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.

Salta is the most colonial of cities in Argentina and the surrounding landscape and indigenous small pueblos make a visit of at least a week well worthwhile.

Hotel Options in the City of Salta

Arriving in the city in the afternoon is ideal so as to get to the hotel during the tranquillity of siesta. The evening and the following day will be sufficient to see everything in the city as it is mostly located around the main plaza, 9th of July.  I like the San Francisco Hotel or Bloomers for the proximity to everything and Legado Mitico for the design conscious. KKala hotel is absolutely lovely with a view over the city but is a fifteen minute walk from the centre. (See our map of the city of Salta for hotel locations)

Salta's San Francisco Church by bgblogging

Salta’s Museums & Cafes, a Walk & a Fair

If you are at the San Francisco Hotel you have everything within easy walking distance. Walk up Caseros past the San Francisco Church (check the Broadway musical curtains above the porticos). When you reach the plaza, visit the MAAM Museum (El Museo de Arqueología de Alta Montaña) to see the perfectly preserved Inca children sacrifices. Closed Monday. Entry 30 pesos. The café at MAAM is nice and has Wifi and a view of the sugarey-pink Cathedral. Also on the plaza – the Cabildo (government building) containing the museum of NW life and a good view from the upstairs terrace.  On the right hand corner is a modern art museum with a new café. (See our map of the city of Salta for locations)

Cable Car and City of Salta, by Emilia Garassino

For staying outside, walk along Caseros in the other direction from the hotel, past the old convent and left to Guemes street and the Guemes memorial (He’s a superstar around here for defending independence with his gauchos– his body is in the Cathedral). Take the ascending path – there is a small museum of anthropology – then walk up the 480 million year old Cerro San Bernardo for a good view of the city at the top (here’s a post about the walk). Take the cable car back down.

If it’s Sunday, Balcarce street for five blocks in front of the station is closed for strolling through the artesan market. With an extra day, take the 7E bus on San Martin outside the cable car to San Lorenzo. Walk in the cloud forest and have lunch by the river or in the castle hotel.

Eating and Music in Salta

There are two kinds of restaurants in Salta – the traditional parilla (grill) and the cocina de autor (innovative chef’s creations). El Charrua (Caseros 221) and Jovi (on the corner of Balcarce and Rivadavia) are my favourite parillas for steak also serving seafood. Monumental on the corner of Vicente Lopez and Entre Rios is very traditional in the smoking grill sense.

For a nouvelle meal, Jose Balcarce on the corner of Necochea and Mitre offers ‘Cuisine from the Andes.’ At Casa Moderna, Espana 674 (not at all modern – an old grocery) there is a bar-resto in the back for Spanish style snacking – have a bottle of Salta wine and some pulpo (octopus).

If it’s Salta it’s got to be folklorico. There are various peñas (folk taverns) on Balcarce. Or head a bit further out to  La Casona del Molino – take a cab up Caseros (20 blocks north of the plaza)- it’s full of locals and music.

Salta’s Spectacular Landscapes

After a day or two in the city, It’s time to see the varied coloured rock formations and try the local wines. There are two unmissable ‘circuits’, one to the north, the other south of Salta. Don’t even think of taking day trips and returning to the city at night, distances are large and the roads are small and you’ll want to enjoy the pueblos after the tours have left. To see everything in the area a minimum of four days is needed but six is ideal. The blog at Northwest Nomad Trips shows these trips in detail.

To the South, travel through the 65 million year old Quebrada de las Conchas to Cafayate and sample some Torrontes vino at the highest bodegas (wineries) in the world. 65km to the south are the Quilmes Sacred City ruins. From Cafayate a trip through the spectacular Quebrada de las Flechas takes you to unspoilt pueblos and to Cachi. From Cachi, you head back through the Cactus Park and a sometime hair-raising drive down the side of a mountain to Salta and on to the north.

Salt Flats or Salinas Grandes by zaqi on Flickr

The north is completely different from the south with highly indigenous adobe pueblos. Stay a couple of nights in Tilcara, where you can visit the 9^th century hill-top fort or Purmamarca for the Seven Coloured Hill (seen in the photo beginning the post) and drive up to 4200 metres above sea level and visit the Salt Flats.

The music, wine and food and the constantly changing landscape from rain-forest to high altitude desert is sure to enchant in Salta/Jujuy.

*This is our first guest blog post. I asked Tracy Johnson to write up a piece on Salta because our guests in San Telmo Loft that have booked tours with her company, Northwest Nomad, raved about Tracy and their tour.

Thanks, Tracy! We’re hoping to get up there next month and looking forward to seeing you again.

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.

Most supermarkets and even most restaurants here in Buenos Aires carry the exact same wines. After four years of living here, I’m totally burnt out on Trapiche and Norton and even the pricier ones like Luigi Bosca and Ruttini.

Plus, John and I do a lot of cooking at home. We tend to cook things we can’t find easily in Buenos Aires like Mexican food, Asian dishes, Indian cuisine, and, of course, Cajun food. Spicy stuff most of it, and Argentines are notorious for not liking spicy (they think black pepper is too hot).

We wanted to find a great wine to pair with the types of foods we love. We also wanted to taste it first. We would have to go to several places (and parts of town) to get the ingredients for our spicy shrimp Thai curry and then spend hours making the dish, so we wanted the wine to be the right one.

Daniel pours another glass.

So we went to our second wine tasting at Anuva Wines (affiliate link) because we were so impressed the first time (we blogged about it here). Anuva Wines only deals with boutique wineries and Daniel, the owner of Anuva pictured above, knows his stuff (see Anuva Wine’s Knowledgebase for tons of information on Argentinean wines). We came home with a bottle of Amadores Pinot Noir (not a very common varietal here in Argentina, the land of Malbec).

Wine Tasting at Anuva Wines

You’ll hear Daniel in our video below call this Pinot Noir a “dirty, dirty wine.” It does have an earthiness to it. He told us it would pair well with mushroom dishes (the more obvious choice) and spicy food. One taste and we knew we’d found a wine we’ll have again and again.

The pairing was perfect and we wouldn’t have gotten this suggestion from other wine tastings here in Buenos Aires. We’ve gone to a few tastings in wine shops here in San Telmo. But since they’re run by Argentines and since Argentines don’t really like spicy food, you can’t ask for suggestions on unique wine pairings. Every Malbec goes well with red meat. Pinot Noirs are great with cheese. But what to do when you feel like eating Mexican and aren’t in the mood for beer. The crew there at Anuva can tell you.

Delicious food is paired with Anuva's boutique wines.

Anuva’s Wine Club & Wine Store

Recently a couple who spent their honeymoon in San Telmo Loft wrote asking us to suggest an Argentinean wine they could buy to celebrate their first anniversary. Like here, most U.S. supermarkets carry the same wines and they wanted something unique. We suggested Anuva’s Wine Store because they hand select their wines and we’ve never had one that wasn’t great.

What are your favorite Argentinean wines? Where do you go to find great boutique wines?

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?

Some tango-loving friends of mine introduced me to La Jaula Abierta, a really cool spot for live music (watch our video below) here in San Telmo. It’s in a small, intimate bar right above Cafe Rivas on Estados Unidos and Balcarce, just a few blocks away from San Telmo Loft.

La Jaula Abierta has closed but the place is now called Arriba de Rivas and they are still putting on shows. Check the links in the paragraph above.

 For me, the show at La Jaula Abierta represents what I fell in love with about Argentina and why I moved here. Music. Spontaneous groups of all walks of people who are all musically inclined in one way or another. The first times I visited Argentina, I’d be invited to people’s houses for dinner or maté or whatever and inevitably someone would pull out a guitar. What amazed me though was that everyone, I mean everyone, would either sing or play an instrument at some point in the evening, which would typically last until sunrise (especially if there was enough Fernet con Coca around too keep us all awake).

Clearly many of the people at La Jaula Abierta are professional musicians, but others are more famous for acting and modeling. It’s sort of like getting an invite to a private party packed with celebrities who take turns on stage singing. And can they sing!

Live Tango and Folklore

The first song in the video is Yo No Sé Qué Me Han Hecho Tus Ojos (I Don’t Know What It Is That Your Eyes Have Done To Me) sung by Dolores Sola and my favorite performer at La Jaula, Rita Cortese, who also sings the second song in the video. You can read the lyrics and watch a video with Carlos Gardel’s version and some images of Gardel here.

This song is also the title of an Argentinean documentary about a famous tango singer named Ada Falcon. It was written by another incredibly famous tango singer and composer, Francisco Canaro about Falcon’s famous green eyes. Falcon disappeared from public life at the height of her fame. The documentary seeks to solve the mystery of her disappearance. There’s a great YouTube video about Falcon’s life, but don’t watch it if you are planning to watch the documentary (spoiler alert).

Argentinean Celebrities at La Jaula Abierta

The actress Rita Cortese at La Jaula Abierta

Each time I’ve been to La Jaula Abierta, Dolores Sola, Rita Cortese and Carolina Peleritti (pictured in the photo at top of post) act as the hosts. They’re playful and funny. Their interactions with each other and the audience really make it feel like you’ve been invited into someone’s home.

By far the best singer the night we shot the video above was Lidia Borda. That note she hits at the beginning of the song is out of this world! Here’s a video of Lidia Borda with Hernan Lucero, who also performs frequently at La Jaula. If you speak Spanish, the intro will give you an idea of the atmosphere of the place. The song they’re performing was written  by Hernan Lucero.