My first four weeks have been over fast, and so is my time in Buenos Aires.
You might wonder why I stayed that long in one place. As you might have seen with my other posts (Montevideo, Puerto Madryn, and Iguazu), I used Buenos Aires as a hub to experience amazing things during the weekends. During the week, I still had to work a couple of days remotely. As this time is finally over, my real sabbatical is about to start.
Here are some official facts about Buenos Aires:
- It is the capital and most populous city of Argentina.
- It is located on the southeastern coast of South America, on the Río de la Plata estuary.
- It has a population of over 15 million people.
- It is the second-most populous city in South America, after São Paulo, Brazil.
- It is a significant economic and cultural center in South America.
- It is home to many universities, museums, and theaters.
- It is known for its European-style architecture, vibrant nightlife, and delicious food. (see my other post related to this.)
Some additional facts about Buenos Aires I experienced:
- The people rarely speak English, even the younger people… You need to have some basic Spanish skills or a good translation app on your mobile phone.
- Police Cars ALWAYS drive with blue signals on, no sirene, but always the entire light show. That might be a little bit confusing in the beginning 🙂
- Buenos Aires has an excellent public transport network with buses. In some areas in the city center, where bus lines are crossing, you might see 30 buses in just one view… even though the prices are pretty low. You must buy a SUBE-Card and charge it with money to use it on the bus (or subways). A 30-minute ride from the city center to the airport costs 60 pesos (not even 10 cents)
- I never felt unsafe in the city center… The “Policia de la Ciudad”, the “Policia Federal”, and some other kinds of securities are everywhere… though some streets are getting pretty empty during the night, so take care.
- Soccer is everywhere; they love soccer. Fans walking or driving in the direction of the stadium are not just loud; they are airplane-loud. Kids are playing soccer around, and you can buy Messi swag on every corner…
- BA is not a cycling city! Only rare cycling paths, but even if you make it to your destination, you don’t have any point where you can lock your bike. Even in front of prominent public buildings, i.e., the university, I couldn’t find a parking spot for a bike, so I had to use a fence… And my bike was the only one…
What did I do in Buenos Aires besides working?
The harbor area of BA is fantastic. You can sit in one of the many cafes, having a coffee in the afternoon or a steak in the evening, enjoying the sun and reading a book, or just doing nothing. Due to the timezone shift, I could finish my day around noon, so I was enjoying life in BA the rest of the day. Some of my activities have been:
- I was walking around and exploring the city. Some fantastic buildings, parks, mini lakes, and extensive shopping streets await you.
- It did some sport; CrossFit is pretty cheap in Argentina. Less than 10% of the German costs you have to pay here
- I ate a lot 😀
- I cycled once, but as mentioned above, BA is not a cycling city.
- I went to the Hippodrome to watch some horse races.
- I tried to get tickets for the Boca Junior: but it is impossible :/
Pictures of the harbour area
Extra worth mentioning: the most beautiful bookstore in the world, “El Ateneo Grand Splendid.” It’s worth to spend a walk there.
One special shout-out to Caminito!
Caminito is a street museum and a traditional alley in La Boca, a neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Its bright, colorful, full of live. It’s amazing to walk there and have dinner or a coffee. It’s also pretty alternative there; many artists in the city, Messis or Maradonas look alike.
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