Walks in Buenos Aires - The Sidewalks

The city of Buenos Aires is a beautiful place to take long walks. The architecture variety that you will see around is outstanding. It is a very dynamic city, with traffic, and movement all around. You will notice that properties next to each other may or not have anything to do in terms of style with the properties right next to them. This happens because they might have been built in a different era... or just under different architectural designs.

Fruit shop in Abasto neighborhood

Buenos Aires does not have many restrictions in terms of architecture styles. Although the city restrictions have got tighter over the past decades, they still allow 'magic' to appear, and of course what has been built already stays. You will see 20-floor buildings next to one-story houses, different trees in any size, houses reconverted into stores, or restaurants, etc. The famous La Casa Minima is a good example of this diversity. Being only 2.5m wide and 13m deep it is the narrowest property in Buenos Aires. It is said that it used to belong to a slave who bought the property when freed in 1813.

La casa minima

The sidewalks in the city reveal this same variety, since it is almost impossible to find one block that has the same tiles all across the sidewalk. If you find one, please let me know.

Many sidewalks have quite a bumpy terrain. This is normally the product of big tree roots making their way into the sidewalk floor. Some roots even stick out in some parts, generating obstacles  This is one of the reasons behind the appearance of many loose tiles, which will squirt dirty water when you step on them. Be careful!

Also, depending on the time of the year, the sidewalks will be covered by different leaves, flowers, seeds and fuits. When spring starts in September/October a great part of the city gets covered with purple jacaranda flowers. It's really beautiful and my favorite time of the year.

Jacaranda flowers everywhere

Dog poop is another adversity that you may randomly find in the streets. Many Buenos Aires neighborhoods are recognized by the great amount of dogs per capita that they have. Palermo, Belgrano, La Boca, San Telmo and Caballito are among these. Even though there is an increasing number of dog owners collecting their dog poop, you will still find poop around... and you might step on it. It is not a huge deal, and some say it actually means good luck. So good luck!

152 bus stop in Nuñez - Atitude

Since some neighborhoods are more prone to floods when heavy rains occur, their sidewalks were built about 3ft / 1 meter above the street level. This of course would prevent water from overflowing sewers and street currents to get into the properties. If you walk around the neighborhoods of La Boca and Barracas you will notice these interesting tall sidewalks right away. In some cases, since the drainage infrastructure has been improved over time, some parts of these tall sidewalks were removed. Hence, high and low sidewalk parts coincide within the same block. It is quite impressive to see these areas, as you notice how the new and the old coexist with a few steps in between. This photo with a friendly dog will give you an idea of what I am talking about.

Elevated sidewalk - Barracas neighborhood

Inflation in Argentina - What is going on?

It is very complicated to actually talk about prices in Argentina. So complicated that the Argentine Minister of Finance Mr Hernan Lorenzino, had a very hard time responding to a very simple question: What is the inflation rate? See it for yourselves!

In this interview that Lorenzino gave to the Greek press, he starts by giving the official speech, indicating how well most economic indicators such as poverty, GDP, etc. have evolved. But when asked about inflation, the minister could not find a good response, he doubted a bit, hesitated, and feeling very uncomfortable he finished the interview by saying: "me quiero ir" - I want to leave -.   

Since the video was published, the hashtag #MeQuieroIr became trending topic. Lorenzino's attitude and the faces he made when hesitating made most Argentines laugh and realize why the Argentine politicians hardly talk to the local press.

The Argentine Minister of Economy, Hernan Lorenzino

The official annual inflation rate is now at 10.2%, but the real increase in retail prices is around 30%. Intense.

The government denied the problem during years but recently realized that something should be done. So they structured a price control scheme to alleviate the problem until the congress elections take place in October. The agreement established that all major retailers will not increase prices for 60 days, that all promotions and discounts will be eliminated and that no advertisements would be published in the press. The supply chain, and other goods and salaries were not included in the agreement, so the increase in costs would have to be absorbed by the retailers. That obviously cannot last for long... So prices went up before the agreement, some during, and now they adjusted heavily.

 

I will start to comment more and more about Argentine economics. In my custom tours I provide many figures and explanations to help you understand the economic present and future of this country. 

Please feel free to ask me any questions.

The Best Meat in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires has literally tons of parrillas -the typical Argentine BBQ restaurants-, but there is one that that will provide a real Argentine unique experience. Its location is far away from the tourist circles and its name, "Los Talas del Entrerriano", as difficult as it is, make it a worth trip to the outskirts of BA. 

If you ask random Argentines about this parrilla, most will tell you they have heard about the place and the ones that actually went will tell you it is the best meat in town. In fact, going to El Enterrriano, is all about meat.

The place, literally as big as half a block, looks more like a meat feedlot than a restaurant. It has 5 parrilla structures and a huge one is dedicated exclusively to cooking achuras -the parts of the cow that are not precisely meat, such as kidneys, guts, etc.-

The business started in the 80s when its owner, a man coming from Entre Rios - a northeastern province -, set up a small parrilla made from an oil tank by the sidewalk. The location was excellent, since it worked as a great food stop truck drivers and passerbys. With time and effort, the owner managed to buy the land in that corner and build the restaurant we see today.

There are a few things to consider about El Entrerriano:

• All of the things you can order are meat related, with the exception of a few salads, fries and desserts. Don't expect to see anything else in the menu.
• The best thing to order, by far, is the matambrito. It is absolutely great.
• All of the meat is cooked with leña -wood- not charcoal. This gives the asado a unique outstanding flavor.
• It usually gets pretty crowded. The tables are long, so you might end up sharing a table with other random people. This is not a common thing in Argentina, but happens very often at El Entrerriano as soon as more and more people arrive. It can be very enjoyable let me tell you.
• They only accept cash as payment. Be prepared!
• They open for lunch everyday from 11am to 4.30pm, and they only serve dinner on Fridays, Saturdays, and holiday eves. So, if you want to go, plan ahead!

One of the many parrilla masters

Meat cooked al asador