Buenos Aires is Buenos Aires, and comparing it to other cities is probably a mistake. Still, it's hard to avoid. Many people have observed that BA is like a combination of New York and Paris, but I recognize other cities as well!
Mate is a way of life here. It's consumed at all times of day, at work, at home, on the street, in the park. Traditionally, the mate is served in a hollowed-out gourd, but we've seen people drink from metal and even plastic containers.
It was our first weekend in Buenos Aires, and we were dying to experience true Argentine culture at its most pure. What better way, we reasoned, than head to China Town and check out the Chinese New Year celebrations?! Year of the Conejo, che.
Step into a time warp and a grab a table at El Cuartito: one of Buenos Aires' oldest and most popular pizzerias.
Argentinians are a famously literary people. In coffee shops, parks, on the bus and even while walking down city streets, their heads are often buried in a book.
Are 24 hours enough to become enamored of a new city? Well, Buenos Aires worked its magic quickly on us. After a long flight and a stressful process to get our dog through customs, we didn't get into our place until very late.
"What do you know about Buenos Aires?" That's the question posed to Barcelonan detective Pepe Carvalho at the beginning of Manuel Vázquez Montalbán's excellent crime novel Quinteto de Buenos Aires.
