My upcoming holidays are making me happy
Avenida Cabildo, one of the major arteries of Buenos Aires
It’s hard to believe that I’ve been living in Buenos Aires for 5 months now. So much has happened yet I’m surprised with how normal it all seems. There are days where I’m bored out of my mind and then there are those where I’m exhausted from the energy of the city.
President Cristina Fernandez instituted several new holidays during the month of February and I plan on taking advantage of her generosity. For mid-February I have organized a trip to San Rafael in the province of Mendoza. I am renting a house for four nights with a pool. Isn’t that cool? I plan on relaxing, reading, writing and of course, visiting world famous vineyards in the Napa Valley of Argentina. In case you’re not familiar, Mendoza is the largest wine producing area in Latin America with over 800 wineries.
In addition to Mendoza, I’m also planning a trip to Colonia, Uruguay and Iguazu Falls later in the same month. While touring Iguazu I plan on staying at this hostel that I read about on the Time Travel Turtle’s blog. These trips ensure that I have lots of photos and stories to post on my blog which makes me a happy man.
Now that you are updated on my near-future plans have a look at some of the photographs I took this morning during my coffee run.
I live on Cuba and Congreso, a mere 2 minute walk to Avenida Cabildo where I catch the subte
This is the exterior of the apartment building where I am staying in Buenos Aires
People like the boy you see to your right are know as los cartoneros, and they wander throughout Buenos Aires collecting cardboard in exchange for a few pesos
Frida Kahlo ristorante
Graffiti is everywhere in Buenos Aires
I love the houses in Argentina
nice shot
Thanks. I’m trying to improve my photography skills.
The house is cute! :>
It is cute isn’t it? I love the homes in this country, they’re unlike anything back home in Toronto.
Anything called “the Napa Valley of Argentina” could NOT be a bad place…
Have fun — I’m WAY jealous. Cheers! (or rather, Salud…right?)
Close, “Saludos’ is more like it! Thanks for the comment.
Haha. I’m so silly. I just read this over and realized that you were right, it’s Salud. I thought you meant Saludos which is regards. My brain takes a nap often.
Very nice camera work. Great colors. Thanks for sharing. Connie
http://7thandvine.wordpress.com/
Thank you. I like photography despite my lack of skill!
Hello fellow Canadian Expat! Great pics and awesome post! Just dropping you a comment to say I’m also Canadian expat who grew up in Niagara Falls but now lives in Sardinia. Wishing you happy travels. Congrats on Freshly Pressed.
Hi Jennifer, thank you for the comment! I’m over the moon with Freshly Pressed!
Yeah, Argentina is a beautiful country isn’t it? I’m a bit biased because I’m an Argentinian myself and have lived here for all my life, but whatever
I’ve been to Buenos Aires like four or five times. Though I wouldn’t like living there because the city is kind of insecure, and you come across strikes all the time, and the traffic is insoportable and all of that, I love visiting it for a few days. There’s so much history there, beautiful shops in Palermo, great theatres and design… Well, I think you might never get bored there. I live in Villa María, a small city in the province of Córdoba. Have you visited or thought to visit las sierras de Córdoba? They are wonderful, you shouldn’t miss it 
Congrats on being freshly pressed y un abrazo grande che!
Thank you so much for your comment. I love Argentina, even though I complain about it often.
I love BA but haven’t been there for a few years. Your photos spark some nice memories. Thanks.
No problem! I’m glad I could help.
That house is amazing! Great photos. Have a fun vacation, although the fact that you’re living in Argentina right now kind of makes this a vacation on top of a vacation. Hey! Save some for the rest of us!
Thank you for your funny comment. I admit it, I’m having a vacation on top of a vacation. I’m greedy! I want more.
Oooh…I think I need to add Buenos Aires to my list of Future Vacation Places.
Beautiful photos!
You won’t regret it!
My wife and I were in BsAs this time last year, so many great memories. We had an appartment in Palermo Hollywood which if you’ve not been is a really cool part of town. Around the corner from there is an area called Las Canitas and is worth checking out and if you’re not yet bored of steak be sure to check out el Primo. If the steak is getting too much then go see Constant at A Nos Amours (tell him Craig says Hi!)
Hey, I’m in Las Canitas and Palermo Hollywood almost daily, both great areas. I live in Belgrano, next to subte linea D. Sadly I’m a vegetarian and don’t eat meat, not even fish, so I have had to abstain from famous Argentine dishes! But I will check out A Nos Amours and say hi for you! Thanks for the comment.
Hi Franco, nice shots! I remember seeing that house, but then again there are many similar houses in Buenos Aires -I’m guessing those are from the 80s, I can see the neon lights even if they’re not there-. Anyways, I’ve lived in Buenos Aires for a couple of years, and I’m happy to see you’re enjoying the city
Hey, have you tried “Natural Deli”? It’s an amazing vegetarian restaurant and market (natural-deli.com), I’ve only tried the one in Recoleta because it was a few blocks from my place but I think there’s one in Las Cañitas. Have a nice time in Mendoza! (and be careful, you might fall in love with Uruguay)
Hi Gisele, thank you for the wonderful comment. I haven’t tried Natural Deli yet, at least I don’t think I have. It’s hard to keep track sometimes!
Ah so you know them, its a cool part of town.
If you need to unwind I can highly recommend the eco yoga park about an hour or so outside of BsAs. Its run by hare krishnas, you have to work the land for a few hours in the morning and you get the afternoons off. Yoga two or three times a day and lots of veggie food. We spent just shy of two weeks there and had a blast, meeting some wonderful people in the process.
http://crashwilliams.wordpress.com/2011/03/23/eco-yoga-park-buenos-aires/
http://crashwilliams.wordpress.com/2011/03/19/eco-views/
When I lived in Chile my boss was from Buenos Aires. He used to say “Do you know what I love about Chile? It’s like a little Argentina!”
I loved Chile and would also love to visit Argentina. Thanks for sharing your photos and experiences.
You should check Argentina out most definitely. But live here. Always the best!
It has become one of my dreams to travel to Argentina!. Nice pictures. It looks fun
I wish i could travel around the world… but… no money :’(
You would be surprised at how little money you need!
Love the pictures! Thanks for the little insight into Argentina, I plan on visiting Cordova in the summer and anything about Argentina will help a lot!
Thank you. There are a lot of great travel blogs about Argentina in the blogosphere!
Awesome shots!
Thank you!
It looks lovely and warm there! Are your pics from a cell phone?
No I use a Canon Rebel.
I love your pictures! I can’t wait to visit Buenos Aires one day. Thanks for sharing!
No problem. Thanks for reading!
I’m so excited for you! I lived in Mendoza for 3 months (about 5 years ago) and LOVED it. Such a beautiful place. While in Argentina, I took a trip out to Iguazú and stayed in the hostel you mentioned, thought I don’t remember there being a pool. It was May, so I may have overlooked it. At the park, I recommend doing the big tour (via boat, gigantic atv, and then under the falls). It was incredible! When I got home it was my mission to tell everyone about how amazing it was and try to get them out there. Look out for the overly friendly coatis and have fun!
Such great positive feedback from someone who has been there. Thank you, I can’t wait!
Las fotos me da ganas de mudarma a B.A.
son muy buenas
That was a great ride I wish there was more of the water and nightlife activities, but that’s fine I want to go.
Ride?
When I went to Iguazu last summer (well, summer in the USA), we went on a long nature walk through the jungle, keeping quiet in hopes of spotting coatis and monkeys. After at least an hour of nondescript birds, we were thrilled to have spotted a couple of monkeys far off from the trail. We got back to the visitor’s center and found were dozens of coatis and several capuchins, crawling all over the place grubbing for food. In any case, the falls are absolutely stunning, and the coati antics are great amusement. Have fun!
Had to check out the other Freshly Pressed blogs from today!!
It’s always a good idea to support other bloggers!
Like an Argentinean having been born in BA. Yes I´m a “Porteño” actually I´m living in the outsides of the Capital City, like you said it´s a beautiful city! I also have an italian citizenship, I lived in Spain, Italy and Germany for working during more than 2 years. And I returned too soon, I really missed that BA noise!
Great pictures hope u´ve enjoyed it!
Now Mendoza, I´ve visited Mendoza 3 times, it´s one of the most beautiful province in Arg. there you have all! I recommend 2u not to forget to visit Las cuevas, Uspallata and the San Martin Park they are great places to breath the most fresh air in the world!
I´ll be waiting for your Mendoza´s pictures!!
I can’t wait to get to Mendoza and document my experience. Thanks for reading and commenting.
My favorite photo is the one you took with the fish eye lens. Always wanted to go to Buenos Aires. Hope you got a chance to go a Astor Piazzolla homage type concert.
Thank you for reading and commenting. It means a lot to me!
I look forward to visiting B.A., and this serves as a great reminder. I wish the US and Argentina could waive that $140USD entry fee and that flights could be well under $1000. Do you have plans to stay longer? It is a good idea to buy up a small parcel of land there in case the political and economic balance tips too much further in the North. All the best – “tarotworldtour”
I know nothing about land! But thanks for reading.
Don’t cry for me Argentina, I will come to you ASAP
It’s a beautiful country.
Wow, lovely photos! It’s one of my dreams to travel to Buenos Aires! Thanks for sharing
Thank you for reading.
HAhahaa,,,cool u’ve spent 5 months there, and u suppose to drop by here in Jakarta, Gravity is everywhere too.. some of them are so artificial some of them are crap. i like fish eye lens u used!
http://lookatme3.wordpress.com/?ref=spelling
Thanks for reading!
Awesome post..
Awesome comment!
How beautiful! added on my wanderlust list!
I’m glad you liked it!
My goodness, your pictures remind me of my holiday last year. We had the time of our lives. I couldn’t believe I even watched a soccer match. Thanks mate
No problem I’m glad you liked it!
I so need to go on holiday….these pics look gorg. Wish I could take pics like these.
I am learning as I go. It takes time to develop just a little bit of skill.
Seriously make me want to travel to south america next
Do it, you won’t be disappointed. I promise.
Since you mentioned the cartoneros, you should know about Librería Elisa in La Boca. It’s a cooperative where the cartoneros can get a couple centavos more for their cartón, and the cardboard is then turned into covers for books and the books are published right there. Most of the books are out-of-print or by local authors and poets. It’s SUPER interesting, I wish I could tell you what street it’s on but it’s worth hunting around for if you have an hour or so to wander around that part of town. ¡Saludos!
That sounds super interesting indeed. I’ll research about it.
wonderful pictures!
i love south america
Thanks. It’s definitely a different place from what I’m used to.
You should definitely go on the Graffiti tour in Palermo. When I was there last summer it was by far the coolest thing I did. There is also a midnight bike tour of the graffiti. Check it out: http://graffitimundo.com/
Hey, I did the San Telmo Art Walk which was cool, and considered GraffitMundo. Maybe later, down the road! Thanks for commenting.
My son spent a glorious four months in Belgrano, BA’s “leafy neighborhood,” a few years ago and loved it. Hope you enjoy yourself; sounds wonderful.
Belgrano is a great barrio. I’m glad I settled here. I appreciate the comment. Thanks.
Hi, Franco !!
Nice photos. If you are a vegetarian, I image you eat pizza.
Try this:
http://www.guiaepicureo.com/cocina/pizza/el-cuartito/
Ask for a fugazzeta and at least “una porción de fainá”.
I hope you enjoy it.
Alejandra, an Argentinian expat in Barcelona.
I will check it out! Thanks.
Hermosas fotos, bienvenido a Argentina!
Reblogged this on 10th Village.
Great, thank you!
amazing job! Great pictures!
Check also my blog http://thebaladofbrothers.wordpress.com/. Hope you find it interesting.
Why thank you and I’ll check out the link!
that is a nice article .. The snaps you clicked are good, keep up the good work. Even i have a wordpress blog, i will be happy if you visit me. my blog
Your comment and link are appreciated.
It’s great to see that Frida Kahlo’s influence spreads down that far south!
She was and still is an inspiration to so many.
Awesome post and photos! Thank you for sharing!
…following your blog…
Thank you! I’ll follow yours as well!
Nice shots – what kind of camera do you have? I’m another Canadian ex-pat (although I’m home for a bit now) I was living in Costa Rica and then the Republic of Georgia – would love to see South America! Looks really nice
Thanks. I use a Canon Rebel. You should check out South America at some point. It’s worth it.
Nice photos. Been to BA twice…one of my favorite towns.
Little Earthquakes, like Tori’s debut album? Good name.
Hey, I’m also living in Buenos Aires (originally from US)! I’ve been thinking to either go to Mendoza for the upcoming holidays or Santiago. Will be looking forward to your upcoming posts!
How long have you been living here? As a wine lover, Mendoza is a must for me! I like your blog!
I’ve always wanted to travel to Buenos Aires so I’m looking forward to hearing more about your adventures and getting some ideas of what to do if I ever make it south. I hope you enjoy your time there and wherever else you go!
If you get the chance to make it here, do it! Ask me anything, I will do my best to help! Thanks for commenting.
Great synopsis of your daily life in Buenos Aires. One line in particular stood out for me, because it described exactly how I felt during my time in this city: “There are days where I’m bored out of my mind and then there are those where I’m exhausted from the energy of the city.” Spot on.
Enjoy BsAs and congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!
By the way, I stayed in Hostel Inn Iguazu when I went to Iguazu Falls in December, 2011 and loved it! Great staff, good food, and a beautiful pool. Have a wonderful time there.
Hi Meghan, thank you for the support and for commenting. The boredom can be suffocating at times, but then so can the plethora of activities. If there is one thing I have learned from the Porteños it is patience!
I was in Buenos Aires when i was a kid, really enjoyed it! your post brought back some memories. Thank you
I’m glad you liked it.
Terrific shots! I especially like the painted houses in the areas.
They’ve perfected the painted house. Canadians should take note.
This post makes me so jealous! That’s it, I’m definitely making it a goal to become an expat just so I can live in fascinating new places for a reason.
Sounds like a good plan!
A Hidden treasure of a hotel in Buenos Aires. I was there last November. Just grand http://racodebuenosaires.com.ar/Ing/Home.htm
Thanks for the suggestion it may help those planning a trip to BA.
I’ve just up loaded my first blog about a fishing adventure to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. We stopped over in Buenos Aires and thoroughly enjoyed the friendliness of the people, the best steaks on the planet and the Malbec grape from, as you say, the Mendoza region. Even the eclectic architecture had a charm about it.
However, I do think Buenos Aires should market itself differently. Everything seemed to pivot around visiting the cemetery. As your post implies, thers’s a lot more to Buenos Aires then that.
I enjoyed the post thanks.
essexexpat.com
I think BA is one of those places, muck like my hometown Toronto, that you have to spend a lot of time in to get an authentic experience. Recoleta cemetery is great, but there is a lot more to BA than Eva Peron’s tomb! I’m glad you had a good time while here though.
entertaining pics… i miss travelling. T_T
http://travellersdiningdepot.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/welcoming-the-year-of-the-water-dragon/
Thank you for sharing!
Superb, It;s really nice…………………
Thank you.
THE SHOTS ARE SOO GOOD!
and the place is cool… I wish I could go there someday.
Well thank you very much. If you ever get a chance to go, Buenos Aires is waiting.
Amazing !
No, you’re amazing.
I would love to visit Argentina
You should then. You won’t be disappointed.
Making me miss BA – definitely really looking forward to going back there soon!!
DO IT! Thanks for the comment.
What a nice blog! Well my husband and I are planning a trip to Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls, in November, but … we were somewhere hesitating.. BA or River cruise on the Rhine.?.. not the same I know.. reading your post I go back to Argentina, first..
I am Italian, one of my old friends, loved the country,very much, feeling ‘ at home’. He even wanted to move there with its family, so since then I have this idea in the back of my mind that I should go visit.just for that, even more now reading your lines ..Thanks for the inspiration and congratulations!
Thank you. Argentina is a lovely country, different than anything I’ve ever know.
Love the shots. It looks like a beautiful country.
val
http://valentinedefrancis.wordpress.com
It really is. Thank you.
What can I say?
I just love what you did and the way you did it, an Argentinean myself!
Thanks!
Please check my blogs loniduekart.wordpress.com for art and paintings
and
menotspeakenglish.wordpress.com
Thanks
I’ll check out your links and thanks for commenting on my blog.
We are going to Buenos Aires in a few weeks so I had to see what you had to say on your blog. I also enjoyed reading other blogger comments. Sounds like Iguazu Falls is something we should see. The city, and especially the weather, will be big change for us here in Kentucky.
I visited Buenos Aires a few years ago…it was a wonderful trip and can’t wait to go back again. Thanks for sharing!
I love Buenos Aires! I have considered moving so many times, but I don’t know how hard it would be to find a job there.
May I ask what are you doing over there and how good your spanish is?
I teach English part-time travel the rest. My Spanish is not the best but I can get by. I should make more of an effort to learn.
I too am trying to improve my photography skills. Greta shots.
I really like this post. Those of you who want a daily dose of literature and everything in between, come check out my blog @ http://thedailydoseofliterature.wordpress.com/
I love the fisheye lens street crossing photograph…gives a real sense of the place. Good Job !
Hi,
Love your photos.
I’m really interested in life in Argentina.
How’s teaching English in Buenos?
My own Latin American dream has just been postponed so I’m enjoying vicariously living through yours.
Thanks. I try taking good photos but rarely succeed. Teaching English in BA is probably the worst part about living here to be honest. I’m lucky because I have really good students, but the institutes see teachers as a conduit to money, and that’s about it. Also if your students cancel classes, you don’t get paid. It’s definitely hard to budget for the month but you can survive here on very little. I’ll send you an email later with more details. Even though teaching isn’t as stable as I would like it, this has been a fabulous experience and I recommend it to everyone!
Were you drunk when you took the second photo from the top?
Haha. That’s hilarious. I’m usually drunk anyway though, so it’s a safe bet to assume.
Haha! You sound like a fun travel companion.
I hope we’ll bump into each other one day.
feels like being there. i love to travel, and i hopefully will.
Thank you.
http://wp.me/p280b7-2P
very nice photographs..
TechSmartLife
Why thanks!
Beautiful photos (I am a WordPress photoblogger as well)
I love the colors and descriptions.
Your comment is much appreciated. I’m a novice, but I try.
I’m your neighbor across the Andes. I’ve been in Santiago, Chile on and off for the past three years. I’m sort of in visa limbo land now and I have to make a border run to Bs As soon. Poor me
Nice pictures.
Yes indeed, poor you!
Add missing “e”, please!
Done!
Nice blog! I love reading about other expats and their experiences…it makes me feel less weird
Hoping to get to South America in the near future, and you certainly make it seem wonderful.
I’m glad I give that impression. Thanks for commenting on my blog post.
Very cool! I’ve traveled to Argentina before (while living in Brazil), but never went to that city. Beautiful pictures! Have a great week!
Buenos Aires is a unique place to visit. Thanks for the comment and have a good week too.
Argentina is on my bucket list. Nice pics, btw.
Gracias.
Really great post and excellent photos. Argentina is one of the places I want to visit really badly. Stop by and say hi,
http://saltpepperbrilliant.wordpress.com/
It’s worth a trip to BA. I promise you.
I am really enjoying your blog about your travels through Argentina. During my first two years at UT Austin, I studied abroad in Córdoba. Such a wonderful country to spend time in, and certainly less experience than the Europe study abroad I was considering before.
Ahhhh. Córdoba, I have heard great things about, as well as Rosario. I will try and fit those excursions into my very light schedule! Thank you for reading and commenting.
I lived there for ten years! Enjoy it, it’s absolutely beautiful and the most life I have ever seen in a place. Go to the river a lot and enjoy the sunny skies! Best of luck
Ten years! Wow! I can’t help but think how many bodies are in the river! But I go often. Thanks.
Nice pictures! I enjoy reading your post while I was drinking mate! http://www.anaslense.wordpress.com
I’m glad, although I’ve never gotten into drinking mate. I should try harder.
I really need mate to survive (at least twice a day)
My father was from Argentina; I had the good fortune of traveling there and staying for long periods of time; I even went to school for a year and it was a wonderful experience. It’s true what they say about Buenos Aires being the Europe of South America. I’m a native New Yorker and I have to say that when it comes to a “Melting Pot”, Buenos Aires has nothing to envy New York. You have everything, from Teatro Colon, to Calle Florida, the French style cafe’s. I miss Argentina, Cordoba is beautiful, and Bariloche for skiing is amazing, but the best part of Buenos Aires are the people, everyone is friendly, you make friends easily, over a delicious Argentinean pizza pie and a glass of wine…I’m due for a trip!!!!
I agree that there are a lot of great things about BA. An unfortunate aspect of living here is that crime is very high and Argentines have a very casual attitude about preventing it. I was pick-pocketed a couple of weeks ago and when I told my porteños friends they behaved as though I deserved it. I just read that in San Telmo alone there have been over a dozen robberies at gun point over the last couple of days. I do love this country, but in terms of quality of life Canada will always be my home.