Chau, BA!

Chau, Buenos Aires!

It’s so hard to believe that six weeks have passed and that my time in Buenos Aires is coming to an end! As I reflect on my time in the city dubbed “the Paris of South America”, I thought I would share my recommendations of favorite places and sites for those in need of things to do in BA, or just curious as to what the city has to offer.

There’s an abundance of museums scattered throughout the city of Buenos Aires, and most of them are free or low cost so they are definitely worth checking out when you have some free time. Some of my favorites were Museo Casa Rosada, El Zanjón, Museo Evita and the Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires (MALBA for short). Unfortunately, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes was under renovation and closed to the public during our time in Buenos Aires, so I didn’t get to witness the exhibits in person but have only heard great things about it from locals. There’s little reason to be bored in Buenos Aires, so go out and explore!

The Recoleta Cemetery is the final resting place of Argentina’s most beloved First Lady, Eva Perón. People still line the streets of the cemetery to pay their respects, and still leave flowers at her grave. In my opinion, Recoleta Cemetery beautifully resembles the streets of a quiet European town, and each grave is uniquely designed and constructed to represent the person or family that occupies it. Once you’ve paid your respects at the cemetery, just next door is the Recoleta Cultural Center, which is a one-of-a-kind museum that lets guests interact with its exhibits, such as a drawing room and a relaxation room. If you stop by Recoleta on the weekends you may be lucky enough to stroll through the ferias market where you can find anything from jewelry made of Rhodochrosite, Argentina's national stone, to mate sets!

For the history lovers, you’ll definitely want to take a trip to ESMA, or Escuela de Mecánica de la Armada. While it functioned as a mechanic school of the Argetnine Navy, this establishment was also used as a detention center during Argentina’s last military dictatorship, where over 5,000 Argentinians were tortured after being kidnapped for being thought to oppose the dictatorship. The museum is still used today as evidence in trials against the conductors of the Dirty War. While this is somber visit, it was still very powerful to witness and I would highly recommend. Afterwards you could pay a visit to Parque de la Memoria, or Memory Park, which is a commemoration of the some 30,000 Argentinians that disappeared between 1976 to 1983.

If you’re a sports fan going to a fútbol match is a must! IES Abroad organized for our program to attend a CARP (Club Atlético River Plate) match and it was such an experience being able to witness the great pride of Argentina and feel the love that Argentinians have for the sport.

The Palermo neighborhood offers a chance to escape the bustling of the city and find tranquility in either the botanical gardens or Japanese gardens; grab a book and appreciate the moments where you are surrounded by life and not by towering buildings, because we all need a break from the city life from time to time.

You can sense the European influence on Buenos Aires the moment you enter the city, but the neighborhood of La Boca strays from this influence with a pop of color and Argentine flare. La Boca sports a large personality, so spend an afternoon getting to know Buenos Aires apart from its European influence.

Lastly, do some window shopping! Buenos Aires is home to a multitude of boutiques that display trendy clothes and shoes, always on par with the change of the seasons. Argentinians take their fashion very seriously, so be prepared to feel like you’re watching the runway while walking down the streets. After you’re done shopping treat yourself to some gelato; Lucciano’s is my personal favorite but some other honorable mentions include Rapanui and Valence.

For now I bid goodbye to Buenos Aires and look forward to all the next half of the semester has to offer, including a program trip to Peru this coming week before we head to Santiago, Chile where we will be for the remainder of the semester.

Until next time, chau!