<p>My daughter is planning to study aboard in Argentina this coming fall. I would love to take a trip there. I’m thinking 10 days (I know it won’t be enough time). Has anyone been there? What should we see? And where should we stay? I would love to stay in smaller hotels. I love the Rick Steve’s approach to travel but unfortunately he only does Europe. So anyhow, I’m thinking of 3-4 days in Buenos Aires and then maybe a trip to the wine country or a stay in a estancia (sp?). I’m open to suggestions!! Gracias!</p>
<p>My wife, the daughter of a diplomat, spent several years in Argentina as a teenager. She loved it. Said the food is outstanding and Buenas Aires is a beautiful and lively city. One of my brothers-in-law returns twice a year. Never leaves Buenas Aires as there is a lot to see and do for just a two week visit. I have never been so I cannot help you other than to share my relatives enthusasm. But, if you have to travel beyond Buenas Aires, try the coast of Uraguay, which is supposed to be remarkable.</p>
<p>I’ve only been there once - to Buenos Aires. It was a nice but large city. It felt very European to me. The restaurants are great especially if you like beef (in Europe most of the steakhouses call themselves an ‘Argentinian steak house’). The people seemed very European as well. It was interesting to see people speak Spanish with Italian hand movements and inflection.</p>
<p>I’ve only been to Buenos Aires, but I can attest that it is a lovely city, with lots to do, and not so many vegetarian options on the menus. The phone book there is no more or less Hispanic-sounding than the New York City phone book. Tons of European and Asian immigrants over the past century. (Argentina and Chile took the “American” approach of slaughtering their indigenous population rather than enslaving them, and they never imported slaves from elsewhere. So Argentina is very pale-looking compared to the rest of South America.)</p>
<p>If I were going in the late fall (their early summer), I would definitely be interested in checking out the Uruguayan coast around Punta del Este, which is Buenos Aires’ equivalent of the Hamptons. I might also want to see the Andes, and the Pampas in the north (but I don’t know how many days of interest that would provide). If you love nature and want to spend gobs of money, there are probably interesting things to see/do in the far south, too – the islands comprising Tierra del Fuego. Penguins! at the least.</p>
<p>Well, interest in nature but sadly not gobs of money :(</p>
<p>JHS is wrong what you said about black slaves in Argentina, during the 18th century there were as many black slaves as free people in Buenos Aires, but before the country signed its independence from Spain, the government declared every men in the country was free (1813), slavery was outlawed. Many families sold their slaves to Uruguay and Brazil.
Buenos Aires is “pale looking” as you said because most of its population has only a few, and some not even one, family generations in South America; Bs. As. is 90% European. If you go to the provinces far north, you will see another look, and if you like to adventure to the south, you will find many Welsh families.
There is a lot to see in Argentina, ten days only would cover Buenos Aires and its surroundings.
This year is due the Perito Moreno Glacier’s breakage; there is no other place in Earth where you could see that.
Beautiful places to visit are Bariloche and the Nahuel Huapi Lake (wonderful in every season). Calafate, El Bolson, Esquel; during summer, Mar del Plata and all the Atlantic beaches (full of beachgoers and the best fish to enjoy)’Cordoba, Iguazu Falls, Mendoza and its vineyards…</p>
<p>Onward, Argentina is very cheap right now 3.13 to 1; just don’t go to “tourist only” places because they would charge you three times more. Try to learn Spanish (at least the basic) before going to Buenos Aires; most people understand written English, but can’t speak it
Buenos Aires is a big nice city with a high crime, be careful every time.</p>
<p>We were in Buenos Aires in Feb this year. It is a wonderful city. My favorite shopping tip there is a leather goods store called Sylvia y Mario. They will make you a beautiful custom leather jacket or vest in one day. If you google them you can find their website. Good prices , nice people and beautiful workmanship. In fact I am wearing my jacket right now!</p>
<p>I had the opportunity to go several times and I cannot say enough good words about B.A. The best of the best!
Food, ANYWHERE is great, from cheap to expensive restaurants, in a range from 15 to 55 dollars a seat.
You must buy leather, a jacket costing here 500, in there will be 150.
try Persico ice cream, is the equivalent of italian gelato.
There is a huge italian influence, hence the language has a little italian accent, and people have the italian manerisms, and food is not spicy at all. Contrary to other Spanish speaking countries, more tipical than a "parrilla-bbq-, is Pizza and italian pasta.
People are warm, great, very passionate, you’ll be entertained but the many arguments you see in the street simultaneously, and they love to hug and kiss.
Go to a Tango show, and to a Pub, lots of noise, but great placde to talk to people. you will love it so much that, like me, you will want to return. They love Americans</p>
<p>I stayed in Buenos Aires for two months this summer. The food is magnificent, especially the Italian food and the parrillada. The people are very nice as well, and everything is very cheap by US standards. Estancias are kind of boring to stay in, there isn’t really much there. In Buenos Aires there is so much you should see - the mothers of Plaza de Mayo, Puerto Madero, Recoleta Cemetery (Where Evita and national heroes are buried), and of course go get some nice steaks. The city and people are very European - but there is a high level of poverty (higher than India I believe) and thus there is a high level of crime. I do highly recommend you bring back and try some Argentinean delights such as Dulce de Leche and Alfajores (from Havana Cafe).</p>
<p>Cressmom:</p>
<p>I’m not trying to speak for JHS but I assume by ‘pale faces’ JHS was referring to the lack of a mix of the indigenous population as compared to some other Latin American countries - not a reference to blacks. There was no mention in JHS’ post of black slaves. I noticed the European look of Argentina myself after having been to Mexico and some other South American countries and the locals told me it was because when Simon Bolivar went into Argentina they basically wiped out the indigenous population hence no mixing of races with the Europeans. It’s just an observation and not necessarily what some people would have expected in a South American country.</p>
<p>Simon Bolivar never went to Argentina. San Martin stopped him to conquer the South in Peru. (Never went to Chile either, O’Higgins was the Chilean leader) JHS said “they never imported slaves from elsewhere” and the Spaniards did, as a matter of fact, many traditional Porte</p>
<p>Cressmom knows a lot more than I do. I was not aware that there was significant use of African slaves in Argentina in the 18th Century.</p>
<p>My family & I did just what you’re planning. DD spent 6 months in Buenos Aires as a high school junior, and we visited her there in early June of 2005. We were in Argentina about ten days, six days in Buenos Aires, three in Iguazu Falls. We flew from BA to Iguazu to save time - a quick and not-too-expensive flight. We could have squeezed in a quick trip to Mendoza but in the end decided to limit the trip to just those 2 destinations. I wanted to see as much of BA as I could, and experience it through D’s eyes. We went to her favorite restaurants/ areas etc. And since it’s a HUGE city there’s plenty to do. Shopping is a treat, the green back still goes a ways in Argentina (though not as far as it did a couple years ago) – terrific leather, shoes, purses, etc I bought wonderful handicrafts & wool. The city is very spread out, but the taxis are cheap and plentiful. Of course, there’s nightlife galore and amazing dining if you like MEAT. Boy do they eat a lot of steak there. For vegetarians, Argentina might be a bit depressing 
You’ll have a great trip.</p>
<p>In the early 1970s I spent 2 years travelling through Latin America. I was a vegetarian until I got to Buenos Aires! Those steaks were delicious–I remember very thick steaks that I could cut with a fork!</p>
<p>My poor daughter! She has just become a vegetarian. Oh well, my husband & I will enjoy those steaks. I really appreciate everyone’s advice as I really am clueless about this part of the world. I will try and learn some Spanish and will read up on the history. If you know of any fun (not typical American) places to stay, send them my way. I can’t wait to go.</p>
<p>Cressmom:</p>
<p>Sorry - I was mixing up Bolivar from my trips to Venezuela. Still, I was told by the locals that a lot of the indigenous population was wiped out after the Europeans arrived.</p>
<p>You mentioned trying other kinds of meat. I tried ‘goat’ there for the first time there. It was cooked in the Argentina barbecue style and was quite good. I’m not brave enough to eat organ meat.</p>
<p>Try to visit one of the artisan fairs for great handmade presents at a reasonable price. There’s one outside of La Recoleta, but maybe just on weekends. For your vege D, there’s always lots of pasta & pizza due to the Italian influence. Be ready to eat late, resturants OPEN for dinner about 9pm.</p>
<p>I agree with Cressmom about Argentine’s feelings towards the US. I first visited in 1982, during the the Falklands war (known as Las Malvinas in Argentina) and while it was still under a military coup, they did not appreciate the US’s lack of support. Argentines still insist on calling the islands Las Malvinas even though England won quite decisively. </p>
<p>One more possible thing to see, several years ago the government was planning on making a navel base in BA where many of the “disappeared” people were tortured into a museum, if that is open, it would be very interesting to see, along with the Plaze de Mayo when the mothers of the disappeared are there. </p>
<p>You will love their coffee & medias lunas (half moons, ie. croissants) for breakfast and be quite sick of little ham sandwiches with the crusts cut off by the time you leave. Have fun!</p>
<p>Does anyone have any hotel/roooming suggestions in Buenos Aires for 10 days March12-March 23. Double with bath preferrable. 19 year olds who will walk or use public trans. Museums, coffie house, music, art rather than shopping is the focus. Limited Spanish.</p>
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<p>While it’s true that blacks were declared free in 1813, slavery was only formally abolished in around 1850. Attributing the dwindling population of black to the diseases that plagued San Telmo does mask the role of a certain Juan Manuel de Rosas who liked to to conscript all the Black men in Buenos Aires and send them to suicidal campaigns against Brazil and Uruguay. Even after the official abolition of slavery, many blacks were still slaves and were granted manumission only by fighting in Argentina’s wars, serving disproportionately in the war of independence against Spanish rule and border wars against Paraguay. </p>
<p>As a result many blacks escaped to Montevideo or to a lesser extent to Brazil. The coup de grace came when blacks were “recruited” in disproportionate large numbers for the 1865 War of the Triple Alliance. Blacks were also granted their freedom if they joined the army, but they were deliberately placed on the front line and used as cannon fodder. The population that was not exterminated in the war or fled to the neighboring countries was left to face the yellow fever epidemic of 1871 took decimated the remaining community. </p>
<p>The role of the leaders of Argentina in the reduction of the black population was not accidental and reflects a rather developed racism that has not entirely disappeared to date from Argentina and Chile.</p>