On Monday you could hear Hugo Chavez recounting this or that rebellion. On Thursday, Evo Morales might be caught outlining the merits of his brand of socialism.  Or over the weekend you might read that one of the Kirchners was embroiled in a new scandal with old colonial powers.

These stories may emerge first before the traveler, as they did for me, and remind us that this is a place where history still lives, challenging conceptions of peace and war.  Perhaps you’ll get past it and let the daily routine take hold.    We can draw a blind eye to greater issues, but this only allows the smaller ones to seep through.   For me, I couldn’t help but notice the things that usually go unnoticed, that are so easily taken for granted.  The doors, the portals to the culture in which I wander, have begun to amaze me.

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Through photographs, original artifacts, videos, and quotes, the museum depicts Evita’s short life, beginning with her early poverty filled childhood in a Buenos Aires province. Once a teenager, Evita traveled to Buenos Aires to not only escape poverty but to also pursue an acting career. From here she gained great success as a radio actress and even had a short film career.

Walking through room after room we learn of Evita’s relationship with Juan Peron and her move into politics as the First Lady of Argentina. From a poor childhood with no formal education, and coming right out of an acting career, she had her fair share of critics but quickly became a popular figure in Argentina. With her own money, Eva started the Eva Peron Foundation in 1948. Through a video, we learn of the many beneficial programs Evita initiated for Argentine citizens in need. She also had a great impact on women in politics, with a strong role in gaining Argentine women the right to vote.

In 1951, Evita was diagnosed with cancer and died a year later at the young age of 33. A video goes into detail of the people’s mourning, her memorial, missing corpse, and final resting place in Recoleta Cemetary in Buenos Aires. Her grave is always covered in flowers, showing that even to this day Evita remains a powerful icon and influence for the Argentine people.

Museo Evita is located at Lafinur 2988 in Palermo. Admission is AR$12, and it’s open Tuesday – Sunday from 11am – 7pm. The museum also holds a gift shop, library, and restaurant, all with different hours. Definitely worth a visit!

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One of the most visited tourist spots in Buenos Aires is also an oasis of tranquility in the midst of one of the city’s more popular nightspots. After all, it can’t get any quieter than being surrounded by the dead.

Located on 1760 Junín, in what used to be the garden of the Our Lady of The Pilar church, the Recoleta Cemetery was inaugurated as the first public graveyard of the city back in 1822. Decades later, after a restoration and with the opening of the much larger graveyards located in Chacarita and Flores, Recoleta became the posh cemetery: the “it” place to be and be seen in your afterlife if you were a VIP during your life time.

Nowadays, one way to get into this burial ground is as a visitor but, if you want to remain there for good, you can only do it if you belong to one of the families that own one of the 4,870 graves already built there.

Just a few feet within the entrance, visitors are greeted with a not often seen panoramic view: a landscape made of stone, trees and some of the most important surnames in Argentina’s history.

You can either take one of the guided tours – Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 a.m. for English speakers, Fridays at 11 a.m. in Portuguese and everyday except Mondays at 9, 10, 11 am and 2, 3 and 4 p.m. if you dare to keep up with a Spanish speaking guide- or do the tour on your own. Maps are sold in the entrance for four Argentinean pesos, and they will insure you against getting lost within the six blocks of halls and burial vaults.

The cemetery is a good way to see the chronology of what was going on in the Argentinean architecture when the graves were built, from neo classicism and art nouveau to XIX century trends with their angel statues, to more minimalist mausoleums made of marble, as the building dates get closer to our days.

Nevertheless, since this place was also used as a way for the upper class families to show off their status (and everybody knows us Argentineans love showing off) be prepared to behold a burial architecture extravaganza. Take the Dorrego family mausoleum for example, an epic construction that it’s hard to miss, located fifty meters at the right of the main road round about, with ornaments that make reference to passages from the New Testament in similar biblical proportions.

One of the most famous “inhabitants” of the cemetery is Eva Duarte de Perón, Argentina’s First Lady from 1946 until her death in 1952. After Evita’s body was recovered from an Italian graveyard where it was under a false name and traveled almost through half of Europe it was finally deposited in the Duarte family’s grave, where it still rests, in a simple dark marble burial vault located in a narrow hall a few meters from the cemetery wall that’s over Vicente Lopez street.

While some are notorious during their lifetimes and remain so after passing away, there are some that achieve celebrity because of the events that take place in their afterlife. That’s the case of Rufina Cambaceres, an early XX century socialite that died the night of her 19th birthday from a stroke. Or at least that’s what everybody thought. According to the urban legend, not long after the young girl was buried in the Recoleta cemetery, the night keeper found her coffin opened and seriously damaged. The official version dictated it was made by grave thieves. But her mother, an upper class widow (known for being president Hipólito Yirigoyen’s mistress at the time) was convinced that her daughter had suffered a catalepsy attack, a disease in which the victim presents all of symptoms of being dead when still alive. And 106 years later, the statue that she ordered to be placed in Rufina’s burial vault still stands reminding us so: a young woman grabbing the door knob, as trying to get inside the grave, or preparing to leave, it’s hard to tell.

Speaking of leaving, the cemetery closes at 6 p.m., after which only the local cats remain wandering the alleyways of the Recoleta Cemetery. If you’d rather not join them on the night watch, head for the entrance.

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The Spanish are said to have founded Buenos Aires here in San Telmo, where Park Lezama now stands. Altos de San Pedro Telmo, as the neighborhood was called in the 18th century, was home to Buenos Aires’ wealthy families. They built their mansions in the style of the French and Spanish – with courtyards and terraces and lengthy pasajes, courtyard passage ways, that often stretch through an entire city block.

In 1871 an outbreak of yellow fever killed thousands of city residents and the aristocrats fled to higher ground, making Recoleta their new home. They left their fine architecture behind, and newly arrived immigrants moved in, turning mansions into tenement housing – conventillos. Today, San Telmo is a middle-class neighborhood in flux, with many longtime residents being slowly priced out as foreign investment continues to reshape the city.

Antique shops and art galleries lure tourists in to comb San Telmo’s streets in search of bohemian works of art and European craftsmanship at Argentine prices. The Feria de Antiguedades, held Sundays in the plaza, draws the biggest crowds and as it closes up its booths for the day, the mid-day fair is replaced by an evening of tango in the square.

There’s live music in many of the bars surrounding Plaza Dorrego and candombe drummers often perform in the street with dancers or other musicians. San Telmo is home to a few boliches as well as the occasional underground party, organized with live music and a small cover. Those parties are less common since 2004, when a fire in a nightclub took the lives of close to 200 people.

The tragedy sparked awareness of fire hazards in venues and resulted in the commercialization of nightlife with big, expensive boliches as the popular destinations. A mural in Park Lezama behind the merry-go-round acts as memorial in a neighborhood full of history and where the writing’s on the walls.

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ATG: I read a bit about your tour on your site and then had the opportunity to ride the A line for the first time. It’s such a great thing to do!

Alan: Yeah, the A Line is fantastic! I love the old wooden carriages. I’m sure in the US or the UK they wouldn’t let them run because of the fire risk. Luckily things are a little bit more easy going down here. And of course, the A Line makes me feel a little bit more at home, because it was built by the British.

Alan: Although in fact, they used Irish engineers. I’m half irish too, so I like to throw that fact in. I won’t go into how you can tell Irish engineers were used, otherwise everyone will think I’m a sad trainspotter.

ATG: Hows that? You’ve piqued my interest now…

Alan: Well, it’s to do with the gauge of the railway tracks. they are the Irish gauge, which a lot wider than the British gauge.

ATG: That’s cool.

Alan: Apparently the wider gauge helps with the stability of the trains when they go round corners. Not that there are many corners on Line A of the BA subway! But stability is something you want in a train system for sure.

ATG: What site do you think leaves the most lasting impression upon visitors? Is the A line a winner?

Alan: I’m not sure I should reveal my greatest secret… but I’ll give you a hint at what impresses people the most…

ATG: K, what’s that?

Alan: On my weekday tours I sneak us inside a tall building and take people up to its rooftop terrace for a view of Buenos Aires from above. Its a great view. But you’ll have to take my tour to find out where it is.

ATG: I will have to do that! How did you prepare your tours? Did studying philosophy play a role in prepping to be a tour guide?

Alan: Well, my tours don’t take much preparation these days because I give them so often that I know the route like the back of my hand and the facts and figures are all eternally etched into my brain.

Alan: I actually think the best preparation is making sure I am well rested so that I can put on a good performance. I think being a good tour guide is a little like being an entertainer… you have to perform well to keep people happy and interested over the full 3 hours.

Alan: There is always a mountain more to learn… which is why I always try to keep learning and discovering new things about Buenos Aires to help make my tours better. Even if you are the most informed tour guide in the world, there always comes a time when you have to do a little bit of bluffing for the occasional left-field question that comes at you.

ATG: What’s the most unusual request you’ve ever had from a tourist?

Alan: Show me a TELO. I didn’t oblige that one. I was engaged at the time. For the uninitiated, a TELO is the Argentine version of a love motel.

ATG: Besides inviting you to a Telo, what is something you’d like to dissuade your public from doing while they’re in Buenos Aires?

Alan: I really encourage tourists coming to Buenos Aires to avoid the bus tours. They herd you around to the different areas of the city like cattle. It’s like woooooosh there goes the Obelisk… did you see that? And then they throw you off the bus so you can spend 5 minutes in Recoleta cemetery, looking at Evita’s tomb and nothing more. Walking tours give you the chance to get up close and personal and to see things at a more relaxed pace.

We’d like to thank Alan for his time and his insight, it was great to get into the head of a great (and friendly!) Buenos Aires tour guide.  If you’d like to take one of Alan’s tours, then check them out here.  And don’t forget to tell him we sent you.  [Update: Alan's Cemetary tour was named "best Cemetary tour in the world" by The Guardian newspaper!]

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Close to the intersection of Avenida Entre Rios and Avenida Caseros, the jail is located in a tranquil part of southern Buenos Aires. In theory, Caseros Prison should no longer exist; it is a cruel reminder of the atrocities of the Dirty War. Political prisoners were held there during the military dictatorship and the survivers tell stories of the inhumane conditions and terror they were subjected to (up to 30,000 people “disappeared” during the last military dictatorship).

The government of Buenos Aires announced in March 2003 that “in 130 days the building is going to disappear.” However, because of legal issues and potential dangers associated with its demolition to the neighbors (among them two hospitals), the process is taking much longer than expected, and four years later the walls still stand.
Caseros Jail, which takes up two city blocks, contains the newer prison, which is being dismantled, and the old prison, which, dating back to 1870, is of great historical significance. There are many ways to get to the jail, as Caseros is a busy avenue. Among the options by bus are lines 101 from the center heading towards Parque Patricios and 28 from the southern suburbs of San Telmo and Barracas.

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Nothing much of interest was playing that hot summer night at our local movie Cinemaplex. But we could both agree to settle on a movie that had a picture of Richard Gere and lovely Jennifer Lopez on the billboard. It was called Shall We Dance.

I don’t like to dance but I don’t mind watching Mrs. (or is it Miss?) Lopez in tights. About half way through the movie I realized the degree of my wife’s enthrallment in Mr. Gere and the romanticized tale of Tango being presented in such a touching style. I was surprised when even I began to shed a tear at the end of the movie.

Tango. This was all my lovely wife could speak about. She researched it, rented tapes, bought shoes, and of course she made me sign up for tango lessons. To my disappointment, my tango teacher was not as exotic as Jennifer and I soon lost interest after my 4th class because I didn’t manifest into Richard Gere.

But my wife’s interest increased to the pitch of, “I want to go to Buenos Aires” on a daily basis. Finally I relented. A place I had never been, a language I had never spoken, and all because of a few dance steps I knew very little about.

I rented an apartment in San Telmo for 2 weeks at more than a third less than the cost of a hotel. After we paid the landlord, I unpacked and took a stroll around the neighborhood looking for tango. The first thing I noticed was the age of the architecture. It reminded me of the French Quarter in New Orleans. Wrought iron balconies and super sized windows. I saw about 5 interesting restaurants on my lap around my block as well as a few extraordinary women. I did not identify any immediate signs of tango but I kept seeing an old picture of a man that looked to be somebody famous and debonair.

The following day my wife and I went shopping for antiques and other unique items. We saw a sign for tango classes in a window and signed up for a 2 hour class at the price of $20 USD. The class was a living nightmare. Not only could we not understand what the teacher was explaining, we found the instructor to be very strict and rude. And the other students were taking it very seriously and laughed at us. It was a disaster and I swore I would never dance again.

The next day, as we wondered the cobblestone streets of the tango district, I saw a tango nightclub that was painted exotic colors and I bought 2 tickets for a show and dinner. This dinner had courses the size of free samples at our hometown grocery. And once the show began, I kept wondering where the rest of the band was. Were they out back smoking? The whole cast included 6 people. About half way through the show, the spotlight turned on us at and the MC began asking us questions in Spanish. I turned red and my wife and I felt very embarrassed as the crowd around us laughed at a joke we did not get.

Enough tango I told my wife. She suggested we take a city tour and found one in English for 20 pesos. This was her first good idea. I learned a lot that afternoon about Buenos Aires and the fascinating politics that could give most people whiplash. Our guide informed us about a Day Of Tango Tour that would guarantee a positive result and a deep look into the tango of Buenos Aires. I protested hard. My wife made a reservation anyway and at the last minute, I agreed to accompany her. Mostly due to fear about her dancing alone with Latin men.

This tour started out in a great café in the city. Then we walked through the old tango district and I finally learned about what I had been looking at the whole time. I learned who the man in the picture was, Carlos Gardel, and I discovered the history of the dance. Men created it and danced with each other in the beginning. They set the roles of women in a submissive stance thus making tango a manly dance. I could appreciate that.

We went to several areas of the city before we got to our tango lesson. We purchased tango shoes handmade at 1/3 of the cost of those in the US. Our teacher was very sweet and patient with us and as we danced, others began to join us. Amazing women about 30 years younger than me found themselves in my arms, looking up to follow my interpretation of the classic music. I got to kiss each one on the cheek after a 3-minute jaunt around the dance floor. Somebody put a tango hat on my head and my wife began taking pictures of my giant grin and me. It ended all too soon with more kisses and hugs and laughs. And I did indeed find that I had manifested into Richard Gere. Perhaps even a little better looking.

Well, the Day Of Tango Tour was paying off nicely. We went back to the hotel and changed into evening attire and were escorted to a historic restaurant where Carlos Gardel watched over us from his familiar pose in the black and white picture. We had the bife de chorizo and were glad we did. Then off to a real tango show. The kind I had expected to see. And after hearing about it all day, and learning the moves, I could really appreciate what I was witness to on the stage. The talent was incredible, and they were all so young. This time, the band was a proper band with a few accordion players who could really squeeze the thing into some expressive melodies. The music was great, the show was great, the day was fantastic and it all ended too soon.

Finally we had found tango in Buenos Aires, and had enjoyed ourselves immensely. When we returned home the first thing I did was sign up again for tango lessons and asked my wife, “Shall we dance?”

“Si!” she said.

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I showed up Thursday and checked out the booths of record labels, music sites, and production services. I came back and caught shows Saturday and Sunday night – each time the crowd had grown until Sunday night’s line was impenetrable and I skipped going into the warehouse and enjoyed the main outdoor stage in the park across the street. Los Pericos drew a huge crowd of all ages that spilled out into the street. I hung out next to a mom and three small kids bouncing around to trumpets and reggae rhythms.

BAFIM is to the BsAs rock scene, what a formal tango show is to the BsAs tango scene. It was commercial and well presented and gave a smattering of the art that lives in the local scene. To get it in its natural setting, you have to go to the cavernous venues that thrive throughout the city like Salon Pueyrredon, Unione, or your friendly neighborhood cultural center.

This is a city where gorgeous, old theater spaces and government parlor rooms become backdrops for mosh pits. Where Harrod’s of London went bankrupt and closed up shop and now the city uses the vacuous, chandeliered department store to host music and art shows. My own favorite is Ciudad Konex, a large warehouse, factory-turned-boliche. On Tuesdays Konex impresses with “Mr and Mrs Rock” on the outdoor stage, replete with swings and psychedelic projections. In the hub of Palermo nightlife, Niceto club sometimes hosts local bands and visiting groups from Brazil, Chile, and Colombia.

To discover your new favorite band, there are a few trusted sources for great underground happenings. The bimonthly publication “Wipe” keeps you in the know with music listings. Keep an eye out in Palermo for street flyers predicting the homemade parties that pop up in parilla back rooms and in bars off the beaten path. But, like in any other town, the best source is local word of mouth – so brush up on your Castellano and make friends with some Porteño rockers. Or skip the tango show and ask the guy at the hostel how to get to the local Centro Cultural.

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Dogs are not allowed within the park gates. You may wonder why they would ever ban dogs from a park – after all, they are man’s best friend. Although I was never given a full explanation behind this prohibition, I assume that the rule was made in an effort to more effectively conserve the gardens that they work so hard to maintain. And rightfully so. The park is beautiful and so full of greenery that the buildings in the background cease to exist. The paths zigzag through the unique vegetation and as the trees open up it is always a surprise to see what lies in the clearing ahead.

It could be a greenhouse. Beautiful plants are plentiful – in number and in variety of species. It could be a monument. The beautifully sculptured statues add to the tranquility and provide a piece of Argentina’s history as well. It could be a pond full of fish where the kids seem to concentrate due to the excitement of the underwater creatures. And it may even be a building. There aren’t many in the park but the ones that remain are stunning older buildings that have been conserved and transformed into historical landmarks. The most impressive building that sits in the center of the park doubles as a small art museum as well.

It is a relaxing and wonderful way to spend a few hours. And if the gardens really reach out to you, stop one of the park workers and ask them about gardening classes that are offered on demand. Botanical Garden seekers are typically looking for a quick nature fix and retreat, so everyone seems to appreciate the solitude and serenity of the park.

One group specially considers this park a sanctuary in the big city – the cats. The Buenos Aires felines have spent enough time in the area to realize that here they will not be bothered by their four legged rivals. They too respect the calm atmosphere of the park and most likely will not bother you; but around every corner, under every other tree, and in every piece of shade, you are more than likely to see a cat taking advantage of the “no dogs” regulation.

Botanical Gardens of Buenos Aires
Corner of Sante Fé Ave. & Las Heras Ave.
Palermo, Buenos AiresPalermo Park, the Buenos Aires Zoo, and the Japanese Garden are all nearby.

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From the streets of Buenos Aires, the beautiful adornments of Teatro Colon pull you in; but what lies inside the walls is even more incredible. The architecture is ornate and extremely detailed. Francesco Tamburini was the original Italian engineer who began construction on the building and left his blueprints, so that the building could eventually be completed.

The theatre opened its doors to the public on May 25th, 1908. This is just an intro to the complete history of the immaculate building that is explained throughout the tour by the well-informed guides. They share a story or a piece of history with you upon entering each new room and they are readily available to answer any questions that you have as well.

The first room you enter is the only one where cameras are allowed. The room and displays within are lit up with the constant camera flashes of the visitors attempting to capture the beauty of the location until the guides inform everyone that it is time to move on.

As we walked through the greeting room to the theatre I began to envision the beautiful building full of Argentina’s finest, dressed in their fancy gowns and tuxes. Our first view of the stage was from the balconies on the second level. Our guide pointed out the president’s box, where the orchestra plays, the stage level seating, and even the widow boxes hidden below.

Back when the theatre was first constructed those women who had been widowed were not supposed to be seen at a public event. These boxes were placed in the basement with metal caged windows that allowed the women to look out and see the stage; but prevented others from looking in. The presence of the stage and the beautiful decoration is incredible. In combination with the performers, the music, the audience, and the acoustics of the building, I can only image what it would be like to be sitting there on the night of an opera.

The tour also consisted of a behind the scenes view of the costume designers’ department, make up artists, storage rooms, preserved props, and even the dancers. In the basement the professional dancers of Teatro Colon were hard at work. Amidst the noise and disturbance of us theatre visitors, and the yells of their ever present dance instructor, they managed to stay focused and on task, performing beautiful dance moves.

The complete tour lasts for just over an hour and the experience is so good that it will make you consider a return trip in 2008, when the doors are reopened and the ballets and operas commence.

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