By: PK
Argentina, Journals, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Buenos Aires, Argentina

After one month of being in the wilderness, our mouths were salivating for good food and some city life; so we set off to Buenos Aires.

As with all of South America, we had no idea what to expect. It was so unknown to us and it was so different from anything we had ever known, seen or experienced.

P2200676I wish I had photographed our steak meal, but I think I have video footage of it instead. I conducted my extensive research on the best steak meal to have in Buenos Aires, as Argentina is famous for its beef. It did not disappoint.

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The two main football teams in Buenos Aires are the Boca Juniors and River Plate. Diego Maradona played with the Boca Juniors at the start and at the end of his football career.

Another thing that Argentinians love is football. We were hoping to catch a local league match in Buenos Aires, but unfortunately the World Cup friendly matches were happening on the only weekend we happened to be in BA, so there was no local league match that weekend.

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Waiting patiently before soaking in some classical music at the famous Teatro Colón, acoustically considered to be amongst the five best concert venues in the world.

We didn’t expect Buenos Aires to feel so European, but after all, it has been dubbed the Paris of South America. The streets oozed “culture” (what even is that term?!), but with a little bit of that South America grit and flavour.

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Seeing the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra in Teatro Colón.
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Yep, they turned an old theatre into a bookstore! 
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I love markets. So much food, antiques, and…
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Tango at Plaza Dorrego. Sure, 99% of the spectators are probably tourists who have Googled “best place to see tango in Buenos Aires”, so here we are. It’s free, it’s festive and such a good atmosphere!
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Favourite empanadas. Before we tried salteñas in Bolivia. These were gourmet, delicious, and freshly made from La Hornero (The Oven) in the San Telmo Markets. 

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A Sunday stroll around the San Telmo area led us to this car park turned outdoor BBQ restaurant, complete with a ska band entertaining us. We ate too much other food but we knew we had to stay when the lead singer invited the head grill cook to the mic. He belted some Argentinian classics.

P2211185One of the things that we happened to come across while in Buenos Aires was a protest on the Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice. It was peaceful enough, but the public (at least those who marched on the day) were still seeking answers about their missing loved ones who “disappeared” in the 70s during the reign of the military junta that ruled over the nation for many years.

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The Higher School of Mechanics of the Navy (Escuela Superior de Mecánica de la Armada) was used as an illegal, secret detention center during the so-called National Reorganization Process (Dirty War) of Argentina’s 1976–1983 military dictatorship.

It was pretty chilling to be walking in the premises in which such crimes against humanity took place. We heard and read stories of the torture and abuse that went on within these walls. These political powers went through great lengths to crush all opposition – and whilst it was painful to hear these stories, they had to be told so that we would never let this happen again.