I feel like there are two types of people in the world, those that love to celebrate their birthdays and those that do not. I am firmly in the second category. I love celebrating others but hate the pressure of throwing a party for myself. What if no one comes? What if no one has a good time? Will people judge me for who is there or not there? Do I even have enough friends to have a birthday?
No matter how many people show up or how fun it is, the whole process gives me anxiety and I feel like it is never enough. The best birthday I have had in recent memory was my 30th, during the height of the pandemic. I spent almost the entire day on the phone, catching up with my favorite people. I loved getting to spend quality one on one time with each of them, regardless of how far away they were.
This year, I happened to be in Chile for work and was lucky to be able to hop over to Argentina and spend a week visiting Buenos Aires for the first time.
Buenos Aires is a city I have always heard is great for expats. Everyone says it is a fantastic place to live with a European feel. I love big cities and was curious about what I would find. It did not disappoint.
The most important thing to know before arriving is that you need to bring cash. Due to extreme inflation, most places only accept cash and it is hard to get. There is a daily limit for how much you can withdraw and many ATMs run out before the end of the day. When I went in May of this year, my purchases cost about double if I used a card instead of cash, and inflation is expected to increase up to almost 100% by the end of the year. For that reason, it is best to bring USD to exchange on the “blue market,” which is basically a nicer term commonly used for the black market, where you will get a much better price than exchanging at a bank or a currency exchange store. Bringing undamaged $100 bills will get you the best rate. I recommend watching this video for an explanation as to why inflation is increasing so rapidly in Argentina right now.
Everyone will tell you to stay in Palermo when you visit Buenos Aires. Palermo is a dense area full of bars and restaurants and cafes. It boarders the main open green area of the city which includes museums, an eco park, and different gardens. Palermo includes Palermo Hollywood, which has more restaurants and Palermo Soho, which has more shops, but really you can’t go wrong if you stay in this area.
La Boca is a must-see. It was originally an immigrant slum, where makeshift housing was constructed using corrugated tin and whatever other leftover material could be obtained from the shipping yard in the center of the neighborhood. Because of this, leftover paint from maintaining the ships was used to decorate the housing as well, leading to the distinctive patchwork of colors that are emblematic of the area. Today La Boca is a great place to buy Alfajores and see people dressed up and dancing tango on the street.
As one can imagine, there is no shortage of tango in Buenos Aires. I took some lessons in Palermo, and caught a delightfully over the top tango show in the downtown area. I also went to La Catedral Club. This converted factory building evokes the feeling of an eclectic hoarder creating a sprawling, hastily thrown together labyrinth with hidden rooms and vaulted ceilings. They offer classes, a show of more advanced students, and a milonga, or open social dance.
As I get older and start doing more touristy things and less going out and partying while I travel, I have found two tour formats that consistently spark joy are bike tours and food tours, or a cooking class. In Buenos Aires, I took a night bike tour of the downtown area which was a relaxed way to get to know the city and some of the history of Argentina. We stopped in front of a monument that had been converted into a memorial and peaceful protest against the mishandling of the pandemic by the government, such as pocketing COVID relief funds and government officials taking vaccinations for themselves and their families before the rest of populations was legally allowed to access them. Each rock represents a person who has died during the pandemic.
On my actual birthday, I was delighted by The Argentine Experience. This was truly the highlight of the trip. I ate so much good food the entire week, but this was my favorite meal. There is minimal actual cooking involved during the experience, while the charming hosts kept the group entertained by offering the history of Argentinian cuisine. This enhanced my appreciation of course after course of delicious food, including how to properly prepare your own mate.
I got a tip from a local that a very Argentinian thing to do is to go for pizza and see a show in the Corrientes theater district. I chose to eat at El Cuartito and catch the irreverent Kinky Boots at Teatro Astral.
I loved how much Buenos Aires has to offer. I spent a week but could have easily spent a year. I also learned that treating myself to travel for my birthday may be my new favorite tradition.
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