Buenos Aires

Having lived in a metropolis like Chicago, we love our big cities. We love the subway and the crowds, even the weird smells and crazy characters. We've had some cities we've really loved during our last 10 months travelling - Medellin, Cartagena, Cuenca - but until now we have yet to run into a truly exceptional, real metropolis.

Buenos Aires is everything a big city should be. It's diverse, beautiful, sprawled, and full of life and culture. There's a busy downtown business center and some really cool neighborhoods filled with character. It has a strong European influence and has great cafes, bakeries, restaurants, bars, and clubs. It's really, at the end of the day, a lot like Chicago and it's been great to pass the time in a place that feels both foreign and familiar.

In addition to it's familiarities Buenos Aires has unique characteristics as well. It's one of the world's Tango capitals and there are both those who dance on the street on a 5x5' platform and pose for pictures with tourists and there are the "real" tango clubs called "Milongas," where there's no sign outside, the real dancers show up, and the party gets started late.

The food is incredible, particularly the traditional Argentine Parrilla, the bakeries serving amazing sweets, the artisan ice cream, and the variety of international foods on offer. We are possibly leaving several pounds heavier than when we arrived but full of steak, sausage, and ice cream so you won't hear any complaints.

More than anything, there's just a great big city vibe here: wide avenues, big parks, great museums, and that big-city feel that we haven't found since Mexico City.

Here are some of our BA highlights:

- Staying in the character-rich neighborhood of San Telmo and the Sunday arts fair here
- Watching the outdoor Milonga for tango in the plaza
- Sipping on coffees in cafes, artisan ice cream in the park, and the best steak of our lives at a hole-in-the-wall local favorite
- Hanging out late with our local musician friend, Diego (who we met on our Panama-Colombia boat trip)
- Watching the horse races in San Isidro and losing our US$2.50 because "Stray Cat Blues" is slow as hell
- Wandering off the tourist trap blvd in historic La Boca to see the colorful neighborhood and avoid being asked to eat something, drink something, or take a picture of a "tango" dancer

Northward we go. Another 20+ hour bus trip. Sounds fun eh?