Tango, Leather and Steak

It was a 10 hour direct flight, leaving New York's JFK at 10 pm, and landing at around 8 am in Buenos Aires (BA is 2 hours ahead with our daylight savings time). November is springtime in Buenos Aires, a temperate 55-75F. Perfect weather for strolling, shopping, and eating at outdoor parrillas or grills, capping the eveing with tango.

Now let's go over that again, one by one.

Buenos Aires is a great place to explore on foot. Our hotel, Melia Buenos Aires, was strategically located in the heart of the downtown area, along Reconquista. The street is lined by one outdoor cafe after another, serving everything from empanadas to steaks, with even a couple of Irish Pubs thrown in for variety. Handy corner groceries to stock up on bottles of agua mineral at 1/4 the price of the ones in your hotel room.

The hotel itself is quite good value for the money. Courteous staff, full amenities, and a buffet breakfast included in the $190/night. Unlike some of the smaller hotels, local tours pick up at our hotel lobby, which means you do not have to walk to another hotel or meeting point should you want to take a tour. Melia is sort of a european Hilton. We have stayed at Melia hotels from the Dominican Republic to Marbella and have never been unhappy.

A 3-hour city tour by bus is a good way to get your bearings, and figure out which parts of the city to explore in more detail later. You knock off the few "must see" sights like the Casa Rosada, with its balcony made famous by Juan and Eva Peron (and later, Madonna). It also gives you the opportunity to visit farther, esoteric but less safe neighborhoods that you would probably not want to have a go at on your own. The quaint La Boca district, with its local handicrafts and colorful streets, is the poorest sector of Buenos Aires. On the other extreme is the port district, with a row of renovated warehouses now hosting expensive stores and restaurants.

A couple of blocks from the hotel is Calle Florida, the city's main shopping district. On the weekends, it transforms into a lively outdoor market reminiscent of Barcelona's La Rambla. Leather is the main attraction. Bags, shoes and especially jackets. Choose a reputable store (yes, there's quite a bit of lesser quality leather usually employing hawkers to lure you in), and your custom tailored jacket will be waiting for you delivered to your hotel for no extra cost. Prices are unbelievable, starting at around $200 for good quality calfskin. Don't forget, you get a 17% tax refund at the airport (with a much more user friendly method than on EU countries, too).

Want to venture further? Taxis are aplenty, and for less than 20 pesos (5USD), you can be dropped off in a part of the city you choose, each with its own unique character.

The Recoleta neighborhood is beautiful place to spend the afternoon. Named for the original Recoleta monastery, it is also home to the Recoleta cemetery, where Evita's remains can be found in the Duarte family mausoleum. The neighborhood is brimming with elegant european architecture, flowered balconies, upscale clothing and shoe stores (Uru Recoleta and Guido, respectively, for instance), cafe's and heladerias.

San Telmo is an antiquing paradise. At the very center is Plaza Dorrego, where on Sunday an outdoor antique fair is held. Calle Defensa is the main street of (costlier) antique shops, but venture into the indoor market and smaller shops, and there are plenty of bargains to be found.

In the middle of the plaza, while you sip your cafe, there is frequently a tango show to take in. There are a number of places for basic tango lessons if that's what floats your boat. A Tango Dinner/Show is also a nice way to spend an evening. It is usually a two hour dinner affair, followed by a 1.5-2 hour show. There are a number of these to choose from, and can be booked through the hotel, or in advance by your agent.

Last, but not least, is BEEF. Argentina is definitely beef country. Forget about your tofu, white meat, or your other white meat. The average Argentine eats close to 150 pounds of beef yearly (just as the average male Czech drinks about 50 gallons of beer per year. Interesting facts you tend to pick up.). Argentinians take pride in their parrillas, and it is hard to go wrong with tender, choice beef grilled to perfection. There are a number of more posh restaurants you can make reservations at through your concierge, but many of the best places are the lesser known, and less expensive, neighborhood joints frequented by the locals. A lot of the fun is in discovering them. Just as in any strange city, don't be afraid to ask a stranger!

What? You don't feel comfortable doing that? Let's just put it this way... after you buy your leather jacket and the helpful sales lady (by the way, they work on commission) asks "is there anything else I can help you with?" just say... "Yeah, where can I get a really good steak?" ;)

Some links:

Our Hotel
Leather shopping
And more shopping
Tango
Mas Tango
Argentine Beef