I had high expectations of B.A. and I was a little disappointed. It is a very cheap place to stay (as is all of Argentina for the time being), but unfortunately it is cheap, dirty and chaotic rather than cheap and charming.
There are many very good reasons to come to B.A. though, not least because Argentina itself is well worth a visit. Fly into B.A. and you get a good-value introduction to the country, and a good base to go forth and explore.
The food here is a dream if you like meat - the beef steaks cooked on parillas are world-class, and will definitely not break the bank. Where else in the world can you get a top-notch steak dinner (with beers) for £5-6?
The city is also pretty rich in culture. You can find out a lot about Argentina's revolutionary past, and social conditions. I was surprised by the number of active demonstrations going on on what was just a normal day; this is representative of South America as a whole, as far as I can tell. Perhaps the most famous cultural export is the tango, which is both a style of live music and a form of dance. We saw one of the live music shows - drop into the Centre of Culture to see when shows are scheduled - and it was fantastic. If you go to B.A. and don't spend a night at the tango, then you've missed out.
It's not all good though. Unfortunately the city is not at all clean - dirty busses belch out thick black smoke, and most surfaces seem to be coated with soot. If you are heading on to the Andes afterwards (as I was) you will crave the fresh air. While in a place like New York the hustle and bustle is enjoyable, here it seems more intrusive, and if you're not particularly keen on big cities at the best of times, you will not like this. Stay here for a short while on your way to the rest of the country, however, and you can really get the best the city has to offer, without spending too long breathing smoke.
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Jul 30th, 2004
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