Buenos Aires Weekend

[ihpguy]

Thiago had a day off over this past weekend so I started to look for flights with good times and decent last-minute fares. Montevideo had nothing good. Ditto Foz do Iguacu. The fares to Salvador were higher than to BA.

Aerolineas Argentinas had the best prices and times. The drive out to Ezeiza is longer than to Galeao here in Rio. But with the low price of the Argentine peso it was only about US$30.00 each way. I had read some awful trip reports about them over the years but out flight out was only 15 minutes late and the flight back only pushed back five minutes late. Beware that US and Canadian citizens need to get a visa for $160,00 before departure. It is good for ten years. All because of the USA. A reciprocity fee.

I spent more than normal for an incredible boutique hotel in Recoleta about 1 block from the cemetery where Evita Duarte Peron can be found. Hotel Mio Buenos Aires. Contempoary design boutique hotel with only thirty rooms and a spa. Very very nice.

As to gay life, I really wanted to see the gay tango show. I think Axiom had mentioned something about it being far out of the city. Not at all. In the San Telmo neighborhood. But the show as of now at Le Marshall only takes place on Fridays. We arrived Saturday at 4:30AM and left Monday night at 9:45PM so out of luck.

I did some research and found three bar discos to hit. We started at Bar Flux at just after Midnight and the place was dead. It also didn't seem too large. Maybe 10 or 15 guys at that time. So we headed over to Kilometro Zero at about 12:45AM. The place had a nice crowd and only got busier and busier. There was a drag show for ninety minutes and then there were two male and two female strippers and almost everyone dancing. We left at about 4:45am

We never got around to what is rated as the #1 spot in B.A. Sitges Bar/Disco

Interesting that at KM Zero most everyone ordered bottles of spirits or champagne with mixers. Much less expensive than by the drink. Cover charge was 100 Argentine pesos or about $11.00US. Cheap night relatively speaking. Drinks in Rio are more expensive at a place like 40 Graus in Lapa on Rua Riachuelo.

As to sex, well, I had Thiago with me so it wasn't something that concerned me. Thiago and I do agree that Argentines are much better-looking than the "unfortunate" Chileans. We both found the Portenos much more well-mannered than Cariocas.

I am a fan of fine leather so that was on my agenda for part of one of the days. On Saturday, we walked and taxied and ended up in Palermo Soho at a Trip Advisor top 50 restaurant, the parilla/steak house La Cabrera, for a large lunch. It was really very good, but with more investigation I probably could have found someplace else just as good, less expensive and not as touristy. We worked off lunch by walking a bit to a three block stretch of outlet leather shops with good prices. Murillo 600 is the address at the start. Near a metro stop as well.

If you go to BA, bring Dollars or Euros, as there are two exchange rates in existence. The official was around 9.10 and the street rate used in many shops and restaurants was 15.60, more or less.

Sunday was spent visiting various parks in the city including the waterfront where there are a couple of floating museum ships, a schooner and a barquentine. After a nap and fun time, the concierge directed us to a famous late night place with nice food from breakfast through late supper. La Biera, Across the street from the park containing Recoleta Cemetary.

On our last afternoon I passed a factory leather store that had some nice things a half block from our hotel. Nice quality. Good service. And they charged my credit card through a bank in Miami so I got the street rate even using a credit card.

We spent about three hours at the zoo in Palermo. Really very nice. A bit like Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo with buildings right on the park, but older and more interesting pavilions architecturally.

[ihpguy]

Here are some photos from the Mio Buenos Aires and La Cabrera parilla

[ihpguy]

Another batch of photos

First of the hotel room

Two from Evita's family tomb

Inside LaBiera this interesting sculpture

Pink Flamingos - not the John Waters film

Fountain at the entrance to the Palermo Zoo

Thiago being swallowed by a tree, not me

Santiago Calatrava bridge on the waterfront, old barquentine on the right

And terribly sorry, I haven't a clue how to rotate these photos, just posting them took me over an hour.

[TotallyOz]

Great report and great photos. Thank you! I have been given an opportunity to spend 6 months in Argentina in 2016 and I have not decided yet.

Did you feel safe?

[ihpguy]

I felt totally safe. A city that is a mixture of Madrid and Paris. Much more developed, more educated, certainly more formal.

If I had been to Buenos Aires before Rio de Janeiro, I'd probably be living there right now instead of Rio de Janeiro. I'd spend the 4 coldest months back in the States or somewhere else warmer. I also found the city much more survivable than the crowded and hectic São Paulo.

I had Thiago with me so I had no interest aim exploring the rent scene. But if I ever other's reports, there are some.houses with boys as well as a large on-line presence of working guys. At Flux and Kilometro Zero, the doormen and the clients we spoke to in either Portuguese or Spanish. Taxis were cheap and with our limited time I didn't want to bother with public transit.

Biggest word of advice is before leaving on the plane, fill out and pay for your ten year visa on-line. And either bring lots of Euros or Dollars with you to get the street exchange rate. Or pay asuch as you can before arriving at the better exchange rate and have a way to receive.foreignone while in country.

Unless one wants a beach vacation in Brasil(and I for one love the beach culture on Farme de Amoedo) or loves the rent saunas as opposed to call boys, Buenos Aires was great.

[TotallyOz]

Thank you! As always, excellent advice.