This week we stretched the distances and sought out sightseeing way farther than we have explored yet. This included several new neighborhoods and actually leaving Buenos Aires.
Highlights
Neighborhoods
La Boca
It’s like the Pike Place of Buenos Aires. Super touristy, but have you really experienced that city if you haven’t gone??
On a whim after a failed shoe-shopping trip, we hopped in a cab and cruised to the colorful blocks nestled between the harbor and train tracks.
We went just before sunset on Carnaval Monday, a national holiday. The place was deserted! We really timed it well to avoid the throngs of tourists that crawl through one popular tourist street, Caminito.
We also wandered by La Bombonera, the stadium for Boca Juniors, the neighborhood’s soccer club.
La Boca is a really popular destination for tourists and is often crowded. We have been warned that there are also a lot of pick pockets around but because we went on a holiday and at the end of the day we practically had the place to ourselves!
Puerto Madero
On one of our sightseeing days we moseyed over to Puerto Madero. This old port area of BA is kind of like an island due to the port channel that runs through the middle of the neighborhood. The east side faces the vast Rio de la Plata and features modern office and residential developments. The west side of the port channel is lined with beautiful brick warehouse buildings, now converted to restaurants and other tourist developments. The weather was pleasant and we enjoyed a stroll along both sides of the water.
The vibe felt very European or North American. I felt transported to a different country. The price of an Aperol spritz reflected that: nearly $6 USD.
Day Trip to Tigre
Tigre is a popular day trip for tourists in the Buenos Aires area. It’s about an hour north of downtown BA and has a Venice-meets-Florida vibe. It is both a small town and the gateway to the network of channels comprising the Parana River delta, which are only accessible by boat.
We set our alarms for a much earlier hour than usual but we were excited for a fun day trip. We took a commuter train from the Retiro Station. The Mitre trains run frequently, even on weekends/holidays. I wish we had had more time to walk around the gorgeous large train station. The tall ceiling and beautiful windows were eye catching.
The only complaint we had is that while there were many signs directing us to where tickets were sold, there were no ticket booths open at 9:30 AM. Every ticket machine we approached was broken or disabled. We wandered around the station trying to figure out how to purchase train tickets. Eventually we just decided to go to the track entrance and try our SUBE cards (which are used for buses and trains throughout Argentina). It worked!
It seems that at some point, they stopped requiring tickets for the train and went to a swipe-on/swipe-off system. Just wish there was a sign to tell us that! And what about those who arrive without a SUBE card? They are constantly in short supply in Argentina. Also, Buenos Aires just raised the prices on the buses, causing a run on recharging SUBE via cash, which apparently caused the recharging system to hit a limit over a five-day holiday weekend. My SUBE was at a negative balance (which is allowed) because no one could add cash to the cards. What a mess!
But we made it on the train for an easy hour-long ride to the Tigre Station. There we gave cash to a transit worker who used their credit card to charge our SUBE cards. Then off to the boat!
Our private boat seated 12 and we had a roomy ride. We shared this trip with a couple from Switzerland. They were really nice and also on a travel sabbatical like us!
A big storm had come through recently and the water levels were about 3-4 feet higher than usual. Many docks were well below the water level! The river delta area is used to flooding, as these rains are not infrequent.
Our driver took us through various streams and rivers in the delta for about two hours, passing by hundreds of vacation homes and their boats. It was guided but we could not hear his microphone well. But that’s okay, we generally got the point.
The tour included a stop at Gato Blanco for lunch, only accessible by boat. We dined al fresco and enjoyed the views of the river and the various boats passing by. It must have been the tide because by the time we reboarded the boat, the water level had receded about two feet!
After the tour, Corey and I walked around the nearby marketplace, Puerto de Frutos. It was a massive complex and quite busy with holiday visitors.
The shops mostly sold houseware items and furniture. I found the perfect sofa for my personality!
We then walked around the port to the Paseo Victoria to wait out the crowds of people who were boarding trains back to Buenos Aires. After sunset we walked back to the train station and noticed the water level was rising again! The sidewalks we had just walked an hour earlier were again spilling over with water.
Museums & Special Places
Museo de Agua y Historia de Sanitario (aka El Palacio de las Aguas Corrientes)
This place was pretty high on our list and I read they offered free, guided English tours a few times per week.
One morning this week we rushed out the door and down the street. We saw the bus approaching so we got our morning sprint in. We ran to the wrong bus stop. So we sprinted again and made it to the stop just before the bus arrived.
It was a quick trip to the “water palace” as we dubbed it in English (but officially it is the Palace of Running Waters, which contains the Museum of Water and the History of Sanitation).
The exterior of the building is stunning!
Once you walk in, the glamorous façade fades and the functional interior of municipal utilities begins. With lines of people paying bills, it is just like any other utility building, except this one has chandeliers and beautiful stained glass windows. I tried to snap a photo but a security guard quickly let me know that it was not allowed. The state secrets of the water department continue to be safe!
As instructed, we walked up to the first floor to begin the tour… which we found out is only in Spanish.
A very animated woman led us through some rooms with artifacts from the building’s lush exterior and a number of plumbing fixtures (both in-home and for utility piping). We did not understand much of what she shared. Turns out my lack of architectural knowledge hurts my ability to understand technical Spanish.
The section I understood the most was the history of toilets in the area.
Then we reached the best parts of the tour: the formerly-functional areas of the building. Not only was this building the headquarters of the water department (and it still is), but it was also a storage and pumping station. Large pipes still go through the building and some of the tanks remain in the reservoir area. It had a very steampunk vibe and the catwalks, pipes, and weird objects reminded Corey of a video game.
A note to anyone traveling through Argentina: all of our tour guides have asked each participant where they were from and some have asked why everyone chose the tour. Answering this can be difficult when not on an English tour!
Ataneo Bookstore
This is not actually a museum but it’s museum-adjacent and really cool!! This 1919 performing arts theater was converted to a bookstore and coffee shop in 2000, while keeping much of the original architectural detail.
Not sure if there were more tourists or books in the building but it was still a great place to visit. We miss theater productions so it felt nice to be inside a beautiful theater. I created an Insta video here.
Tierra Santa (Holy Land) Theme Park
We got to visit the Holy Land in Argentina!
This theme park was well maintained and unique. It is only open during the evenings on weekends. So we visited after Corey’s virtual karate session on Saturday.
We pre-planned an agenda to try and squeeze in all the shows and performances. Yes! Shows! Here a few of the short shows.
Nativity:
And resurrection:
Folk show:
Overall the park is set up as a recreation of ancient Jerusalem, complete with city walls and a gate to enter, with Calvary Hill and the crosses just outside of the walls.
Inside are many Christian exhibitions, but also the Western Wall, a mosque, a synagogue, and a Roman temple. Everything is handled respectfully although I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the displays.
Overall it is a surreal experience. We were very impressed at the undertaking, and the continued maintenance efforts that it takes to keep the place running.
Food & Drink
Mexican Food!!
While we try not to eat Mexican food everywhere we travel, we lost our resolve while standing in front of Fabrica del Taco at the San Telmo Market. We could not resist the al pastor meat calling to us from the kitchen, and once we saw that they have two locations in Mexico, we were convinced.
We created our own sampler with steak flautas, chicken burrito, and al pastor tacos. Everything was outstanding and really hit the spot.
BBQ
Argentines love a good barbecue, so why not try the Argentine version of Texas barbecue?
This place was right next to the Holy Land Theme Park so it was an easy five-minute walk over to the patio made from converted shipping containers. The large smokers were being used to smoke hundreds of racks of pork ribs. We ended up trying a beef sandwich, pulled pork sandwich, and macaroni-and-cheese. It was all well-smoked and was honestly better than the many mediocre BBQ places in the United States. They had Budweiser on tap, which was a sad representation of American beers. But they also had a barbecue sauce made with whisky!
Local Cafeteria 71
We extemporaneously decided to have lunch at a little cafe while out and about.
We dined at a little sidewalk table and had an amazing meal of sandwiches. One with a milanesa de pollo (chicken cutlet) and one with ham and cheese. Simple food on fresh-baked bread, each for around $2 USD. We would go back and try other items on their menu like hamburgers or steak sandwiches. While we ate, we saw a number of office workers picking up food to bring back to their co-workers.
Ice cream
I’m not a big ice cream fan but everyone raves about the gelato in Argentina. One day we stopped at Daniel’s and ordered a small cup. For about $2 USD, we received two heaping scoops of gelato. Dulce de leche bonbon and Patagonia chocolate. It was smooth and decadent and I can’t wait to try more!
Massage
We made a reservation for a couples massage. It was one of the best massages I’ve ever received. This was my fourth massage in Argentina and I haven’t really blogged about them because they were all mediocre. The only thing that stood out was the affordable price. 90 mins was $33 each. Each!! It’s not Thailand pricing but still great.
Lowlights
Coffee
We haven’t talked about it yet, but coffee down here is darn right atrocious. If you want the good stuff you have to seek out a local coffee shop but a half-pound bag of beans will cost anywhere from $10-20 USD. So you’re either drinking the expensive stuff or the cheap bad stuff.
We travel with a French press now as many apartments and hotels do not offer a coffee maker. We have tried to buy beans at the supermarket but it’s terrible robusta beans from Brazil. Most of the coffee in Argentina is roasted with sugar to cut the bitterness of the robusta beans. We have been purchasing bags from Starbucks. The price has varied over our time here but has generally been around $11 for a half-pound bag, much more than what we pay in the United States for good beans.