Up early this morning after a night of tossing and turning. I’m to meet Sebastian, my guide for the day, in the La Boca district at 9am and it’s a 50 minute walk from my hotel. I lose track of time sorting my camera bag and have to inhale my breakfast before running out the door. I end up being a few minutes late as I become distracted by some beautiful old buildings along the way.
Sebastian is a high school history teacher and works for Buenos Aires Tours as a side gig, along with teaching history at the University in Spanish and English. He’s a young looking twenty-seven year old who is a self-proclaimed “history nerd”. I instantly like him and know we’re going to have a special day. He has our route planned based on the information I had provided to Juan, the owner of the tour company, and has included a lunch stop for us to sample the best empanadas in Buenos Aires.
We start with the neighbourhood of Caminito that used to be the old port area and now is an explosion of colour. The houses were constructed by the immigrants and an artist revived the area by painting the houses bright greens, reds, blues and yellows. Local artisans sell their wares in the streets, souvenir shops are filled with trinkets and several restaurants will open in the early afternoon for a bbq lunch. As we’re wandering the area we come to a restaurant called, Gran Paraiso, and Sebastian begins speaking with a man out front that is cleaning the entrance. He happens to be the owner and invites us to come back in 10 minutes to view the inside. Just looking inside the windows I can tell this place oozes character and we both eagerly accept the invitation. Upon our return, the chefs are preparing the smoker for the lunch rush and the tables are being set with red and white checked tablecloths. A lilac tree’s branches drape over half the courtyard and provide shade on a hot day. The restaurant is comprised of patio seating on two separate levels. The second level is accessed by a narrow spiral staircase and we find a tiny room filled with antiques that overlooks a colourful lane. The owner explains that he and his brother purchased the building in 2008 (I’m guessing at the year) and it took six years to restore it before they could open for business. They’re only open for lunch and serve the best bbq in the area. They offer an authentic experience with only fresh, local ingredients. Even though I don’t understand Spanish, I hear the passion in his voice and his love for the business. We thank him for his hospitality and continue on our way.
As we’re waiting for the city bus, an elderly gentleman speaks to Sebastian while pointing at me. I think I already know what the issue is. I have my camera hooked to the exterior of my bag. The gentleman is concerned that my camera will be swiped when we’re on the bus. I show him that it’s very secure and if someone attempted to take it, they’d be taking me along with it. Sebastian explains this to him and he shrugs. He’s made the effort to assist the stupid tourist from getting ripped off and now he’ll continue on with his day. We thank him for his concern and hop on the bus to the San Telmo district.
San Telmo is the oldest district in Buenos Aires and I’m in love with the architecture. One thing I’ve noticed in this city…it seems to be having an identity crisis. The buildings are French, New York, Roman and pretty much every other country or city, inspired. It’s ten different cities in one. Sebastian takes me to one of the coolest and most unique restaurants I’ve ever seen, Napales. It isn’t open yet but the staff allow us to explore inside and I can’t believe what I’m seeing. The warehouse space is filled, absolutely filled, with antiques. Every kind of antique including cars, motorcycles, statues, bikes, clothing…I‘ve never seen anything like it. The tables are interspersed among the antiques in such a way that you feel like you’re in a house and not a restaurant. If I ever come back to Buenos Aires, Napales will be my first stop for dinner.
We continue on and find another restaurant that allows us entry despite not being open yet and it looks like an old tavern with a metal caged room where the cash register is and metal bars separating the kitchen from the eating area. Apparently the bars were to keep the brawling patrons out of the kitchen area. Antiques cover the walls including a pair of leather stirrups that I imagine a gaucho using.
My stomach is starting to rumble so we head to San Telmo Market which sells fruits and vegetables, fresh meat, clothing, and leather. The centre area has numerous food stalls with stools for seating. This is where we find the best empanadas in town and we purchase two each. I get a traditional meat, potato and tomato filled one along with a cheese filled one. Delicious! We meet a young guy traveling on his own from Austin, Texas and we chat about the local economy and how difficult it is for Argentines to make a living with out of control inflation and a fluctuating economy. A gentleman approaches Sebastian as we’re leaving and points at my camera and I interpret that he also thinks I’m an uniformed tourist and I am going to get my camera stolen. We thank him for his concern and I say to Sebastian that I think it’s great that the locals are looking out for the tourists.
Now that our stomachs are satiated we walk to Plaza de Mayo to see the Mother’s March in front of Casa Rosada, the President’s office. Prior to the march we stop at an outdoor cafe and sample a lemonade and brownie. Sebastian asks the waitress, in English, what size the lemonade is and she laughs.
“Sebastian, why are you speaking English to her?”, I say laughing.
He’s gotten so used to speaking English with me all day he forgot to switch to Spanish.
We head to the march once we see people gathering. I won’t get into anything political, but the Mother’s March happens every Thursday at 3:30pm and it’s in acknowledgement of the people, including children, that were taken during the military dictatorship. The people disappeared and the families, to this day, have never seen them again. Pregnant women that were seized, had their newborn babies removed and given to families that supported the dictatorship.
We continue on to the Puero Madero district that’s situated along the river, and has the city’s newest skyscrapers. This area also used to be an old port but was closed once ships started carrying containers and they had no where to store them. It’s since been revitalized and now has a beautiful boardwalk with high end restaurants, expensive condos and the famous pedestrian bridge, Puente de la Mujer (Bridge of the Woman).
As we’re walking back to Plaza de Mayo to catch the subway, I smell sugary goodness and Sebastian explains it’s peanuts coated in caramel that the locals are selling on the street corners. We walk past a gentleman selling some but I tell Sebastian I don’t need any snacks. Ahead of us are three young guys that have just bought a bag and Sebastian asks them for a couple for me to try. They eagerly give him a handful, which I’m shocked at, and I pop some into my mouth. Oh my! Amazing! They’re still warm and the caramel crunches and sticks to my teeth. I realize my mistake and promptly buy two bags from a woman selling them on the next street corner. Snacks for the upcoming bus ride!
We hop on the subway and part ways at our stop. Sebastian is off to teach his class and I want to find El Ateneo Grand Splendid, a theatre opened in 1919 that has been converted to a book store. I find the shop and it’s pretty splendid. I wander the stacks for a bit and then make the long trek back to the hotel.
My legs are tired, my feet ache, and my shoulder muscles are sore but what a day! I couldn’t have experienced all of that on my own and I’m feeling so grateful to Sebastian for showing me a part of his beautiful city. He sends me a text after his class and tells me,
“I want you to know that it happened again. I said hello, how are you doing to the French students in English!”
