The heat wave in Buenos Aires persisted through our second week. We can handle warm temps, we did easily manage with 120+ degree days in the Grand Canyon. But that was a dry heat. Buenos Aires has been practically tropical, with high humidity and frequent rain showers, making it uncomfortable to be outside. So we have opted to ride more buses instead of taking on neighborhoods on foot. The buses usually have the air conditioning blasting and are quite affordable (after the prices tripled, a ride is still around 25 cents USD)!
Here are our highlights from the week.
Highlights
Gym Rat
We discovered that our building has a gym on the top floor. The views are incredible. We plan to visit a few times a week for exercise, but with views so good I may start hosting happy hour during sunset!
We haven’t had a gym this nice since we were in Hua Hin, Thailand. At least we recognize the weights are in kilograms this time. Last time we kept picking smaller weights off the shelf thinking we were out of shape not realizing they were 2.2 times heavier than we thought they were!
Museums
The Mall
It seems to be on every travel guide’s list of sights. Galerias Pacifico has had a long history of shopping and art. It was built in 1889 as a shopping center, but was also the first location of the National Fine Arts Museum. The building is currently used as a roofed luxury mall, still with plenty of art to look at.
After walking down the entirety of the famed Florida street, hearing the moneychangers cry “cambio, cambio, cambio!” we entered the elegant mall with our jaws on the floor. It was a stunning place to escape the heat and city hustle-and-bustle.
There is a fountain on the ground floor under a muraled dome, where visitors can dine at a handful of restaurants. We had to jump around all the selfie-takers on the stairs but it was worth it to enjoy the art.
We window shopped but did not purchase anything at the stores then went on our way to explore the rest of the city.
National Fine Arts Museum (Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes)
One of the top places on our list to see. There are over 600 pieces of artwork over two floors and it’s all free! Plus the rooms are air conditioned, so a beautiful place to avoid the heat.
The museum walks visitors through art from different time periods in Argentina and also houses pieces from masters from France, Germany, Netherlands, and Italy. Here are some of our favorite pieces.
Our visit was capped off with a visit to the peaceful terrace connected to the backside of the building, La Ferneteria, for some, well, fernet. We were able to try different labels and we discovered new favorites.
The early 20th Century wave of Italian immigrants brought fernet and many other Italian herbal liquors. Since 1935, Fernet Branca has been produced in Buenos Aires for local consumption. Campari, Aperol, and Cinzano are also produced in Argentina, meaning there is an abundance of “Italian” drinks that are inexpensive compared to imported competition.
The most popular is Fernet Branca, but there are other Argentine fernets that compete with the world leader. La Ferneteria offers seven fernets with a selection of mixers. We were able to try four of them, which we mixed with Coca Cola as the Argentines do for a spicy, foamy herbal treat.
Parks
We found more parks to visit! On our way to dinner we stopped to view Rodin’s monument of Sarmiento.
The city of Buenos Aires commissioned Rodin to produce a statue of President Sarmiento. Sarmiento is in bronze on top, standing on a pedestal Rodin carved of Apollo. According to the Fine Arts Museum, the city was not pleased with the result. It currently stands in a corner of Plaza Sicilia, one of the many parks of Buenos Aires. In size it is both shadowed by the large trees that have grown up in the park, but also by the large Monument to the Magna Carta that rises out of a circle in the middle of the busy intersection. Statues and sculptures abound throughout Buenos Aires, but especially in this park area of Palermo.
While looking inside the gates of the Ecoparque (formerly the Buenos Aires Zoo) we saw this animal. It’s called the mara, or patagonian hare. But it looks like a little deer to me! What do you think?
It is a rodent in the same family as guinea pigs, and is only found wild in Argentina. But it bounces like a rabbit, and the compressed feet look like hooves.
Japanese Garden
There is something peaceful about immersing yourself in Japanese gardens – no matter the actual country you’re in.
We arrived just after opening on a Saturday when it was cool (not cold) and before tourist hordes arrived.
There was piped-in traditional Japanese music, carefully manicured spaces, and a wide walking path. Corey said that the experience felt more like Disneyland than the contemplative experiences of other gardens. But the walk around was a nice experience.
From there we walked to the Rose Garden, El Rosedal. We arrived just as the purple rain clouds opened up, and apparently they close the park when it rains. After a few minutes of chatting with some locals, we decided to not wait it out and just visit another day.
Food and Drink
Our goal is to have one nice meal a week so that we can visit some top-rated establishments without breaking the bank.
We have also been cooking at home. Breakfast burritos, sandwiches, chili, and, of course, steak.
Mishiguene
Listed as one of the best restaurants in Latin America, as well as the world, we were introduced to this place by a YouTube travel video.
The six-course tasting menu with wine pairings was a splurge for our budget, but at around $70 USD per person, it was a great value for fine-dining. The food, described as the “cuisine of immigrants,” is loosely based on Jewish diaspora cooking. Our dishes consisted of babaganoush, hummus, sweetbreads, potato based ravioli, pastrami, and cake.
It was a very filling, fresh and delicious meal. The wine pairings were damn near ideal and overall a great date night with my hubby.
Pizza
We continued to enjoy Argentina pizza. Here we tried the more traditional Argentine style, on a focaccia-like crust, cooked in a deep-sided pan, light on sauce and heavy on cheese and onions.
Wine
We visited a small wine bar in the Palermo neighborhood, Las Divines Envero. They work with Bodega Cecchin, a producer from the Maipu area of Mendoza, to offer a selection of organic and natural wines produced for the bar. Ordering off the menu is an option, but the better experience is to chat with the bartender about what you are looking to drink, and he will come back with some options. They also have a bottle shop and a cellar for aging. We each drank a glass of carignon, with a smoked-fruit character. I definitely want to go back again!
Old Friends
A gal I used to work with at Global Diving & Salvage has traveled extensively and is now living in BA. We met up for dinner and drinks one night and had a lot of fun catching up. She recommended Las Divines to us, so it is a locals’ find!
Carnaval
Scantily-clad dancers in the streets and large crowds is how I typically picture Carnaval. But did you know Buenos Aires also celebrates with parades and such?
It by no means compares with Rio but streets in multiple neighborhoods close to traffic, with dancers and marching bands performing and parading as families watch from the sides.
The key component we noticed about Argentine celebrations was the freely flowing foam. Kids were running around the streets spraying their friends and we may have gotten caught in the crossfire a few times.
Lowlights
None this week! I might be growing to like this city more and more each day.
Buenos Aires offers many free and affordable activities for visitors, and I can see why tourists love it when they only spend 3-7 days in the city.
