How to Have the Greatest Adventure in Buenos Aires, Argentina

The first steps I took out of Ezeiza Airport were met with sunshine and warmth that my Chicago-dwelling self was not used to. When I hosted the girl who I later lived with in Buenos Aires, she told me how their fall season (March-May) was colder than their summer season (December-February). However, the Argentine sun shone true, and no matter what when you travel to this beautiful country, it will likely not be colder than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

One of the most memorable things I experienced in Argentina was a gaucho experience in San Antonio de Areco. The day began with hopping on your desired horse, riding through the ranch and lush fields, and eventually returning to a feast of different meats that were incredibly fresh and unique to the country. There was also the option to stay overnight in a bed-and-breakfast style place, which included a pool in the back and various cats and dogs living outside to keep adorable company. The home-style building itself was a work of art architecturally, and the people there were so kind and understanding towards the questions I had. Did I mention they had endless empanadas?

Another place to visit is the Boca neighborhood. As seen in the picture above, it consists of a few blocks filled with colorful homes, storefronts, and contains streets that boast a wide variety of vendors ranging from jewelry to clothing to empanadas. Although it can be described as one of the more dangerous neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, as long as you keep your belongings close to you, there's no danger at all.

What I also loved about Buenos Aires is the architecture. The buildings downtown are so unique, and the white bridge in Puerto Madero is a sight to see and wonderful to walk across. La Casa Rosada, the Pink House, is also a marvel. It is the home of Argentina’s president. However, tours of the inside are available and highly recommended if you want to see the awesome and insanely intricate structure within (also the fact that it’s so luxurious made me want to sign up for government that day. Sadly, still no Pink House for me).

If you like history and women’s rights, the Evita Perón museum is just for you. It is a quaint building in the middle of the neighborhood and contains the life story of Evita Perón, including her fight for women's right to vote in Argentina and how she won that fight. Another great Evita spot is her tomb in Recoleta. Not only does that cemetery have huge neighborhood-like tombs that could get a person lost, but also one can see Evita’s black marble tomb which visitors never fail to give fresh flowers to.

The next topic of discussion is the food. If I mentioned empanadas a lot in this story, I’m sorry, but they are simply the most delicious food I have ever tasted. They can have various meats inside, such as steak or chicken, and are so commonly eaten that my host family made them right at home. They are what I miss the most about Argentina; the doughy exterior and surprising inside filled with anything you can imagine; my mouth is watering right now for more. Another great eat in Argentina are milanesas. They are similar to breaded steaks, and they are long and thin but rich with flavor. The Milanesa House is a great place to eat if you love all things milanesa. They can come with various toppings too. Mine had egg on it, and it was DELICIOUS.

The final thing I’m going to talk about might not be as easy to attain as a visit to the rest of these places. If you want to go to Argentina but are worried about lodging, try and have a host family let you stay at their place! Living with a different family for a week was odd at first because of the different routines and all (one being them eating dinner extremely late. At one point I was falling asleep at the dinner table), but by the end, I was crying as I hugged my host mom and promised her I would be back. The bonds you make internationally are somehow stronger than some bonds at home because there is always a promise to visit or return to each other. It’s a beautiful thing to experience a different culture firsthand, and I would not have traded that experience for the world.