Unlike a lot of place I go, I know quite a bit about Buenos Aires already. This is in part because of my childhood obsession with Evita (I love Andrew Lloyd Webber and I’m not ashamed!) but mostly because my handsome Argentinean-American boyfriend has not shut up about the place since we met.
This city is his second home, and he is incredibly eager to share it with me. According to Michael, Argentina has the very best steak, the best nightlife, the best ice cream and the best looking girls. I can’t say for sure yet about any of those things, but after a week in town, I do have some impressions:
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It’s HOT
I know we were arriving right in the middle of summer but damn you guys. Apartment hunting in 100 degree heat is brutal and the subway is like a toaster. As a result we haven’t really done much sightseeing yet- we’ve spent a lot of time laying like dead fish in front of the AC.
By the way, I’ve also noticed that if you complain about the heat to your friends back in the dead of winter at home, they don’t have much sympathy for the fact your face is melting off.
The Food is Epic
After the very repetitive menus of roast chicken, rice and beans up north in Ecuador and Colombia, Argentinean food is a real treat. I’m sure I’ll go on about it at length as a later date but my first week here I’ve gorged myself on empanadas, pizza, pastries and of course, steak. When I left Ecuador I had to buy a bikini because my old one was finally too big, now if I get out of this country weighing less than 300 pounds it will be a miracle.
Sophisticated People
The people here, as well as the atmosphere feels very much more European than South America. Everyone is super classy looking, stylish and THIN (which is a little puzzling considering what I wrote above). It’s just an entirely different vibe.
Ice Cream!
Mike didn’t lie on this one- the ice cream here is freaking amazing. And they sell it in giant liter tubs, for maximum pig-out-ossity. Dulce de Leche is of course a major favorite but there are crazy flavors too like Pineapple Champagne.
Evita
They really do love Evita here! It’s just like I imagined. I’ve had don’t cry for me Argentina stuck in my head all week, much to the annoyance of one Argentinian-American boy I know.
Shallow yes, but the good news is that after a week of running all over town, we’ve finally settled on a pretty sweet (11th floor! Inside BBQ!) apartment and rented it for the next two months. So prepare yourself for a slew of Buenos Aires articles!
