The holiday season in Buenos Aires is a blast, it’s the start of summer, after all. But travelers need to plan ahead, especially those arriving on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, or New Year’s Day. I wrote about Christmas in Buenos Aires last year, so let’s talk New Year’s this time.

My friends are renting out their apartment from Dec. 20 – Jan. 3 here in San Telmo. Check out their listing on AirBnB.

New Year’s Eve in Buenos Aires

First off, wear white. It’s summer here and tradition calls for white. But the very best advice I can give you for New Year’s Eve is to stay in the barrio (neighborhood). Transportation is the biggest challenge. Buses will run, but you could find yourself waiting for an hour or more for your bus to pass. Taxis? Forget about it. The ones you see will all be occupied or on their way to pick up another passenger. Last year I tried to reserve one ahead of time for a couple that was checking out on Jan. 1 and was told that no taxis would be running until 8am. You have to try your luck with the ones you find on the street.

So, you’re staying in the barrio, but you want to dine out. Reserve now. It’s common here for restaurants to offer up a special menu for New Year’s Eve with a very special price, too. Though you will find some that don’t charge your first born child for the pleasure of bringing in the New Year with them. If you’re in San Telmo, some swanky, fine-dining options are Chila and La Vinería de Gualterio Bolívar. Our favorite restaurant in San Telmo is Cafe San Juan, and next would be Caseros. All great options for a special dinner.

You might not want your asado to look like this, but it makes for a pretty picture.

A better idea for those on a budget would be to stay in and cook . If you’re staying in a vacation rental, take advantage of the kitchen or the parilla, if you have one. Then, after dinner, head over to Puerto Madero for some fireworks and then come back to Plaza Dorrego for the party.

Ni el Loro Queda

Me: “Naty, I want to write a post about New Year’s in Buenos Aires.”
Naty:  ”Ni el loro queda.” (translation,  ”Not even the parrot sticks around.”)

It’s true. The difference between Christmas and New Year’s in Buenos Aires is that by New Year’s Eve, lots of porteños (BA locals) are already at the beach. The city is half full. That doesn’t mean it’s not fun, on the contrary. It’s fantastic. Less traffic, more low-key, great photography opportunities, and there’s still plenty to do. Plus, in January the city puts on an awesome outdoor festival La Ciudad al Aire Libre. It’s my second favorite month of the year here (November is my favorite!).

John and Angela in Puerto Madero on New Year's Eve

Advice for New Year’s Day in Buenos Aires

1. Sleep late, very late.
2. If you can’t sleep late, go to church. It’s a cultural experience. And since it’s both a Sunday and New Year’s Day (i.e. most things are going to be closed), get cultural. Oh, and if you’re hungover, go to communion. The wine could take the edge off.
3. Rent a bike. Ok, I’m not sure the bike rentals will be open, but you could rent it on Saturday for all of Sunday too and ride all over the city trafficless.
4. Walk the empty streets with your camera, but keep your camera in your bag unless you’re taking a photo. Empty streets are popular with thieves and cameras and cell phones are hot items.
5. Head to a park or the Nature Reserve. It’s summer. Work on your tan. Read a book. Stare out at the river. Make your list of New Year’s resolutions.
6. Go to the San Telmo street fair. There will probably be fewer vendors, but there will be antiques vendors, artisans, street performers, and street food. What a great way to start the year!

Other suggestions I haven’t thought of? Add them below, please. Thanks.

Take an overnight bus to Iguazu. Bike from Patagonia to Alaska. Drive from North America to South America. Or hang out in Buenos Aires for three full months.

We’ve had some incredibly adventurous guests and many of them blog about their experiences. So, to say thanks to these guys for staying with us and to point other travelers to some of the best travel tips out there, let me introduce you to some of San Telmo Loft’s blogging guests.

Bike Across the Americas

Matt and Sylwia are cyclists riding from Patagonia to Alaska over the next two years. Never Tyred of Cycling is the name of their blog. Their posts all show up on one page, but go to the list of their entries on The Americas and check out their post on packing for such a trip. When they got here, I would have never guessed they had so much gear. Then follow their journey from Buenos Aires, to Iguazu, to Mendoza, and beyond. Last I read, they were entering Ecuador and headed to Quito.

Bicycles below El Chalten (Credit: Never Tyred of Cycling)

One of my favorite posts covers their thoughts on biking the barren and vast Pampas. These were the top ten highlights of the 500 km. they rode:

1. A fire’s smoke creating a cloud in an otherwise perfectly blue sky
2. A bird of prey standing on an alive sheep’s head
3. Gauchos with their cattle, spotted at some distance
4. Many shrines to St. Gauchito Gil
5. 2 dead armadillos
6. 7 dead owls
7. Golf course on the outskirts of Talalque
8. Lots and lots of cows
9. Lots of dead dogs
10. A river

Drive from one America to the Other

Rochelle, Nick and their gorgeous pit bull, Domino, spent a year driving from North Carolina to Buenos Aires and documented the entire adventure on their site The Ramble Writer. Some of my favorite posts are about the border crossings, their fun pictures in the salt flats in Bolivia, the post about making pizza while camping, and, of course, their post about The Pad and The Loft.

Rochelle in the Uyuni Salt Flat (Credit: Ramble Writer)

Be sure to look at her Guide to Buenos Aires. In the guide, check out the cute place they rented in Palermo before coming to San Telmo (a great idea, by the way, one week in Palermo and one in San Telmo).

Nick and Domino in Buenos Aires (Credit: Ramble Writer)

And if you’re planning to drive the Americas, get a copy of their book The Essential Guide to Driving North, Central and South America so you’ll know what to expect and how to deal with the unexpected.

Become a Local in 91 Days

Juergen and Mike (pictured with John and Angela at the top of this post) spend every 91 days in a different place and blog about the food, culture, people, music, language, architecture, street life, you name it, with humor and gorgeous photography. The For 91 Days’ coverage of Buenos Aires is so thorough, I’ve taken notes about things I had no idea existed. Their coverage of Bolivia is breathtaking.  And now they’re in Palermo, Italy, with posts beyond delicious and always informative.

Suggested Posts  

The portraits of two great local artists: Chancha via Circuito whose music is fantastic, and Alfredo Genovese whose fileteado work is stunning and fun, and so very San Telmo.

Alfredo Genovese (Credit: For 91 Days)

Their reviews of two of my favorite San Telmo restaurants: La Poesia which is down the road from The Depto. It’s a traditional cafe (bar notable, they’re called here) that serves food all day. A gorgeous setting and good standard food. Caseros which is down the road from The Guesthouse. I love this place, especially for lunch. Fantastic bread, beautiful setting, fresh lemonade, a simple menu of beautifully prepared, tasty food.

Steak at Caseros in San Telmo (Credit: For 91 Days)

The graffiti tour post is gorgeous. I took this tour a year ago and learned so much about the artists and the movement. And I love their impressions after having been here for a month. A fun read. Their photo reportages are wonderful. They always seem to capture the quirky, the beautiful, and the bizarre.  Here are their posts about The Loft and The Depto. They stayed in both.

From Asia to Sweden to South America

The Runaway Brit, Elaine, and her Swedish boyfriend, Nicklas, met in Cambodia and have been traveling together ever since. Elaine’s been keeping up a great blog for the backpacker, hostel-staying crowd filled with tips and beautiful scenery.

Elaine and Giang at The Guesthouse (Credit: Runaway Brit)

She stayed at and wrote about The Guesthouse. The picture above is of Elaine and Giang who was also staying in The Guesthouse. While chatting the first night of their stay, they realized they’d all met before while staying at a hostel on a lake in Cambodia. Small world. It’s not that surprising that they keep choosing the same places to stay.

Perito Moreno Glacier (Credit: Runaway Brit)

Be sure to look at her panamoric images from Iguazu and the lovely image of the Perito Moreno glacier on her Facebook page, and this great video of their whale-watching adventures in Patagonia. If you’re a budget traveler looking for fun and adventure, be sure to “like” her Facebook page. There are some great conversations about ways to cut costs and still have a wonderful adventure.

Buy a Car and Make it your Home for 9 Months

And our latest blogging guests, Kirsten and James left their jobs, Life Outside the Cubicle is their blog, to spend a year climbing mountains and traveling through South America while living mostly out of their car. They actually found us through Rochelle’s blog. Kirsten and James are pros at living out of their car and mountain climbing. I think they’re tied with Matt and Sylwia as the healthiest guests we’ve ever had.

Here’s their post about Getting Connected in Argentina and The Guesthouse. Stay tuned for their upcoming posts as they CouchSurf and drive through South America, leaving the cubicle behind for good.

Honeymoon in Buenos Aires

And the first blogging guest we had in The Loft, Katie of A Backyard Wedding. Katie’s blog about planning her backyard wedding on a budget of $10,000 US has remained popular years after Katie and Paul can no longer claim to be newlyweds. She’s a great writer with an amazing eye for detail and beautiful taste. Read her posts about Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, San Telmo and about returning from their honeymoon and her final impressions. They also took my absolute favorite photo of The Loft.

Katie and Paul on their Honeymoon in San Telmo Loft (Credit: A Backyard Wedding)

After Katie and Paul spent their honeymoon in San Telmo Loft, we had a year of honeymooners. Looks like next year may be filled with adventure travelers.

Got any other great blogs for travel tips in Argentina you’d like to recommend? Just put them in the comments below.

I mentioned the problem of counterfeit currency here in Argentina in an earlier post called 15 Money Tips for Travelers in Argentina, but the practice seems to be becoming more pervasive, so let’s update those tips and include a lesson on how to spot fake bills. (If you think you already know how, try our quiz to test your skills). 

Why the update? Well, our last guests in The Loft exchanged US dollars at the airport and were given 200 pesos worth of fake bills. At the airport! They didn’t realize they were fake until they tried to pay a cab driver with one. He handed it back telling them it was a fake.

I thought that the cab driver might have actually switched out their real bill for a fake one (that’s #7 on my list of 15 money tips). But they assured me that’s not how it happened and when we checked the rest of their bills, they had three fakes in total.

How to Spot Fake Argentinean Currency

Hold the bill up in front of a light. You will be looking for a couple of things as you do this. Have a look at these photos below. In both photos, the top bill is real and the bottom one is fake.

Real vs. Fake Argentine Pesos

The Watermark

You should see a clear and very well defined watermark of the face of the ex-president that’s on the bill. Look at these photos above. The watermarks on the top are well defined even in the shadows. The lines are clear and clean. The fake on the left is pretty good, but the shadows don’t have the definition. The fake on the right is pathetic. Also, be sure to flip the bill over and look at it from both sides. You can typically spot a fake watermark when you look at the back side of it because it’s been printed on that side and it isn’t a watermark at all.

The Initials

Below the face, you should see the initials of that ex-president. On the 100s, the ex-president is Julio Argentino Roca (JAR). The fake on the right (in the photos above) doesn’t have any initials at all. The one on the left has initials, but when you’ve seen enough real pesos, you can tell this one doesn’t look right. The letters are too thin and not enough light is passing through. The details overall are fuzzy.

An example of a really terrible fake 100 Argentine peso note.

How about in this one above? It’s an awful fake, but do you notice anything besides the watermark that’s different?

The Solid Line

Before you hold a bill up to have the light show through it, you’ll see a vertical line of silver-like dashes. On the bad fakes, the dashes are clearly painted on. Notice how when you hold the bill up to the light, the dashed line turns to a solid black line and it has writing on it. It should have the denomination of the actual bill on it, but it’s tiny and a bit hard to read. Look back at the photos above. Notice how in each case, the real bill (i.e. the top one) has a vertical line and each of the fakes on the bottom remain dashed lines.

Look closely at the strip. You should see the 100 denomination.

The Paper

The last way and probably most common first step in identifying a fake is to feel the paper. But if you’ve never felt pesos, you aren’t sure what the paper should feel like. I can typically tell when I’m holding a fake just by the way the paper feels. It feels like printer paper.

Rub your finger over the denomination (i.e. the 100, 50, etc.) in the bottom right corner. It shouldn’t be smooth. There is a slight roughness where the numbers are raised.

The Serial Numbers

And while this will only be a clue if you’re being given a few fakes together that were made by the same person, the serial numbers should all be different. The couple that was given 200 fake pesos at the airport got these two fifty notes. Both notes had the exact same serial numbers. The horizontal numbers at the top right and the vertical numbers on the left side should be the same.

Though this is a fake, the serial numbers at the top and on the side match. But if you are given two notes that end in 48C, there's a problem.

How to Avoid Being Given Fake Pesos

When you exchange money, check each note. Hold it up to the light right there in front of the cashier. Don’t worry that you’re taking too long even if there is a long line. Hold up each note and check it. If you detect a fake, hand it back.  Do the same when you’re given 100s or 50s anywhere. People will not be offended. Checking bills is totally normal here.

You won’t likely get fake money from an ATM, but if you do for some reason, you’ll need to go into the bank and see if they’ll change it. I’ve been here four years and I use ATMs all the time. I’ve never gotten fake money from one though I have heard that others have.

Quick update. Deanna commented below that she got fake bills from an ATM on Calle Florida.

And to keep a taxi driver from giving you a fake bill, you should do your best to pay with small notes and as close to the amount as possible. But when you have no choice but to pay with a 100 or 50 peso note, before you hand it to the driver, hold it up to the light so he can see you checking the watermark and strip. Then, remember the serial number (the last two digits and the letter) and tell him you’re handing him the note that ends in that number. He won’t be able to switch it out because the numbers will not match.

Take the Quiz: Fake or Real?

Do you guys have any other tips I missed? 

The Wines of Argentina has created a new promotional video with a stunning representation of what Argentina is about and what it has to offer. As the website puts it, Argentina is a country of contradictions: old and new, European and still Latin, urban and wild. Are you planning a trip to Argentina? Have a look at the immense variety of things to see and do in this land of contrasts.

The images and graphics show this gorgeous mix of the modern and the traditional, with astonishing natural beauty, authentic culture, food and wine, and a ton of pride. The final text, “overwhelming emotions: expressed to excess” really characterizes Argentina and Argentines for me. It’s part of why I’ve made Argentina my home for the last four years and why I plan to stay.

I first saw this video on The Argentine Post, an amazing resource that’s insightful yet brief.

Escape the cold and come down to Buenos Aires for the summer months. January is one of my favorite months because the city feels a bit empty. Porteños (people from Buenos Aires) take vacation in January either the first two weeks or the last two weeks. So if you’re here at the beginning, you’ll see lots of pale people waiting to head to the beaches. And if you’re here at the end of the month, everyone will be tan and relaxed having just returned from their days at the beach.

Some restaurants and shops close for part of or all of January, but there’s still plenty to do. Every summer, the city of Buenos Aires puts on an outdoor festival called La Ciudad al Aire Libre: Cultura para Respirar (The City Outdoors: Culture to Breathe). Rock, jazz, tango, theater, cinema, aerial tango dancers, I’ll highlight a few of the upcoming events below.

Outdoor Summer Festival in Buenos Aires

Free Outdoor Concerts, Cinema and Culture

Though it’s in Spanish, the official website is really easy to navigate, but if you’re from elsewhere it may be hard to know which events you should not miss. So here are the ones I’m most interested in.

In the Anfiteatro Constanera Sur (just six blocks from San Telmo) there will be free outdoor concerts throughout February. The ones I’m most looking forward to are Pedro Aznar on February 4 and on February 6, Javier Malosetti and Electrohope. Javier Malosetti is the son of the Argentine jazz legend, Walter Malosetti. His newly formed group blends jazz, blues, rock and swing with Latin rhythms and funk.

Also nearby are the events held at the Vuelta La Rocha in La Boca, which is mostly a tango affair. If you’re here, you should definitely go on February 13 to see Luis Salinas, a well-known Argentine tango and jazz musician.

Events are held in various locations around the city. The full list is here, with maps, dates and times, bus routes and more information about each event.

There are tons of events at the Anfiteatro Parque Centenario. I’m dying to see the aerial tango dancers which will be on Wednesday and Thursday this week, January 19 and 20.

Another show that’s just fun whether you understand Spanish or not is Circo Ludus, who will be performing at Polo Circo every weekend. The Polo Circo is close to San Telmo, in the neighborhood called Parque Patricios.

And if you’re up for outdoor cinema, the list of films showing at the Rosedal in Palermo looks great. On January 23, they’re showing Rompecabezas (Puzzles, 2009), by first time writer/director Natalia Smirnoff. It’s the story of a middle-aged housewife who discovers herself as she learns of her hidden talent and passion for solving puzzles. The film has received great reviews and has been nominated for several awards in film festivals worldwide.

The final event, on February 19, Tango Argentino, will be held at the Obelisco on Corrientes and 9 de Julio, downtown. The streets will be filled with tango music and dancers and summer-loving people like me.

Sunday Milonga in Plaza Dorrego, San Telmo

San Telmo’s Antique Fair and Sunday Milonga

If you miss the festival events, there’s always the Sunday Antique Fair in San Telmo. It’s great all year, but what’s best in summer is the outdoor milonga that takes place in Plaza Dorrego once the antique stands have moved out.

So if you’re wanting to see tango but not wanting to see show tango, this is a great option. The tables and stands are moved and locals and tourists come out ready to dance. A DJ plays loads of tango and mixes it up with some hip-hop and rock when he wants to liven up the crowd.

If you do go to the events, come back to comment and let us know what you thought of them. Outdoor festivals in summer should happen everywhere if you ask me.

So you’re coming to Buenos Aires for Christmas and New Year’s. What to do? First, pack shorts, a bathing suit and sandals cause it’s hot. Second, beat the heat by taking siestas so you can stay out late like the porteños (Buenos Aires residents) do. And third, visit Tierra Santa.

Here’s what we’ll be doing on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I’m heading to the market before noon (as most stores will close at noon) to buy the supplies for the Christmas Eve asado (barbecue). On our list are several kilos of beef, several bottles of red wine, salad fixings, appetizer tidbits, champagne to uncork at midnight and pan dulce.

Pan Dulce from Sugar and Spice in Palermo Hollywood.

Pan dulce is the Argentine Christmas desert. The best ones in the city come from Sugar and Spice. I’m hoping we’ll have some left over to dip in my coffee on Christmas morning. If you want to have a go at making your own pan dulce, try Katie’s recipe.

What You Should Know about Christmas Eve in Buenos Aires

1. Most of the city will close around noon on Dec. 24. Lots of restaurants will be open for lunch and some of the smaller supermarkets will stay open until around 7pm.
2. Transportation will be the biggest challenge. Until 10pm the buses should run on their regular schedule. Then on Christmas day starting at 2pm, they’ll be back on a regular Sunday schedule (fewer buses). Taxis will also be challenging. If you need a taxi, try calling one of the Radio Taxi numbers below though the line will likely be busy for quite a while. Taxi Premium – 4374-6666 or 5238-0000 or City Taxi – 4585-5544. The best advice I can give is to stay close enough to home to be able to walk back.
3. Argentines will likely have dinner with the family and pop some champagne at midnight before heading out to watch the fireworks around the city or to a private party until the sun comes up. You may find some street parties in San Telmo. Join in if you do!
4. Have a big lunch and then buy some food to tie you over until bars and pubs open up after midnight. Nearly all restaurants will be closed for dinner.

Christmas Day in Buenos Aires

On Christmas Day we’re going to Tierra Santa. We can’t resist the temptation. Tierra Santa is a religious theme park in the northern part of Buenos Aires. You can watch the story of the creation, see depictions of Jesus’ life in full size, and watch performances of dancers doing something I can’t really place, but it’s still impressive.

More places will be open on Christmas Day than on Dec. 24. There will also be more fireworks. After all, we’re marking the beginning of the summer here and in just a few days the city will empty out as people head to the beach. Ah, January. Light traffic makes for great photography.

Wishing all of you a very merry Christmas and a prosperous, happy and healthy New Year.

Rowdy folklore and dancing, skillful horsemanship, manly gauchos (Argentinean cowboys), inexhaustible amounts of grilled meat, empanadas, and other regional foods, fairly priced and beautifully handcrafted arts & crafts. Oh, yes. I do love the Feria de Mataderos. It’s one of my favorite Sunday activities in Buenos Aires. Watch our video to see if you want to add Mataderos to your list of things to do in Buenos Aires.

John and I went to the fair with an Argentinean friend and one of our long-term guests staying in The Pad. It was the first time any of them had gone. Sole laughed when I asked if she’d been to the fair before. “No, that’s for tourists, not porteños,” she said. Once we arrived, she realized her mistake. There are a few tourists, only those who’ve found the one paragraph most guidebooks devote to the fair or those who know someone here who has recommended it. But these are not your average tourists. Though we also didn’t see many average porteños (Buenos Aires locals) at the fair either.

That’s a large part of the beauty of the weekly Feria de Mataderos. It’s a neighborhood fair held for people who love folklore (Argentinean folk music) and it’s unlike anything you’ll find in the city.

Mataderos (i.e., Slaughterhouses)

Map of the barrios of Capital Federal

The neighborhood the fair is named after, Mataderos, is where the city meets the country. It’s one of the last barrios (neighborhoods) still inside the district of Capital Federal and in the past this was where the cattle was brough in from the provinces to be slaughtered and distributed to the rest of the country. In fact, Mataderos means slaughterhouse in Spanish. This neighborhood is also called Nueva Chicago because it share its slaughterhouse role with its U.S. counterpart.

Smoke from the grills and a stack of chorizos.

While the slaughterhouses have moved elsewhere, the fair is packed with parillas (grills) and loads of meat. Just look at the smoke hovering above the stands and under the trees in our opening shot of the video and you’ll get the idea.

My favorite part is the music and dancing on and around the stage in the main plaza. The Sunday that we went was El Día del Niño (The Day of the Children). There were groups of kids performing traditional zambas and chacareras (Argentinean folklore rhythms) on stage.

Dancers performing a zamba on the main stage.

I love how the boys in the chacarera show off their fancy footwork. And the handkerchiefs in the zamba with the girls’ flowing skirts, their rounded arms and slight embraces is just beautiful. The group of younger kids (mostly girls) in the video are playing the traditional drum of folklore. It’s called a bombo legüero and these kids were fantastic.

Gaucha, clapping to the rhythms of folklore.

Around the stage you’ll see plenty of other couples dancing, too. Some are dressed in traditional gaucho wear; others are in boots and jeans. I don’t really know the steps, but I’ve often been invited to dance with a local and it’s not that difficult to fake some ability to dance if you watch the women next to you and just do as they do. Jump right in if the urge hits you.

Gaucho Culture

Gorgeous gaucho stirrups.

The fair really is a celebration of guacho culture. Just down the road from the main stage you’ll see gauchos on horseback in full gear. Beautiful gear. Their stirrups look nothing like the ones you see back in the States. Gaucho pants are called bombachas (which incidentally is also the word in castellano for underwear). They use either a sash-like belt or a leather one with fancy medallions and typically have a knife tucked in at their back.

La Carerra de Sortija, or the Race for the Ring.

At about 3:00 pm, a group of gauchos will start warming up on Av. Lisandro de la Torre for the Carerra de Sortija (Race of the Ring) where they’ll race their horse down the road, standing up as they reach a metal frame with a small ring dangling from it. The idea is to use the stick in their hand to pull off the ring. It’s pretty impressive.

Agustin, the youngest gaucho, races for the ring.

As is fitting for El Día del Niño, in our video only the youngest gaucho actually grabbed the ring.

Street Food: What to Eat

The asador tending to the barbecue.

The fair offers some of the best regional food in the city. But don’t expect to be able to ask for your steak to be cooked medium rare. The meat is slow-cooked with lots of hands tending the fire. You might want to try the vacíopan (flank steak sandwich) or the choripan (sausage sandwich). There are plenty of other options, too.

Stuffing the homemade empanadas.

Homemade empanadas, little half-moon pies stuffed with meat, or chicken, or corn (called humita here), or ham and cheese, or onion and cheese. If you want something more hearty try the locro (a corn-based stew which sometimes has tripe) and tamales(corn dough filled with a shredded meat stuffing and wrapped in husks; tamales here are never spicy).

Damon digs into some locro.

In the main plaza, behind the stage, there are lots of tables and chairs where you can actually sit down and have a glass of wine or a beer with your street food. And, of course, there are several restaurants with outdoor tables all along the streets of the fair. The food there is pretty much the same as in the stands, but you’ll have a waiter and you can sit and watch the show or the people for as long as you like.

Shopping: What to Buy

It reads, "Hold on to me tight and suck on me slowly."

Another great reason to go to the Feria de Mataderos is to buy gifts to bring back home. The prices are much better than in the city and you’ll find a lot of traditional Argentinean arts & crafts that you won’t see elsewhere. Maté cups (cups traditionally made from gourds used for the ubiquitous tea-like infusion gauchos drink) and bombillas (the metal straws with a filter that you drink maté through), handcrafted knives with elaborate details, ponchos made from llama or alpaca, cool wine racks made from horseshoes, handcrafted jewelry, toys, and candles, you name it.

Handmade jewelry stand at the fair.

There are also a lot of stands filled with local foods like cheese, alfajores (traditional cookies that are like a shortbread sandwich with caramel in the middle), marmalades and preserves, liquors made from eggs or chocolate or even dulce de leche liquor. And if you think you might want to buy some gaucho bombachas, this is the place to do it. Way better prices than in the touristy shops in the city.

When The Fair Takes Place

The fair takes place every Sunday (from April through December) and on Saturday evenings starting at 6:00 pm during warmer months (in February and March). It’s closed in January.

Getting to Mataderos

It’s a bit of a hike (close to an hour bus ride) to get out to Mataderos. If you’re in the Palermo area, you can take the 55 bus. If you’re in San Telmo, you’ll need to get to Retiro first and then take the 92.

You could also take a taxi if you don’t want to try the bus routes. Our taxi from San Telmo cost us roughly 40 pesos (at 10 pesos each it was probably worth it to get us out there early). We took the 92 bus back to Retiro when time was not an issue. I also just ran across a review on Trip Advisor written by a guy here in Buenos Aires that offers trips to the fair in his Lincoln Town car.

Other Blogs on Mataderos

Buenos Aires Tours has a great post about the Feria de Mataderos and some videos of gauchos in the Carerra de Sortija. And another expat blogger, Sallycat, has a fun write up about her trip out to the fair which ended up being a trip to the neighborhood as it was summer and the fair wasn’t happening. And lastly, Travel with Pen and Palate Argentina has a nice post with some wonderful photos of the fair.

Have you been to the Feria de Mataderos? What was your favorite part of the fair?

Today is the Day of the Boludo and that give us a chance to talk about Argentinean culture, yet again!

What’s a boludo, you ask? It’s basically an idiot, someone who’s not very bright. But the campaign for Dia del Boludo is doing its best to assert another definition: a boludo is someone who follows the rules. The opposite is a vivo, someone who’s clever and likely a cheat. Vivos look for opportunities to take advantage of others typically by breaking the rules.

Argentina is full of both boludos and vivos. But the culture sometimes seems to respect vivos more than boludos and that’s what the gang over at El Dia del Boludo wants to change. In fact, I pulled most of these quiz questions from their Boludo Testimonials page, which is full of people confessing to being boludos.

Happy Day of the Boludo! Try our quiz (15 questions) and then let us know in the comments whether you’d categorize the three San Francisco hippies in the picture at the top of this post as boludos or vivos????

Boludo or Vivo – A Quiz

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I‘ve been writing about soccer a lot lately and I’m not even a huge soccer fan. But I love the World Cup, and this is my first time being in Argentina during the World Cup. You really can’t be in Argentina right now and not feel the passion.

You also can’t be here right now and leave without knowing that Argentina’s flag is blue and white (even the stores are decked out patriotically). On May 25, Argentina celebrated its Bicentennial and last Monday was flag day. On July 9, they’ll celebrate Independence Day, so we’ve got a few more weeks of blue and white!

But back to soccer. Just what is it about soccer and the World Cup that makes people all over the world go crazy? I think Argentinean commercials do a great job of explaining the madness to those  who just don’t get what this soccer craze is. Watch these two ads with the ones we posted last week and two weeks ago, and I hope you’ll start to feel the craze, too (and root for Argentina on Sunday!)

A Sport for Everyone

In this spot from the 2006 World Cup, you’ll see your average guys pretending they can really kick butt on the soccer field (but typically not kicking butt at all). The point here is that soccer is something we all share and while we may not all be World Cup talents, the team represents all of those back home who would love nothing more than to be there, too.

The song is in Italian (soccer’s roots in Argentina come from the Italian immigrants) and it talks a bit about feeling your heart in your throat and a great adventure. Each time I watch this spot, I crack up at different parts. The guy who tries fancy moves and falls down, the attempted goal that hits the ref in the chest, the coach explaining the play to three guys who look totally lost. Hilarious.

The final words say, “Do it for all of those (us) who didn’t make it there.”

Love, Hate, Love, Hate

This one is a Quilmes ad from the America’s Cup in 2007. Two fans love and then hate and then love and then hate the team.

The final words say, “I love you. I hate you. That’s love.” And that’s soccer. And that’s Argentinean passion: love, hate, love, hate.

I Still Don’t Get Soccer

I’m not going to pretend I can explain the ins and outs of soccer, but that’s also not what I love about the World Cup. I mean, it’s not that I don’t care to understand how it’s possible that the US could have been robbed a goal (or two) by bad calls. I do care about those things when I’m watching the game. But that’s not the beauty of the World Cup.

For me, the fun is in watching all of these nations compete (a lot like the Olympics but not as time-consuming). Some nations are there for the first time and everyone is excited for them and rooting for them, to some degree. Some nations are going through difficult periods and everyone is hoping they can shrug off some of the humiliation of whatever it is they’ve been going through because we’ve all been there. Some nations are the powerhouses and you have to hope they lose (France and Italy this year) because they aren’t playing well and don’t deserve to be there. It’s shared globally and it feels good.

Want to read more? Discover Buenos Aires has a great post on World Cup Fever. And there’s another fun post at Road Games called Crazy for the Copa.

Are you a new World Cup fan? What do you love, hate, love, hate about soccer?

During World Cup matches, this tenth largest city in the world is silent and ghostlike. Want to know why they love it so much? We translate an ad about Argentinean futball and point out the cultural clues that help you understand why soccer is as great a passion as tango.

The game is on. During World Cup matches, when Argentina is playing, the streets of this massive city are empty and silent. Last Saturday, a friend and I were looking for a place for a coffee, but it seemed nothing (not even in swanky Palermo Soho) was open. The places that were open, were packed with people staring at the screen in silence. The only noise came during a good or bad play. “Ugh” or “Ah” or “Vamos! Vamos, Argentina!”

It’s nothing like watching sports in the States. The next two videos may help to explain why sports fans in Argentina are so different from those in the States.

Two Argentinean Passions in One Video

Fantastico! Seriously, aren’t they amazing? This was shot on Pasaje San Lorenzo right in front of the Casa Minima (which happens to be right up the street from our newest apartment which we’ll be announcing this week).

World Cup Horns

On Thursday morning, the sound of horns woke me up. Thankfully, it wasn’t those horrific vuvuzela horns (which I ranted about on my Facebook page), but I knew that it meant the same thing. Game time. I turned on the radio since I don’t have a TV. But the vuvuzela horns were so loud and annoying that I couldn’t really make out what the announcers were saying. If it hadn’t been a workday, I would have gone to Plaza San Martin to watch the match outdoors to watch the match on the big screen with hordes of others.

Watch the World Cup in San Telmo

If you’re in San Telmo and you want to watch World Cup matches, try Breoghan Bar, also on Pasaje San Lorenzo. We got a table there just before the start of the US – England match last Saturday and a table of Brits came in. When England scored, everyone in the bar cheered, then they looked over at the two girls from the States a bit apologetically. We didn’t expect to win, so the goal didn’t affect us too much. In fact, when the US scored, we weren’t even watching (so unlike Argentinean fans). Replays showed that it wasn’t a great goal, but we’ll take the tie.

Fantastic World Cup Ads

Here’s another World Cup ad that I love. The audio is in several languages with Spanish subtitles when it’s not Spanish. My translations with cultural references are below.  The reason I love these ads (this one and last week’s) is because they illustrate points about Argentinean culture that took me years of living here to figure out (the section below translates both linguistically and culturally the significance of the ad).

Ad from Torneos y Competencia – TyC Sport

It starts with Argentines complaining in a roundabout way about things Argentinean. Which brings us to the first cultural note: Argentines like to complain, but it’s more of a cultural art than a legitimate complaint. It doesn’t mean they don’t like their country, nor that they want to live somewhere else. It may not even mean that they want this thing they are complaining about to change. It’s simply that complaining, or being aware of their own national defects, is an understood, well-accepted part of being Argentine.

Spanish with English Translations

Tipo 1: Si me preguntas a mi esto no tiene arreglo. Escuchame, en Estados Unidos vos pones un pie en la calle y se paran todos. ¿Aca sabes que?

First Guy: If you ask me, this makes no sense. Listen, in the United States, you put one foot in the street and everyone stops. Imagine that here.

Culture: Pedestrians NEVER have the right of way in Argentina.

Taxista: Por ejemplo, en Suiza aunque sigas trabajando cobra la jubilacion igual, hermano.
Pasajero: Europa es Europa.
Taxista: Sí, Europa es Europa… pero aca no ligamos nunca ninguno.

Taxi Driver: For example in Switzerland, even if you keep working, they still give you your pension, brother.
Passenger: Europe is Europe.
Taxi Driver: Yes, Europe is Europe. But here we can’t get one break.

Culture Note 1: Taxi drivers are the best Spanish and culture teachers. They like to talk. They have strong opinions. They tend to talk about important subjects.
Culture Note 2: Everyone is everyone’s “brother” in Argentina. If you want a discount, call the vendor your hermano.

Potro: En España, agarrás una bicicleta, la usas, la dejas, y se la lleva otro.
Asador: Aca tambien se la lleva otro.

Cute Guy: In Spain, you grab a bike, you use it, leave it, and another person comes along to take it.
Grill Guy: The same thing happens here.

Culture Note 1: Don’t leave your bike (even locked up) when in Argentina. It will be stolen. Maybe in Spain bikes are part of the public transportation system. Here, they’d laugh in your face if you suggested that.
Culture Note 2: Sarcasm is alive and well in Argentina.

Primer Tipo: En Alemania, tirás un papelito, y se te acercan y te dicen “Señor, se le cayo esto.”
Segundo Tipo: Es cultural.

First Guy: In Gemany, if say you throw out a piece of paper, they’ll approach you and say, “Sir, you seem to have dropped this.”
Second Guy: It’s cultural.

Culture: Argentines don’t use trash cans. (Ok, that’s not 100% true, but there’s plenty of trash and dog poop dog on the sidewalks and even Argentines, who are used to it, complain about it.) In their defense, they do collect the trash every day except Saturday and there are lots of workers whose job it is to pick up the trash. But it would be nice if the trash wasn’t thrown on the street in the first place.

The next parts are in other languages. Basically, it’s Europeans talking about Argentina, or Argentinean soccer. Since the parts are already subtitled in Spanish, I’ll just write the English translations below.

First German Guy: It’s incredible. They throw millions and millions of papers every time the team comes out on the field.
Second German Guy: It’s cultural.

Culture: Argentinean fans are awesome (have a look at our video of the Boca Juniors match for an idea of just how awesome they are).

Guy (maybe Belgian, I’m not good enough in French to know): It’s just not important there. Whether they are wining or losing, these guys just keep on singing.

Culture: Argentinean fans are loyal to the bone. It’s not that they don’t care if the team is winning or losing; it’s more about loving the team no matter what.

Italian Guy: With a sock. I’ve seen them play with a sock. They grab it, they roll it into a ball, and they play in the street with this sock. It’s something I’ve never seen in my entire life.

Culture: Rich or poor, it doesn’t matter. When it comes to soccer, you play with what you’ve got because you love the game. It doesn’t even matter where you are, you can always find something to use as a soccer ball.

Guy (I have no idea what language he is speaking): His heel was the size of your neck and he played anyway.

Culture: Argentine players may throw themselves on the ground like weaklings after every other play (which I think they may have learned from the Italian immigrants that came here), but that’s just show. Even if they’re hurt, with an elephant-sized swollen heel, they play the game.

British Dude: If they lose, they don’t go to the cinema or to the theater. They do nothing.
Second British Dude: The fans?
British Dude: The fans and all the players.

Culture Note 1: Argentines feel a loss in their bones. They may be loyal fans who cheer whether their team is winning or losing, but if they lose, gloom and doom set in. After all, this is the home of tango, a pretty melancholic music, albeit a beautiful and passionate dance.
Culture Note 2: If you are here during important games, you had better hope that Argentina is winning, so you can go out and celebrate with them. Otherwise, you might want to go to the movies where you are assured you’ll get a great seat.

French Dude: These guys don’t play with their legs. They play with their hearts. With their hearts! I mean think about it, in every great team across the world, there is a great Argentinean player.

Culture Note 1: Ok, ok. Brazil has won five World Cups and Argentina has only won two. But…. but, if you look at the great teams, seriously great teams, around the world, there’s always an Argentine. And, the Argentine is always one of the best players. So, while Argentina may not be able to get it together as a team, they have the best players in the world.
Culture Note 2: We are the best!

There you go. That’s your cultural lesson for the week. Seriously, these ads are giving me such magnificent ways of showing parts of the culture here (even if we all know these are stereotypes and you can find tons of people who’ll dispute them).

What say you? If you have some experience with Argentina, do you think these cultural clues from the ad are accurate or not?