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In the 16th century the Spaniards sailed for months on the choppy water of the Atlantic. On finding a big mouth of a river they sailed by it, Rio de La Plate (river of silver). After arriving at this place they named it Buenos Aires (place of good air). The vibrant capital of Argentina at that time had only 144 blacks and 63 inhabitants.
Though greatly influenced by French and Spanish culture, the city is quite South American with a relaxed, happy-go-lucky air. Spanish is what you’ll hear all the time in this region, so it is a good idea to learn a few useful phrases before heading here or take along a ready referral book. The city is pretty spread out, divided into different districts, but the core lies around Plaza de Mayo. The seat of the government, Casa Rosada, is also located in this plaza. Its pink fa`E7ade has been witness to many political ups and downs. Even today, the square in front is host to many political protest marches. Near Plaza de Mayo is the Peru station on Line A subway. It is the oldest in Latin America. A ride in the historic subway is a must for experiencing the train with its wooden carriages. That they have retained the hundred-year-old antiquated subway and not giving into so called sleek and modern is admirable indeed.
The city’s wide avenues (avenida) are lined by ornate colonial buildings. Avenida Corrientes with its Obelisk is one of the longest avenues. The tourist information office near Calle Florida (called means street) from where the ‘Bus Turistico’ hop-in and hop-off bus leaves every half an hour is a convenient way to explore the city. Absorb the ambience of the theatre district where Eva Peron used to perform at the famous Colon Theatre, the up-market Palermo district with beautiful colonial buildings that have various embassies, and then the vibrating La Boca area. For football fans, near about is the revered La Bombonera stadium of the Boca Junior Club where Diego Maradona practised and played. La Boca is on the old river port side. This is where poor immigrants from Europe had arrived and stayed in communal houses when the city expanded. Today, this colourful area has been developed as a tourist destination spot. Apparently, the migrants were so poor that they had painted their houses with whatever coloured paint was available in their ships and thus giving the walls a coloured jigsaw-puzzle look. Retaining this style, the authorities have made the neighbourhood look like an artist’s palette. There are plenty of shops to buy mementoes, famous Argentine leather goods and enjoy street-side painting exhibitions. The restaurants vie for customers with live shows of Tango and local Gaucho folk dances. Tango is the heartbeat of Buenos Aires being the birthplace of this dance form. For those who have seen award-winning director Carlos Saura’s film Tango the fact will drive home immediately whether at San Telmo’s busy square with dancers giving a demo or La Boca’s open-air eateries where you cannot escape the pulsating beat of the tango. Restaurants advertise ‘free Tango show’, even offering to teach the diners a few steps. And then there are ‘learn Tango in seven days’ kind of offers. But to get the essence of the dance this is too short a time. Buenos Aires is often called "Paris of South America" due to its many museums. Most are clustered around the Recoleta district. The Eva Peron museum on Lafinur Street gives a glimpse of her life from a theatre actress to a President’s wife and becoming the adored icon of the people who called her Evita or ‘little Eva’. Latin American Arts Museum (Malba), National Museum of Decorative and Oriental Arts are worth visiting from among many.
Buenos Aires also has bridge dedicated to women! The graceful bridge in the renovated Puerto Madero old port side is called Women’s Bridge. Every street in the area is named after an outstanding Latin American woman. A walk on Calle Florida is for enjoying the ambience of the city on the street. It is reserved for pedestrians. Roadside shops with knick-knacks, restaurants, cafes and not forgetting bands of young musicians playing foot tapping music for earning a few coins — they sell their CDs too, make it an exhilarating experience. At the extreme end of the street is the famous Galeria Pacifico shopping mall which looks more like an art museum and where tango performances are on the TV screens all the time. San Telmo is in the old part of the city. The Sunday antique market at the cobble-stoned square with an Indian bazaar ambience has numerous curio shops, bargains for silver jewellery, old books, glassware and what not. At night, the square becomes a veritable open-air food court with music and folk dances. The fish, straight out of the river perhaps, is amazing here. Caf`E9 culture is big in this city. At the iconic Caf`E9 Tortoni on Avenida de Mayo has been in business since 1858. In more turbulent times, it was the hub of intellectuals, anti-government factions and socio-political debates flew over cups of coffee. Popular still, without a reservation you have to wait for a table here. Las Violetas caf`E9 is another heritage caf`E9 but is different in ambience. Equally old (dating back to 1884), its mauve d`E9cor, pyramids of cakes and pastries, and a sunny atmosphere make a very enjoyable experience. Buenos Aires is not a hop-skip-and jump destination. It has to be savoured slowly, like a good cup of coffee.
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