by Griffin Glaze.

Amazing empanadas, a staple in Argentina

Stories

In addition to all the wonderful cities we are living in, us Remotes often participate in what we call "side trips." It involves planning a trip to another city within the proximity of where we are living either for a weekend visit, or working remotely during the week. This month I managed to get eight passport stamps out of one weekend trip to the magnificent, and awe-inspiring Iguazu Falls. (Due to the remodeling of the Argentina airport, we had to fly into Brazil, and cross back into Argentina by car.)

Iguazu Falls lies right between Brazil, and Argentina in a lush rain forest with unique fauna, and flora. It is also a real life butterfly sanctuary which made for a fairy-tale like experience. Water cascades as far as the eye can see with over 285 waterfalls- some dainty, while others are massively powerful. There is an upper, and lower circuit trail on the Argentinian side which gives you different angles of the entire system. The tallest of the falls is called Devil's Throat which drops into a milky abyss that creates a permanent cloud of mist (some have asked me if it compares to Niagara Falls which I have not been to but the stats show that this is 2x taller and 3x wider!). On the other hand, the Brazilian side offers incredible panoramic views that reveal how grandiose this natural structure is.

Pictures, and words really do not do this place justice so I encourage you to put this on the top of your bucket list if you're looking for a visceral experience. I highly recommend doing the full experience of seeing it both from the Brazilian, and Argentinian side. A boat ride INTO the falls is also a must, but be prepared to get absolutely soaked in a way that makes you feel alive. The sights, sounds, and gush of feelings after seeing this almighty landmark will live forever in my memory.

Iguazu view of Argentina from the Brazilian side.

Butterfly flutters everywhere we walked.

a coatimundi, member of the raccoon family

Connections

Buenos Aires is a mecca for graffiti, and street art. An abundance of abandoned buildings, and blank walls make for perfect canvases throughout the city. There are very little restrictions on where murals can be painted. Artists are free to express, and it's interesting to see the dichotomy of the subjects depicted.

I had the opportunity to spend a full day with the folks from Pinto La Isla. We roamed the streets of Isla Maciel, a predominantly poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. This area is home to about 5,000 residents who are boxed in by a river, and a major highway. This neighborhood was historically the city's former red light district, and notorious for unceasing violence which makes it still far too dangerous for an ordinary tourist to visit. We crossed a bridge by foot to get there, and were greeted by a team of smiling locals who led the way. They invited us into their space, and shared their stories over warm cups of mate.

A group of young artists supported by their community have been working to create better conditions by covering every inch of the neighborhood in art. The sun illuminated the streets around us giving light to all the colors that lined the streets. The walls told stories of a bloody past, current tensions, and a new hope. Despite the tumultuous reputation Isla Maciel has had, it has been breeding some of Argentina's best street artists.

My travels has allowed me to grow a deep connection, and appreciation for the arts. A common theme I have seen is that creation, and expression doesn't demand material wealth nor does it cast judgement for what one has been through. For the youth of Isla Maciel, there is faith for something much better; that they can use their imagination, and ingenuity to lift themselves out of poverty, and give a voice to those living on the margin. Street art is an important part of history, and identity to many communities, and has the ability to breathe life into those special places. Most public wall art can't stand the test of time, nature, and vandalism. I encourage you to take time to find them, record them before they become history, and pause to understand the story that is being told.

13 year old artist, Gonzalo in Isla Maciel

Owning the Unknown

This month was less about seeing the sights, and all about living the lifestyle. The way of life seemed to resemble a melting pot of cultures. They speak Spanish somewhat like Spain, eat like the Italians, live like the French, and think like the English. This leads to a way of life that falls somewhere between Europe, and South America but is wholly Argentinian. After extensive time on the road, it was a lovely place to slow down, and just be.