Two thrill-seeking days in the Argentinian Capital
After a very positive experience in Montevideo, we hopped over the Rio de la Plata river and flew the 30 minutes to Buenos Aires, our third planned stop. Unfortunately, immigration and customs required another complete plane and baggage search, which was done in the pouring rain. Unlike in Brazil, however, the Argentinians were much much more relaxed, and the entire exercise was much less painful as in previous stops. The handling, immigration and customs is always one of the first places where one can get an idea of how efficient, and well operating, a respective country is. Argentina is no different, and although we have had worse experiences, we have also had much better.
After a quick lunch at the hotel, we got ready and headed out for a three hour tour of the city. Particularly in places like Buenos Aires, a huge city on its own, three hours is never enough. However, Hernan, our guide, gave it his best with a lot of enthusiasm, positive energy and a military like schedule. We started off by visiting the Plaza de Mayo and the Cathedra Metropolitana. Subsequently, we headed to La Boca, a former Italian industrial quarter, and home of the Boca Juniors Football team. Characterised by the colourful houses all around, the area is one of the most popular tourist destinations. However, our guide strongly advised us against visiting the area outside of the tourist hours (1000-1630), to avoid getting robbed or, at times, even stabbed…
While navigating from one place to the next, the guide helped us understand the tough economic situation in Argentina, the political opinions in the country and the history of the city. He was very knowledgeable and passionate, which made the tour very enjoyable. We ended the city tour at the Ricolata Cemetery, a collection of very intricate, and beautifully designed Mausoleums. With up to four floors for coffins, these family graves have been used since the 19th century, and although very special, we had concerns about the smell that would eventually rise from the respective coffins. Our guide, however, made sure on numerous occasions to point out the chimneys and special features of the coffins. This evening, we met up with friends, and attended a tango show at the Faena hotel. The dance, a pure expression of emotions and love, was very interesting to see and witness and we had a fun evening (although the actual show could have been cut a bit shorter).
The next morning, we got up early, and headed out to Las Pampas for a special adventure. A very adventure seeking individual, Cedric, convinced us to go Sky Diving south of Buenos Aires. Having never done it before, I, along with RMF, were pretty nervous before the entire experience. This was best seen during our ascent to jumping altitude; while we were very chatty at takeoff, the higher up we got, the quieter we became as we realised there was no way out other than down. Especially when the door opened, and you could feel the strong wind, I looked down and thought ‘Why am I doing this to myself…?’. A few seconds later and I was on the air, enjoying the thrill and adrenaline of 40s of free fall. Despite the initial reservations, it was a fantastic experience that resulted in face-wide smiles in the entire group.
Still filled with endorphins from the experience, we boarded a Helicopter that took to our next destination. In a 50min flight over the Argentinian country side, we admired the endless cattle ranches, as well as the different suburbs of Buenos Aires. Once we arrived in Pilar, we visited a private James Bond Aston Martin Collection before being welcomed by a traditional Asado. The first Asado for three of us was a great experience that left us all in a food-coma afterwards. From pig skin, to Bird stomach and beef, all the food was excellent and very filling. To cap off our day, we rode horses through the Argentinian countryside (against their delight after such a large meal), and were educated about the game of Polo and all that encompasses it.
Argentina is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of 2,780,400 km2 (1,073,500 sq mi), making it the largest Spanish-speaking nation in the world by area. It is the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourth-largest country in the Americas, and the eighth-largest country in the world. It shares the bulk of the Southern Cone with Chile to the west, and is also bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, Brazil to the northeast, Uruguay and the South Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Drake Passage to the south.
Argentina is a federal state subdivided into twenty-three provinces, and one autonomous city, which is the federal capital and largest city of the nation, Buenos Aires. The provinces and the capital have their own constitutions, but exist under a federal system. Argentina claims sovereignty over a part of Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
The earliest recorded human presence in modern-day Argentina dates back to the Paleolithic period. The Inca Empire expanded to the northwest of the country in Pre-Columbian times. The country has its roots in Spanish colonization of the region during the 16th century Argentina rose as the successor state of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, a Spanish overseas viceroyalty founded in 1776. The declaration and fight for independence (1810–1818) was followed by an extended civil war that lasted until 1861, culminating in the country’s reorganization as a federation. The country thereafter enjoyed relative peace and stability, with several waves of European immigration, mainly Italians and Spaniards, radically reshaping its cultural and demographic outlook; over 60% of the population has full or partial Italian ancestry, and Argentine culture has significant connections to Italian culture.
The almost-unparalleled increase in prosperity led to Argentina becoming the seventh-wealthiest nation in the world by the early 20th century. In 1896, Argentina’s GDP per capita surpassed that of the United States and was consistently in the top ten before at least 1920. Currently, it is ranked 71st in the world. Following the Great Depression in the 1930s, Argentina descended into political instability and economic decline that pushed it back into underdevelopment, although it remained among the fifteen richest countries for several decades. Following the death of President Juan Perón in 1974, his widow and vice president, Isabel Perón, ascended to the presidency, before being overthrown in 1976. The following military junta, which was supported by the United States, persecuted and murdered thousands of political critics, activists, and leftists in the Dirty War, a period of state terrorism and civil unrest that lasted until the election of Raúl Alfonsín as president in 1983.
Argentina is a regional power, and retains its historic status as a middle power in international affairs. Argentina is a developing country that ranks 46th in the Human Development Index, the second-highest in Latin America after Chile. It maintains the second-largest economy in South America, and is a member of G-15 and G20. Argentina is also a founding member of the United Nations, World Bank, World Trade Organization, Mercosur, Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the Organization of Ibero-American States. Since January 2022 Argentina is an OECD candidate country.
Source: Wikipedia.org under https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina
