Focus on Argentina Monograph

FOCUS ON ARGENTINA

BY SUE HENDERSON

V O L U M E 2 0 2 3 • I S S U E N O . 3

MONOGRAPH COLLECTION

A

NOTESFROM-SUE

My first visit to Argentina was under less-than-auspicious circumstances as I was extremely sick, but I remember fondly the kindness of the women who ran our central Buenos Aires guest house and the very brief opportunity to get some air while searching for a nearby pharmacy. I knew enough to know I truly wanted to spend time exploring in the future and was delighted to find our Antarctica expedition trip was accessed from Argentina.

There is no question it is one of the most gracious and comfortable cities in the world. To have five days to languorously discover the charms of different neighborhoods, foods and culture of the ‘Paris of the South’ was a joy. I offer here a snippet of the delights of Buenos Aires and Ushuaia as experienced on both sides of our trip to the uninhabited ice kingdom. The contrast couldn’t have been more evident.

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FIN DU MONDE

Ushuaia is the capital of Terra del Fuego and known as the Fin du Monde – end of the world. It is generally the last inhabited location for those headed to Antarctica across the Drake Passagethe shortest seafaring distance between the two continents.

Flying in over the tail end of the Andes Mountain range, one is struck by the isolation of this small town whose residents welcome four seasons of tourists for adventure. The city has also been a supply station since the early explorers began to ply the torrid waters of the region.

The end of the world, the beginning of everything

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Situated on the Beagle Channel, Chile is on the opposite side of the bay and surrounds the Argentinian state. We delighted in a few hours to mail postcards and eat some of the most sumptuous fresh king crab and scallops we've ever had before boarding our expedition ship.

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COSMO CULTURE

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Buenos Aires is definitively cosmopolitan on purpose. Having gained independence from Spain early in the 19th century, they set about proving they could compete with the great world cities importing both immigrants and artisans to create broad boulevards, sweeping markets and train stations, and impressive architectural gems.

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The market district of San Telmo, the gracious homes of Palermo, the newly redefined seaside marshes and historic shipping district of Puerto Madero as well as La Boca, Retiro and Recoleta all reminded us of different areas of any major city we have come to love.

The difference is the extremely accessible convenience of each of these areas allowing us plenty of time to experience them all.

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"Less salt, More life"

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ASADO

From the grass-fed Pampas cows to the unique beef cuts and special asado cooking techniques, Argentinian steak is a work of art from start to finish. The asado takes it’s origin from the Spanish word asar, meaning to grill. An asado is a barbecue used to refer to the dish itself but also allude to preparation technique. The national dish is a variety of meat grilled on a parillo (large grill) packed with steaks, ribs, chorizo, sweetbread and blood sausage.

Also a favorite at anytime, is the empanada, a stuffed savory pastry which, when we were there, cost roughly fifty cents (US) each all over the city. Two or three of these constitute a main lunch meal or a simple snack.

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EL CAMINITO

El Caminito, little walkway, is the cobblestoned strip of colorful houses, tango and soccer-obsession in the La Boca neighborhood. The birth of the tango, “Caminito” is an unlikely story of a musician and a poet, both of them tango experts, and how their friendship with an artist, a painter who gave the name to the street, sparked the creation of that tango

It is a delightfully touristy contrast to the gritty neighborhood known more for their soccer team and immigrant housing in conventillos (community style living) and remains an entry area for the less-well-heeled immigrants arriving in this thriving city.

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Legend has it La Boca's colours were the result of the fishermen using leftover paint from their boats on their homes.

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TANGO

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EPILOGUE

We had chosen to spend our time in Buenos Aires exploring different districts each day and including a performance of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue by the esteemed Buenos Aires Philharmonic in the world-famous Teatro Colon. We took a bike tour, wandered around the Sunday morning markets in Palermo, explored the museums and parks of Recoleta and the traditional market in San Telmo. We nibbled empanadas and stuffed ourselves on steaks and seafood, shopped for leather items and reveled in the excitement of being in the city during the 2022 FIFA World Cup season.

It will not be our only visit to Argentina. There is much we intentionally left to discover for the next time.