Sleepless Buenos Aires – part I

For a relaxed city exploration you need to choose a good hostel, where you'll be safe, comfortable and could feel careless in the company of fellow world travellers. There are two central hostels to choose from: Hostel Suites Obelisco and Hostel Suites Florida. The great location offers visitors great access to tourist sights, mostly because they are near the metro lines A, B, C, D and E, connecting the entire capital city. If, however, you'd like to be outside the main centre, to have some peace and quiet, prefer the green, you should decide to go to hostel Suites Palermo. 

 

Argentina is a quite safe country and is said to be the safest South American country. The streets of Buenos Aires have a lot of police patrols, which keep peace and order around the clock. With enough care and alertness you will not be robbed, but as always, be careful in crowds. Especially in the evening you should be on the lookout of what's happening around you. If a group of people seems suspicious, cross the street, never carry much cash or valuable things with you. If you feel unpleasant you can always stop a taxi, as there are many of them cruising around and they are safe. 

 

Using the public transport is really easy. Arriving to the city you should get the SUBE card, which allows you to ride the buses and underground. The price is rather cheap as we are talking around 20-30 cents per ticket. The underground is considered to be the first in South America and offers six lines, which operate between 5AM and 11PM. On the other hand the city busses are available 24/7, but the night schedule is a bit rarer. As there are many one way streets in the city, the lines seem confused and buses never take you back the same way you came. But you'll quickly get the hang of the logic behind the lines and stations, so it won't be a problem. You should also use the app for searching bus stops Buenos Aires Ciudad. You can also always use the taxi cabs (checkered black and yellow ones), but be sure the driver turns on the meter when the ride starts.

 

So, we're mobile and have found a place to spend the night. All we need now is a map, some imagination and we're off to explore the city. It's easy to navigate the city, as it is based on parallel streets, with some crossing diagonal. The streets are divided into blocks and each block has 100 house numbers (the numbers are on paper and there's never exactly 100 houses). Still, each street begins with number 0 and where numbers 0 and 99 meet a new block is starting – with numbers 100 to 199 and so forth until the street ends. Crossings have signs that have the street name on them, and the sequence of numbers to the next crossing. The houses are numbered in a way that makes it pretty easy to find the address you need. It's also really easy to use the busses as you know exactly where to get off.

Bus, number 29, takes you from Avenue Corrientes to the La Boca, which used to be the main gateway for European immigrants arriving to Argentinean capital. The city district is places on the mouth of the river that gave it the name – La Boca means the mouth. The vicinity of the river was also the main reason La Boca started developing, as it was made up mostly of cargo zones for shipping and the houses of the local labour force. This is also where the colourful houses – the main icon of Buenos Aires – originate. As the people moving in had no money, they were making houses from whatever leftovers they could use, mostly left over material from shipbuilding, so most of the houses are made of wooden boards and metal plates. Ship paint that was also waste material, was used to decorate these self-made homes. This made up a beautiful mosaic of colourful houses that stands proudly on display today, to all who pass by with a camera. This is where many artists live and work and you can meet many tango dancers, making money with their dancing moves. The tango itself originates from these poorer parts, where it developed in the 19th century, as there was a need for communication and closeness among the lonely immigrants who did not speak the language. You can read more about the tango itself here. Soccer lovers will also know the stadium of La Bombonera, which is owned by the Boca Juniors. It is said that Buenos Aires has the most soccer teams of any city in the world. Find out for yourselves if it's true. 

On the way back, you can stop at San Telmo, one of the oldest parts of Buenos Aires, originating from the 17th century. It was a poor working class quarter, mostly inhabited by European immigrants. When sewage, running water and street lights started developing, other kinds of homes and even palaces were built here, that are still well preserved today and remind us of the colonial era. Mane cafes, tango saloons, market places and paved streets filled with artists and tango players take us back into history, when Europeans were making a new life here. For the best colonial experience you should visit the place between 10AM and 4PM on a Sunday when they are hosting a market known as Feria de San Telmo. There are many antiquity stores, tasty food, jewellery, art and is one of the most beloved events hosted in Buenos Aires, naturally, accompanied by the sounds of Tango. Watching the fluent motion you talk to local people who'll tell you about the deeper history of the city only they know. Their roots take you back to Europe and although they never visited the old continent, they still show they speak at least one more European language besides Spanish, the language of their great parents. So chances are, you'll be able to speak in your own native tongue. 

One of the biggest attractions of the city, where you'll have to wait quite a while to get the tickets (but it's worth it) is the marvellous Teatro Colon. The breath taking acoustics, which is almost perfect, reaches each member of the audience with the same full volume, regardless of the ticket price paid. You might not get the best view of the centre stage, but the sound will be awesome! You can still enjoy the many other beautiful elements of the building too, like the decorations, chandeliers and many frescos. It is even said that the sound reaches its peak high above, where the cheapest standing places for seeing the performance are located. The theatre is the largest in South America, offering 2.500 seats and 500 standing spaces. It was built during the boom era of Argentina and keeps on surprising. The interior is decorated by marble brought in from various places in Europe and the statues of composers remind you the classic masters, humming their tunes in our ears. It has seven levels, with a beautiful president's lodge and the mayor's lodge, with some other regular lodges for the freshly widowed ladies, who were not allowed to enter such social places about a century ago. The lodges with thick iron bars allowed the ladies to enjoy the performance without getting evil looks as they've behaved out of character. A visit to the opera, ballet or a classical concert is a great gift you should give yourself before leaving Buenos Aires. The National Geographic estimates this is one of top three opera houses in the world and acoustically among five best concert places in the world. The price of tickets are varied, from 50 to 900 US dollars, and for a tourist visit of the place without an event being held would cost you only 180 pesos, which is more to our traveller's budget limitations. 

 

A part of Buenos Aires was already discovered and the next issue will reveal the rest, along with the cemetery of the famous people of Argentina, take you for a walk with an Empanados in your hand to see the most famous landmarks, such as the Obelisko, Casa Rosado and the congress square, where we'll taste the liquid goodness of local wines.