B.A: European City of South America - 3

Costs

Flights to Argentina are expensive from nearly anywhere in the world. From the United States, expect to pay anywhere from $800 to $2,000; direct flights from New York City take 10.5 hours—we have always been on overnight flights, which is far better with our daughter as she does sleep on the plane. From Miami it’s eight hours. You can get cheaper flights if you connect through Mexico City or Panama City, but the times are often unpleasant, and we always go direct when we can. 

Hotels in Buenos Aires are generally about half the price of a U.S. equivalent. However, they always charge full price to add an extra bed(s) for children—unlike U.S. properties, where we usually get by with a small charge for an added cot bed. Apartments often make more sense as you can get additional space and a kitchen for less money; some places have a pool in the building as well. Generally the agencies seem to be pretty straightforward, and the photos you see on the Internet are representative of what you get. Ask about proximity to busy/noisy roads, air conditioning if you are traveling from December to February (essential!), public transportation, and the location of the nearest parks and playgrounds. 

Getting Around

Driving here is like bumper cars—there is no respect for lanes, no one uses their blinkers and buses often pull away as the last passenger is getting off. It’s no coincidence that taxi drivers cross themselves before heading into intersections. You won’t need to rent a car in Buenos Aires—public transportation is comprehensive and cheap. Bus costs start at 80 centavos (27 cents), and the subte (subway) costs 70 centavos (23 cents). Then there are the ever-present taxis: One from Recoleta to downtown will run about A$10 ($3.27 USD).

Argentina is a huge country, and the distances from Buenos Aires to the country’s UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Iguazú Falls or Península Valdés are so great you will want to fly; both destinations are two-hour flights from Buenos Aires.

Tango, Beef and Evita

These are the three most common subjects mentioned when talking about Argentina, and I feel duty bound to cover them. 

 

• It is not uncommon to see people doing the tango in the street.

Nichole Beauchamp

Tango is the dance that made Buenos Aires famous, and it is still much more than a show for the tourists. You can see the real thing at a milonga (tango hall), where locals show off their moves and even the 70-year-old ladies sport impressive calf muscles and high heels. We’ve been to two afternoon milongas (3-10 p.m.; the evening ones run from 10 p.m.-4 a.m.). They are both very old school places, with wooden floors and chandeliers at Confiteria Ideal (Suipacha 384, 1st floor, tel. 5265-8069) and slightly less impressive surroundings but the same charm at El Arranque (Bartholomew Mitre 1759, tel. 4371-6767).

Indigo loves dancing and tango music (go figure), so our visits to milongas have been fantastic hits with her. At Al Arranque, an older couple brought her out on the dance floor with them. Watching her copy the woman’s movements with great enthusiasm but no skill was one of those laugh-so-hard-you-cry moments. She positively beamed all the way home that night.  

Beef is king in Argentina, and the man in charge of the asado (barbeque) is king of kings. Treat him like a god, make sure he has a steady supply of his beverage of choice and for goodness sake don’t offer any advice—any. If you don’t know any locals, head to a nearby parrilla with a long line out the door—a much better indicator of quality than prices or decor.

And lastly, a word on Evita. If you haven’t seen the movie, María Eva Duarte de Perón was the wife of President Juan Perón. She was a highly influential woman who became a cult figure, leading to mass hysteria when she died in 1952. There is something very Latin about the intensity with which females are worshipped in this part of the world. In any case, she is buried in the Duarte family tomb in Recoleta Cemetery, should you be curious.