PlanetEye

Any porteño will state that there is a café on every corner of Buenos Aires. Although this is impossible, cafés fulfil a very important role on the everyday life of the city. They are more like a meeting place or a get-away-from-it-all place. Sometimes they are called bares, but please don't think of them as typical North American style bars (dark, crowded, neon lights, beer drinking). Nor they serve a variety of elaborated meals. Cafés are equally suitable morning, day or night, they are often well lit. The idea is to find a nice table by a window, sip a cup of coffee in a nice demitasse (no paper or plastic cups), maybe munch one or two medialunas (croissants) and watch life go by; or just get together with friends, order a few beers and talk away your problems or tell everyday life stories or watch a fútbol match. Now, where are the best cafes? Many will probably suggest you some nice places downtown such as the famous Café Tortoni or Café La Paz or La Biela or the ones in the barrio de San Telmo, the bohemian district. They are all very good, but they are mostly for tourists. Don't get me wrong, porteños are welcome and they do visit them every now and then, but they usually don't hang out there. So here is a subjective list of neighborhood cafés in Buenos Aires sorted by name, address and neighborhood: Bar Seddon - Defensa 695 - San Telmo; Café Argos - Federico Lacroze 3499 - Colegiales; Café Margot - Boedo 857 - Boedo; Café El Coleccionista - Rivadavia 4929 - Caballito; Café Dante - Boedo 745 - Boedo; Bar Aragón - Juan B. Alberdi 4899 - Villa Luro; Bar Británico - Brasil 399 - San Telmo; Bar Oviedo - Lisandro de la Torre 2407 - Mataderos; Cafe de Garcia - Sanabria 3302 - Villa Devoto. With the exception of the Bar Británico, these places are far from the tourist circuit, but all of them are in perfectly safe areas and no more than 30 minutes on average by cab from downtown. Don't be afraid to try them. In all cases, these off the beaten path cafés are guaranteed to make you feel like a local. There is a very complete list of historic bars and cafés on the following website, some are true hidden gems, some are not...

http://www.buenosaires.gov.ar/areas/turismo/actividades/index.php?nombre=&idbarrio=0&info=bares&menu_id=74&buscar=1&bot_buscar.x=33&bot_buscar.y=4

Spanish in Argentina, and in some cases in Buenos Aires only, is a little different from traditional Spanish. Lunfardo is practically a whole language of slang that developed in Buenos Aires and Montevideo beginning in the 19th century. It was used particularly among the lower classes of newly arrived immigrants, and it borrowed words from many other languages such as Italian, Portuguese, Quechua, French, Arabic, and more. Some of these words have made it into everyday slang. If you talk to anyone at a conversational familiar level, you will notice a lot of slang words. Here are a few of the more useful ones to know, since they might come up in everyday conversation... Che: this is a very Argentine word. It is used almost like "hey" in English to start a sentence, or to get someone's attention in an informal way with friends or people you know. The word "Che" doesn't have a translation. Here are a few different ways of using it: Che, como te llamas? = hey, what's your name? Che, que hora es? = Hey, what time is it? Che, prestame atención! = Hey, pay attention to me! Che Ma! a que hora esta la comida? = Hey mum, at what time is dinner?... Boludo/a: one of the most common words used by younger people. It is used a lot, but only amongst friends, because in some cases it is an insult. Its slang meaning is roughly "stupid," but in conversation is used to address someone. The only equivalent that comes to mind in English is the word "man", as in What's up, man? = qué hacés, boludo?. Girls use it also to address each other but as boluda... Gordo/a (fat), flaco/a (skinny): Don't get offended if someone calls you gordo/a or any other term describing physical appearance. They are more like terms of endearment... Pibe: kid... Chabón: guy... Guita: money... Mina: girl/woman... bondi: city bus... quilombo: a mess, and more. The "vos" form is used instead of "tu" (you), while the "ll" sound is completely different, being pronounced like "sh". But don't worry too much, you'll learn as you go along. Just be careful with this word in Argentina: If you want to say "to take" do not use "coger," since it means "to f*ck".

Buenos Aires offers a wide variety of activities... thing to do and places to visit... so maybe you haven't thought much about going to see a movie. Well, think again for it can be a really cool thing to do, especially if it is pouring rain outside or hot and humid. You would be surprised. There are some movie theatres that date back from the 1930's and 1940's that still continue to operate. You can still find traces of the good old times splendour they lived. They are immense inside. Definitely of interest to the movie goers crowd. For example, Cine Atlas on Avenida Santa Fe and Ayacucho is an oldie, and along Calle Lavalle you will find more. Prices range from 12 to 16 pesos depending on the day and time of the show. It is a bargain compared to North American or European movie prices. All international movies are shown in the original language with subtitles in Spanish, except the movies for kids which are mostly translated. Don't expect the latest sound technology in these older theatres. It is usually good quality but not THX or Dolby surround. Needless to say is that you will find a huge number of modern cinemas with the latest technology like the Village Recoleta or the Imax Center Norte. Again, perhaps seeing movies may not be your thing and maybe you don't even speak Spanish. But for those of you who do, there is a great opportunity to see local cinema current releases as well as classics. El Complejo Tita Merello (named after the diva of tango) on Calle Suipacha (a few meters from Avenida Corrientes) shows up to 7 movies weekly that are either fully produced in Argentina or are joint productions with other countries. There are lots of wonderful movies to be seen. Argentine moviemaking has experienced a boom since the economic crisis of 2001. It is one of the few sectors of the economy that is actually doing well now. Go support it and have fun at the same time.
For more info go to...
www.cinesargentinos.com.ar

It is often said that Buenos Aires was built facing away from the Rio de la Plata, the brown-coloured river that was the focal point of so much of its early history. In fact, the area of the old port, Puerto Madero, is nowadays experiencing something of a come back from oblivion, with various ambitious hotel and apartment building projects underway in an attempt to turn it into the next top barrio of the city. A few steps east from there towards the river and just five minutes walk from the city's main skyscrapers, business institutions and government buildings, the area known as Costanera Sur remains a frequently ignored but nonetheless charming respite from the smoke and traffic of the surrounding area. The promenade, parks, lakes, leafy spaces and  the overgrown, reed-ridden canal that make up the natural reserve, stand like a museum-piece on the edge of the city. It is here that you will find a large array of a curious Buenos Aires street gourmet extravaganza known as "los carritos de la costanera", or road-side barbeque stands. As a matter of fact, the road-side barbeque is not consigned to this particular area of Buenos Aires alone, for when walking around any part of town where a construction site exists or road works are in progress you are sure to see a fire lit at the side of the road with hunks of meat cooking. In short, this is the worker's lunch. Where other countries may have salad bars or sandwich shops, porteños  will light up a make-shift grill (often just hot coals with a metal grate suspended above it)  and cook lunch there in the open air. At the Costanera Sur dozens of these barbeques are erected, like hot-dog stands, selling steak sandwiches beside the canal to passers-by and local workers hungry for a bite to eat. So don't be afraid to try this local delight. The meat is often far tastier than the most prestigious, tourist-priced restaurants that line the main strip of Puerto Madero. For few pesos you can have this local treat while enjoying a free view of the most natural wilderness in the city.

If it is your first time in Buenos Aires, you might be a little dazed after flying all night in an uncomfortable plane. You will find that the Ezeiza International Airport is some 30 kilometres away from the city centre. Just like any international airport you will have people approaching you asking if you need a cab. Just ignore them. A cab ride could be a bit pricey at best and some are not even registered legal cabs. So if you just want a safe and cheap ride into the city, I recommend you go with Manuel Tienda León which operates a bus service from the airport terminal to the city centre and back every 1/2 hour from 5.00 am to 10.00 pm and every hour afterwards. As soon as you arrive (after you have gone through immigrations, picked up your luggage and passed customs) you will come to a round hall with a lot of taxi, bus, accommodation and tourist information booths. Look for the one with the big lion head, and just walk right over to the Manuel Tienda Leon stand. Purchase a ticket to Puerto Madero Terminal for $38 Argentine pesos or $64 round trip. For a few pesos more you can get a transfer ticket that will take you to your hotel. Also, if you are connecting with a fly to a city within Argentina, you can get a transfer to Aeroparque, which is the domestic airport. The service is fast and efficient. If your party consists of three or four persons you can also get a car service for $115, a little more convenient. More so, San Martin Bus is another good option. The service is quite similar. Do not take taxis outside the airport. If you have any doubts there is a tourist information stand right at the hall. For more info go to...
www.tiendaleon.com.ar
www.sanmartinbus.com.ar

Buenos Aires is a beautiful globalized modern metropolis, but be prepared for things that don´t work as they should. One of the first things you notice about the city is that there seems to be absolutely no traffic laws, particularly on the side streets. Whoever gets to the intersection first just speeds right through. Sometimes drivers (taxi drivers in particular) have difficulty deciding who got there first and they just play "chicken". Also, on the main streets there may be lines on the road to distinguish traffic lanes, but porteños consider them as nothing more than spilled paint. It is not unusual to see four cars across a three lane street. Porteños are very calm and laidback people generally until put in a tense situation when they are behind the wheel. Then there might be a tendency for hell breaking loose. Speaking of taxis, never hail a taxi that is not marked Radio Taxi. Although every taxi in town is black and yellow, the ones that aren't radio taxis can be thieves. If you hail one and it pulls to the curb and is not a radio taxi, just walk away without getting in. Your best bet is to have the front desk at your hotel call you a taxi. Once you've gotten a ride in a radio taxi you can ask the driver for a business card. Then, you can safely call this company from a pay phone to get back to your hotel. More so, simply walking down the sidewalk can be an experience. One of the most obvious signs of Argentina's poor economy is the lack of repair of the sidewalks. Very often there are chunks missing and it's not unusual to see holes in the sidewalk covered with a wooden pallet. Simply walk around it, but keep one eye looking down as you walk. The side streets have particularly narrow sidewalks. The missing chunks often mean that you'll have to step into the street for a little way, so be careful of the traffic flying by. Even despite the fact that economic conditions in Argentina are improving, there is still some social unrest. Demonstrations still occur from time to time around government buildings, banks and other financial buildings. In years past some demonstrations quickly turned into riots, but this year the protests seemed relatively peaceful. Take photocopies of your passports and let the originals at the hotel's safe. Don't show signs of being very rich, like jewels or Rolex watches and fancy cameras. Always take with you a small amount of money, about 50 pesos. Be careful if you go to an ATM. If you have to go, do it during the day, never at night and if possible with someone else.
Show some common sense and relative awareness and you will not have any problems. Buenos Aires might have a banana republic for a government but its a sophisticated bunch overall. Do your homework but treat this like any other big city and you will have a good time.