my study abroad experience in argentina
Buenos Aires is offering a lot of different things to do. Most of all the city is famous for it’s many places to go out and dance or listen to tango, eating meat and drinking wine or all it’s many other cultural activities that are here. In addition to these you also have many other options of activities to do like studying Spanish. Maybe you feel like doing something more sporty and physical? Here I will introduce you to the places of going climbing in the city and around.
I am normally going to a boulders place called Centro Andino Buenos Aires, which is located very central, close to the microcentro at: Avenida Rivadavia 1255. This is a nice but small place, which is open from 17-22 Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and 11-22 Tuesday and Thursday and it is only 50 pesos for a day and 350 for a month. If you haven’t tried bouldering before, then for you to know, you don’t use any ropes but instead the walls are not too high and you have thick mattresses underneath to jump down to. This place doesn’t have the easiest routes but it is still worth a try. Furthermore they have shoes for you to borrow, which makes it very easy to come and try. It is a super funny but hard physical activity where you get to use all muscles in your body. Definitely a really nice workout after eating too much of the Argentinian extreme cheesy pizzas and drinking beers.
Another really nice place to go but for rope climbing is Perú Beach in San Isidro at: Elcano 794 (Perú), Acasuso. To go there you will have to take the train from Retiro to Acasuso and then walk from there. It is just next to the beach and has a lot of other activities and a bar available as well. Here you can also do “ice” hockey, different kinds of watersports, football or just chill out by the beach or in the bar and restaurant.
As in the boulders place then you can also here rent ropes, shoes and harnesses. Different from bouldering, then you will have to find someone to climb with that know how to, or ask the guys at the place to help you. They also have climbing for kids to try.
For other places there are a place called Escalada Rustik at Pasaje Rufino 3086 (una cuadra Av. Congreso y Av. Triunvirato) Villa Urquiza, CABA, which I still look forward to explore. This place is also a boulders place but bigger than the other one and a bit more expensive.
Last but not least then Argentina is a country with a rich nature and great possibilities to go mountain climbing, so why not train a bit while staying in the city!
I am normally going to a boulders place called Centro Andino Buenos Aires, which is located very central, close to the microcentro at: Avenida Rivadavia 1255. This is a nice but small place, which is open from 17-22 Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and 11-22 Tuesday and Thursday and it is only 50 pesos for a day and 350 for a month. If you haven’t tried bouldering before, then for you to know, you don’t use any ropes but instead the walls are not too high and you have thick mattresses underneath to jump down to. This place doesn’t have the easiest routes but it is still worth a try. Furthermore they have shoes for you to borrow, which makes it very easy to come and try. It is a super funny but hard physical activity where you get to use all muscles in your body. Definitely a really nice workout after eating too much of the Argentinian extreme cheesy pizzas and drinking beers.
Another really nice place to go but for rope climbing is Perú Beach in San Isidro at: Elcano 794 (Perú), Acasuso. To go there you will have to take the train from Retiro to Acasuso and then walk from there. It is just next to the beach and has a lot of other activities and a bar available as well. Here you can also do “ice” hockey, different kinds of watersports, football or just chill out by the beach or in the bar and restaurant.
As in the boulders place then you can also here rent ropes, shoes and harnesses. Different from bouldering, then you will have to find someone to climb with that know how to, or ask the guys at the place to help you. They also have climbing for kids to try.
For other places there are a place called Escalada Rustik at Pasaje Rufino 3086 (una cuadra Av. Congreso y Av. Triunvirato) Villa Urquiza, CABA, which I still look forward to explore. This place is also a boulders place but bigger than the other one and a bit more expensive.
Last but not least then Argentina is a country with a rich nature and great possibilities to go mountain climbing, so why not train a bit while staying in the city!
From Denmark to Argentina living in Buenos Aires
What to see when visiting Argentina
Almost always the first question I get asked when saying that I am living in Buenos Aires is: “so how do you like it here?” My answer is of course: I love it, and especially the warm weather. As a Dane the weather here is definitely an advantage, even though it gets even a bit too hot in the summer. In Denmark we don’t see the sun everyday and I think because of this we are simply excited about seeing the sun whenever it comes. It has been hard for me that the most Argentines prefer having family gatherings and dinners inside with the curtains covering the windows. It feels so weird to me because we would always stay outside to catch whatever sun we can get. Obviously it is different here, as they are so used to having the sun and even too much many times.
The warm also shapes the culture and makes the late evenings preferable to have dinners and hang with your friends and family. I like it now, but when I first arrived I found it very difficult to stay up this long and eating this late. I was used to sometimes to go to sleep at the time we are having dinner here. Actually it took me a few month to get used to. For sure it is also helping me that you don’t start work or school at eight most places as I am used to but a little later. This gives you a bit more time to sleep in. However I am still quite tired many days because of going late to sleep.
I think I have changed slightly some behaviours. You kind of have to change some, as it is not possible to do exactly as you are used to at home in your country. I am used to cooking a lot and I really enjoy it. I do cook here as well a lot but different stuff. The change is due to the different availability but most of all because I am living with my boyfriend and two other girls all from here. Their taste is simply different from what I am used to. I know I am not the only one who has discovered that for example the most doesn’t like spicy food but also many exotic spices as well. The taste of the most is very simply compared to what I am used to. I like to cook stuff that I like but also very much what the people around me like. I cook much more pizza and pasta and much simpler than what I am used to do. Also, there are things that just taste different here - possible because of the water here. For example I really can’t make humus here, which I am used to do all the time back home. I gave up now as it really doesn’t taste good to me. You have probably also noticed the weird taste in the coffee many times. Many times I can taste the chlorine from the water, which is used to make the coffee. The chlorine is so strong to me in the water here but I though still drink it as I don’t want to buy water all the time.
Another thing is that I am eating much more sugar because people around me eat more sweet stuff. Often I have sugar in the coffee as more people do here and more small sweet biscuits and desserts. One day I found myself alone home eating bananas with dulce de leche. That day I found out that I had changed and slowly turning into being a latina!
The warm also shapes the culture and makes the late evenings preferable to have dinners and hang with your friends and family. I like it now, but when I first arrived I found it very difficult to stay up this long and eating this late. I was used to sometimes to go to sleep at the time we are having dinner here. Actually it took me a few month to get used to. For sure it is also helping me that you don’t start work or school at eight most places as I am used to but a little later. This gives you a bit more time to sleep in. However I am still quite tired many days because of going late to sleep.
I think I have changed slightly some behaviours. You kind of have to change some, as it is not possible to do exactly as you are used to at home in your country. I am used to cooking a lot and I really enjoy it. I do cook here as well a lot but different stuff. The change is due to the different availability but most of all because I am living with my boyfriend and two other girls all from here. Their taste is simply different from what I am used to. I know I am not the only one who has discovered that for example the most doesn’t like spicy food but also many exotic spices as well. The taste of the most is very simply compared to what I am used to. I like to cook stuff that I like but also very much what the people around me like. I cook much more pizza and pasta and much simpler than what I am used to do. Also, there are things that just taste different here - possible because of the water here. For example I really can’t make humus here, which I am used to do all the time back home. I gave up now as it really doesn’t taste good to me. You have probably also noticed the weird taste in the coffee many times. Many times I can taste the chlorine from the water, which is used to make the coffee. The chlorine is so strong to me in the water here but I though still drink it as I don’t want to buy water all the time.
Another thing is that I am eating much more sugar because people around me eat more sweet stuff. Often I have sugar in the coffee as more people do here and more small sweet biscuits and desserts. One day I found myself alone home eating bananas with dulce de leche. That day I found out that I had changed and slowly turning into being a latina!
All about ARGENTINA food staples
Food Staples Argentina
love merienda and that’s why I would like to share this with you. Merienda is one of the 4 most important meals, which should not be skipped. It is the kind of afternoon tea that the Argentinians are taking around 17-19 o’clock after coming home from school or work. It is a small get together of friends or family to spend a cozy time either at home, in a café or in a park. As the Argentinians normally eat quite late in the evening, this little meal is needed not to get too hungry before dinner time. Normally it consists of maté, coffee or tea and medialunas or other sorts of facturas, toasts, bread or crackers with dulce de leche, butter or marmalade or biscuits. You probably have seen, when passing by cafeterias or bars that they have a “promo” of café con leche con 2-3 medialunas or “café con leche con medio tostado y un vaso de jugo”. These promos usually consists of a coffee with milk, a little glass of sparkling water (soda), a glass of orange juice and a toasts with cheese and ham. I love to go once in awhile to get this in a nice cafeteria with my boyfriend or a friend. Here is an example of a traditional tostado:
If you pass by one of the many parks in the summer around merienda time, you will often see it full of people sitting in the grass drinking maté and eating facturas or biscuits. I simply love when you get a touch of the cultural habits here. To me Buenos Aires is very European, and if you don’t know any locals it might be difficult to see these cultural habits. The merienda has also been my savior in the beginning when I arrived.
I was used to having my dinner around this time (18-19) in my country, which means that for me not to eat before 22 o’clock was extremely difficult in the beginning. Maybe that’s also why I have this warm relationship with this little meal.
If you don’t know anyone here who can invite you for a merienda then I will recommend you to go to a cafeteria to try get it.
For places to go to get merienda, you could go to cafe Tortoni in Avenida de Mayo 825 in the Microcentro. It is one of the classical old cafeterias in Buenos Aires, which is super cool. Although it is a bit touristy because of the location it is definitely still worth a visit. Otherwise one of my favorite barrios with many cool bars and cafeterias is Almagro. I would recommend you to take a walk around there and to try one of the many places it has. Last but not least, San Telmo is of course a perfect place to find one of this kind places I am talking about. Buenos Aires is simply full of bars and cafeterias. I think it is nearly the city with the most places I have seen in my life.
Buen provecho!
If you pass by one of the many parks in the summer around merienda time, you will often see it full of people sitting in the grass drinking maté and eating facturas or biscuits. I simply love when you get a touch of the cultural habits here. To me Buenos Aires is very European, and if you don’t know any locals it might be difficult to see these cultural habits. The merienda has also been my savior in the beginning when I arrived.
I was used to having my dinner around this time (18-19) in my country, which means that for me not to eat before 22 o’clock was extremely difficult in the beginning. Maybe that’s also why I have this warm relationship with this little meal.
If you don’t know anyone here who can invite you for a merienda then I will recommend you to go to a cafeteria to try get it.
For places to go to get merienda, you could go to cafe Tortoni in Avenida de Mayo 825 in the Microcentro. It is one of the classical old cafeterias in Buenos Aires, which is super cool. Although it is a bit touristy because of the location it is definitely still worth a visit. Otherwise one of my favorite barrios with many cool bars and cafeterias is Almagro. I would recommend you to take a walk around there and to try one of the many places it has. Last but not least, San Telmo is of course a perfect place to find one of this kind places I am talking about. Buenos Aires is simply full of bars and cafeterias. I think it is nearly the city with the most places I have seen in my life.
Buen provecho!
What to do on a rainy day in Buenos Aires
Ah damn it is raining again…! That’s something you would probably hear yourself saying more and more in the coming months. Winter and rain is coming!
However fear not. I will here give you some suggestions to how to make these rainy days almost to be your favorite ones.
As of being from Denmark where you never know when it will start raining I know how to find joy in even the worst weather. I am used to all year around that rainy, windy and cold days could come. We even made a word for the time when we are sitting inside and having a cozy time. However now it is not about Denmark but lovely Buenos Aires.
First of all Buenos Aires is probably the city in the world with most coffee places and bars in the world, and that was even before Starbucks came to the city (recently). The places are even really nice and in an very Argentine style, which I think makes them very special and an important part of your visit here. Therefore it can even be an activity in itself to go to a small café/bar to have a café con leche y medialunas and maybe with a good book. Oftentimes I find the mozos (waiters) are so kind and are happy to talk. I love when I am going alone, especially when I am the only one to speak, to have these small talks. Maybe you could also find a language exchange partner who you could spend many hours talking to on the rainy days in a cosy space. Suddenly the rainy days get super practical in a good ways! I would recommend you to try Cafe Tortoni, Confiteria del Hotel Castelar, Confiteria La Ideas or Bar Seddon. Though these are just a few example as many more fantastic places exist.
However if the book should be the main activity instead of the coffee, then I would recommend you to go to “Libreria Ateneo”, which is a huge, old and beautiful bookshop. The place used to be a theater and later a cinema. In 2008 it was even nominated as the second most beautiful bookshop in the world. In the end of the room at the old stage is located a really nice small café. I would say that you easily could spend some good rainy hours in there looking at books and music, and drinking coffee in this beautiful place. It is located in the centre at Avenida Santa Fe 1860 and looks like this:
Secondly I would on a rainy day be going to one of the many cinemas. You could go to one of the big ones with the world movies, such as in Abasto mall. Normally there is a cinema in the top floor of the big shopping centers. Another possibility now you are in Buenos Aires is to go to one of the small cinemas that show smaller Argentinian movies. There are a few, for example INCAA cine or Bama Cine Arte - both located in the centre. If you go to one of these you get to practice your Spanish, you get to see some Argentine movie culture and you save some money, as it is very cheep.
The rainy days could maybe also be the days where you should try to go to the Teatro Colon - the national opera in city centre located at Tucuman 1171. You can get tickets fairly cheap if you are okay about standing tickets in the top of the opera. The easiest way will be to go there and ask for tickets. It is also possible to get a 50 min guided tour inside the building for 180 pesos in the time between 9 am and 5 pm everyday including holidays.
Or you could go to Casa Rosada for a 60 min guided tour inside. It is open for tourists all weekends and holidays and new tours starts every 10th minutes. Next to Casa Rosada is Museo Del Bicentenario, which is showing the country’s history since the independence. This museum does also not have an entrance fee so why not try that too. The opening hours here is 11 am to 6 pm.
Then there is also of course all the many museums to visit. A few must I would say is MALBA (modern Latin American art) at Av. Figueroa Alcorta 3415, Palermo, open Thursday till Monday 12 PM to 20 PM, Wednesday is a bit cheaper and opened till 9 pm. Tuesdays closed. Then also Museo de Bellas Artes (fine art), at Av. Libertador 1473, Recoleta, open Tuesday till Friday 12:30 PM till 8:30 PM, Weekends 9:30 AM till 8:30 PM. No entrance fee. There are simply so many, so I will rather let you check them out yourself and choose what you would like. On this page you can get an overview of all museums in Buenos Aires, openings hours and the cost of entrance: http://www.buenosaires123.com.ar/museos/guia-de-museos.php
And lastly you could also go to the planetarium in the parks of Palermo at Avenida Sarmiento 1425. The opening hours are 9:30 am to 5 pm. To get info about shows and guided tours I would recommend you to go there or check out their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Planetario-de-la-Ciudad-de-Buenos-Aires-Galileo-Galilei-oficial-123032174545916/?fref=ts Sometimes they have even music and dance shows as well and tickets are normally cheap and sometimes even for free.
Well, with all these things to do, it is almost just to hope for another good rainy day to come!
However fear not. I will here give you some suggestions to how to make these rainy days almost to be your favorite ones.
As of being from Denmark where you never know when it will start raining I know how to find joy in even the worst weather. I am used to all year around that rainy, windy and cold days could come. We even made a word for the time when we are sitting inside and having a cozy time. However now it is not about Denmark but lovely Buenos Aires.
First of all Buenos Aires is probably the city in the world with most coffee places and bars in the world, and that was even before Starbucks came to the city (recently). The places are even really nice and in an very Argentine style, which I think makes them very special and an important part of your visit here. Therefore it can even be an activity in itself to go to a small café/bar to have a café con leche y medialunas and maybe with a good book. Oftentimes I find the mozos (waiters) are so kind and are happy to talk. I love when I am going alone, especially when I am the only one to speak, to have these small talks. Maybe you could also find a language exchange partner who you could spend many hours talking to on the rainy days in a cosy space. Suddenly the rainy days get super practical in a good ways! I would recommend you to try Cafe Tortoni, Confiteria del Hotel Castelar, Confiteria La Ideas or Bar Seddon. Though these are just a few example as many more fantastic places exist.
However if the book should be the main activity instead of the coffee, then I would recommend you to go to “Libreria Ateneo”, which is a huge, old and beautiful bookshop. The place used to be a theater and later a cinema. In 2008 it was even nominated as the second most beautiful bookshop in the world. In the end of the room at the old stage is located a really nice small café. I would say that you easily could spend some good rainy hours in there looking at books and music, and drinking coffee in this beautiful place. It is located in the centre at Avenida Santa Fe 1860 and looks like this:
Secondly I would on a rainy day be going to one of the many cinemas. You could go to one of the big ones with the world movies, such as in Abasto mall. Normally there is a cinema in the top floor of the big shopping centers. Another possibility now you are in Buenos Aires is to go to one of the small cinemas that show smaller Argentinian movies. There are a few, for example INCAA cine or Bama Cine Arte - both located in the centre. If you go to one of these you get to practice your Spanish, you get to see some Argentine movie culture and you save some money, as it is very cheep.
The rainy days could maybe also be the days where you should try to go to the Teatro Colon - the national opera in city centre located at Tucuman 1171. You can get tickets fairly cheap if you are okay about standing tickets in the top of the opera. The easiest way will be to go there and ask for tickets. It is also possible to get a 50 min guided tour inside the building for 180 pesos in the time between 9 am and 5 pm everyday including holidays.
Or you could go to Casa Rosada for a 60 min guided tour inside. It is open for tourists all weekends and holidays and new tours starts every 10th minutes. Next to Casa Rosada is Museo Del Bicentenario, which is showing the country’s history since the independence. This museum does also not have an entrance fee so why not try that too. The opening hours here is 11 am to 6 pm.
Then there is also of course all the many museums to visit. A few must I would say is MALBA (modern Latin American art) at Av. Figueroa Alcorta 3415, Palermo, open Thursday till Monday 12 PM to 20 PM, Wednesday is a bit cheaper and opened till 9 pm. Tuesdays closed. Then also Museo de Bellas Artes (fine art), at Av. Libertador 1473, Recoleta, open Tuesday till Friday 12:30 PM till 8:30 PM, Weekends 9:30 AM till 8:30 PM. No entrance fee. There are simply so many, so I will rather let you check them out yourself and choose what you would like. On this page you can get an overview of all museums in Buenos Aires, openings hours and the cost of entrance: http://www.buenosaires123.com.ar/museos/guia-de-museos.php
And lastly you could also go to the planetarium in the parks of Palermo at Avenida Sarmiento 1425. The opening hours are 9:30 am to 5 pm. To get info about shows and guided tours I would recommend you to go there or check out their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Planetario-de-la-Ciudad-de-Buenos-Aires-Galileo-Galilei-oficial-123032174545916/?fref=ts Sometimes they have even music and dance shows as well and tickets are normally cheap and sometimes even for free.
Well, with all these things to do, it is almost just to hope for another good rainy day to come!
Recommended Spanish schools in argentina
vamos spanish academyVamos Spanish Academy is a Spanish Language School located in Av. Coronel Diaz 1736, Buenos Aires Argentina. They offer Group Spanish Courses, One to One lessons, TEFL Courses ,Accommodation and Homestay in the Palermo area.
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Salta spanish schoolSalta School is a small Spanish institution that offer Spanish Courses for international students. They have affordable prices and is locate near Salta Downtown.
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Learn Spanish in barilocheThere are many Spanish Schools in Buenos Aires, but honestly why studying there when you can take classes in Bariloche! This school is located in Pioneros road need lake.
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