Buenos Aires Info lost in computer crash

[escorpion]

As Trilingual has noted above, some recent posts on BA were lost due to the recent computer crash. Serendipitiously, I had saved this material earlier as part of info collection on Argentina, so (at Tri's suggestion) I am re-posting here unedited (essentially a cut-and-paste of what was posted earlier).

 

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Subject: "B.A. UPDATE" Previous topic | Next topic

 

trilingual Tue Apr-20-04 04:28 PM

Charter member

2551 posts

#7964, "B.A. UPDATE"

 

 

I've been in B.A. all week with the boyfriend. He's gone back to Rio today; I'll stay here until 4/29.

 

This was the BF's first trip out of Brazil and he loved B.A. We went to the Magic Flute at the Teatro Colón (another opera queen is born!) and a very gay theatrical performance by the Caviar gang at La Casona del Teatro. Plus a few museums and the San Telmo antiques fair this morning. Lots of restaurants, including the gay Inside, the very gay friendly Filo, and the Mirasol steak restaurant in the Recova de Recoleta (where 9 de Julio runs into Av. Libertador). The BF, who's 26, checked out ALL the discos and liked all of them except Amerika. He especially liked Palacio on Friday night. Of course, the fact that he's tall, cute, Brazilian and brown-skinned made him a celebrity attraction in very white Buenos Aires, so he got lots of attention!

 

We stayed at the HoJo, which was very nice indeed. The room was large and comfortable, and the staff couldn't have been more accomodating. I spent the last three days with a rotten case of food poisoning or something, and self-medication wasn't stopping the problem, so I asked the hotel desk and they had a nice doctor there within the hour! All for the munificent sum of about US$15! The doc checked me over and switched medications. It took another day or so, but the problem seems to be over, although I'm eating light for another few days.

 

There's tons of things going on right now, including opera at the Colón and soon at the Teatro Roma in neighboring Avellaneda. The zarzuela season has begun at the Teatro Avenida. Lots of movies in town, as well, and the annual book fair, supposedly the world's fourth largest. Life is good! You'll enjoy yourself here, if you decide to visit. Just be reminded that the escort scene here, while available, doesn't compare to Brazil's, so don't come with overly high expectations. If you do that, you'll have a wonderful time in Argentina!

 

In response to Reply # 0

 

 

Thanks for the info. Have a great time.

 

the Cajun

 

craig.jens36 Mon Apr-19-04 05:07 PM

Member since Feb 19th 2004

1 posts

#7970, "RE: B.A. UPDATE"

In response to Reply # 0

 

Dear Trilingual, et. al.

 

I would first like to thank everyone for all their posts. This board has been wonderful. I have been a lurker on this site for a number of years. And this forum was instrumental in helping me plan my 5 week trip to BA and RIO last December/January. I had a blast so a MAJOR thanks you to all.

I belong to the minority club that views BA better than RIO. I like the heavy Italian influence and IMHO the men just don't compare with those in Rio. Also I’ll take the Amerika disco (and the huge darkroom)over the gay bars in Rio any day. Though I must admit the eye candy on the beach in Rio can't be beat.

Anyway the reason why I am writing Trilingual, is if you get tired of HoJos and if you want to help make a plug for two really, really sweet guys, I would like to be bold enough to ask you to check out

 

http://www.bayresbnb.com

 

Carlos (who does not speak English) and Marcelo (who does) run a first class B&B operation at 25/35 dollars a nite including breakfast. They and they alone were instrumental in making my time in BA so memorable. They know the scene. They took me and some other guest out on new years eve after inviting us to their family's dinner and just went over and beyond what one would expect. I even asked Marcelo to call my dream escort for me because he did not speak English (Sergio from soytuyo.com). This is not just another B&B, its getting the warmth, in-depth knowledge and friendly conversation if you want it. I was also able to meet some really interesting guys from Europe, Mexico and the US, some of whom I met later on when I went to RIO.

To be frank, I can rave all I want about this place, but this is my first posting and it may not be taken realistically. However, if it gets the trilingual seal of approval, it could mean a lot to Marcelo and Carlos, and I really do owe them so much for making my weeks in BA so fantastic.

Their establishment is located in Palermo, on the bus line and 5 blocks from the subway. There are lots of restaurants and shops nearby. What was so nice is I kind of got the feeling I was living there. Being out of the center, taking the bus and subway, getting all the insider tips.

 

If you decide to go, trilingual, tell them that andy from NY sent you. I am sure that they will remember me. I am not just plugging these guys but also providing a nice place for future M4Mers to go when they visit BA.

 

Thanks

 

Axiom2001 Mon Apr-19-04 11:51 PM

Charter member

1795 posts

#7983, "RE: B.A. UPDATE"

In response to Reply # 2

 

Craig,jens, I personally enjoyed another's view of his experiences in BA. You're definitely entitled to present a different take on the places and the people involved when writing here, As you've noted-- there is a variety of experiences as well as views shared here. "Variety makes for spice in life!"

 

I have BA on my future itinerary. ...will not promise that I'd look into your friend's lodging, for I want to stay in the mix of things during my first visit, but on my second one, I might take you up on it! But then again, if I don't stay in the B&B, I might see about using them as well as the other man mentioned here to serve as my guides.

 

Put your info. name of lodging and location in the Q/A section which precedes this one. Put it in the BA section, please!

 

Muchas gracias! Axiom

 

gulliver Tue Apr-20-04 06:58 AM

Member since Oct 26th 2002

199 posts

#7988, "RE: B.A. UPDATE"

In response to Reply # 4

 

American Air lines is running a net saver fare for the weekend of April 28 - jfk to BA $449.00 if anyone feels the urge to dash down.

 

MscleLovr Tue Apr-20-04 10:56 AM

Member since Jun 12th 2003

34 posts

#7992, "RE: B.A. UPDATE"

In response to Reply # 2

 

Thanks to both posters for this info.

 

I'm planning to visit BA, for the first time, on my own, and to stay for some weeks.

 

I had intended to stay centrally in a good, gay-friendly hotel. But the B&B suggested does sound interesting.

 

Can you tell me please:

what rate did you pay at the HoJo recently, and did you book it directly with the hotel?

 

does the B&B have good security and are there in-room safes? (the website gives very little info on the facilities)

 

Thanks for any advice & help you can give!

 

Deweywop Tue Apr-20-04 11:35 AM

Member since Oct 21st 2002

107 posts

#7993, "RE: B.A. UPDATE"

In response to Reply # 6

 

To Axiom and musclelvr,

 

I can understand the desire to stay in the mix of things, but for BA, this could mean a couple of areas. The HoJo trilingual mentioned is in downtown, which feels kind of like Manhattan with narrower streets. On my last visit, however, it struck me that downtown is all business and tourists during the day but gets pretty quiet at night. I stayed in Barrio Norte, near the stretch of Santa Fe Avenue that goes into Palermo, which had a wonderful, upscale bustle 24/7. It's the city's gayest district (as it were), with most of the gay clubs and many hotels of all classes. The B&B craig.jens recommended is in the south side of Palermo. There are several gay clubs nearby, including Marshall, the one-night-a-week gay tango hall. It's also close to "Old Palermo," like a Latin Greenwich Village with no end of trendy, mostly straight clubs and restaurants. I would consider Palermo in the mix of things too, just depending on what you're looking for.

 

trilingual Tue Apr-20-04 04:49 PM

Charter member

2551 posts

#7999, "RE: B.A. UPDATE"

In response to Reply # 7

 

The HoJo is by no means the only acceptable accommodation in Bs.As., but I personally prefer staying at places that explicitly want our business, and the HoJo does. Plus it's a first class hotel. The B&B is also an alternative, and there are also a number of nice apartments available for daily rentals for those who are planning stays somewhat longer than a few days.

 

The HoJo increased its rates moderately after January 1st. However, it's still reasonable in dollars. About US$65 - 70 a night. To get the best rates, contact Roberto. Ditto if you're interested in the apartments or other accommodations. Although he's not a professional travel agent, he does send a fair amount of business to these establishments, so they're willing to offer attractive rates to the people he sends them. Also, Roberto is very picky, so if he says a hotel or apartment is nice, you can take his word for it. (His own apartment looks like it came straight out of Architectural Digest, so he knows what he's talking about.)

 

Except for the escort scene, which doesn't equal Brazil's in my opinion, Buenos Aires is unquestionably one of the most attractive cities in the world, period. I love it madly and if I weren't in a relationship in Rio now (and commuting to the U.S. to spend time with my aging parents) I'd be looking for a place here, as well. If you like grand European cities, you'll love B.A., which is even grander, in spots, than most real European cities! The lifestyle is seductive, indeed. The city is filled with handsome, well-dressed people. Virtually every block seems to have attractive (and amazingly inexpensive) restaurants and shops. There's hardly a corner that doesn't have a stylish café where you can while away the hours reading and people watching over a cup of coffee. The architecture is elegant, especially along the tree-lined streets of the Barrio Norte. The parks are splendid. There are tons of art galleries and fine bookstores. The musical and theatrical scenes are so broad you can't possibly begin to see and hear everything. It's a great movie town. In short, B.A. has everything that you would expect in one of the great cities of the world.

 

Rio and Sao Paulo are also great cities, but their styles are entirely different and there's really no way to compare them with B.A. I love all three for what they are, and I'm eternally thankful that they're just a short plane trip from one another. Each is a complete change of scene and environment.

 

catnip Tue Apr-20-04 07:59 PM

Member since Jul 30th 2002

125 posts

#8001, "RE: B.A. UPDATE"

In response to Reply # 8

 

Tri, you make me want to visit every city you write about! Thanks for the nice read.

 

Catnip

 

trilingual Sat Apr-24-04 02:02 PM

Charter member

2551 posts

#8033, "RE: CHACUN A SON GOUT. . ."

In response to Reply # 9

Sat Apr-24-04 02:08 PM by trilingual

 

This is one reason why I recommend that our gentle readers contact RobertoBA (vdagp@yahoo.com.ar) for guide services in Buenos Aires:

 

An M4Mer recently came to town for a few days from Rio, with his Brazilian boyfriend and another American friend in tow. Their Spanish is rudimentary, at best. They made reservations to stay at the Hilton in Puerto Madero, evidently forgot to read any of the materials already available here in Escorts South, or even to buy a standard city guide book, and booked a commercial half-day city tour from the hotel instead of contacting Roberto.

 

The upshot: they spent a couple of days at the Hilton (a VERY handsome new hotel, BTW) in a somewhat sterile new area of the city that's not very pedestrian-friendly. They did make it to Calle Florida, the somewhat touristy pedestrian downtown shopping street, but otherwise saw little of the city. The half-day city tour they bought turned out to show them very few interesting sights but made an awful lot of stops for shopping (at places that undoubtedly pay a commission to the tour company). By the time they gave me a call they thought they'd seen all that B.A. has to offer and were ready to go away disappointed.

 

Roberto and I got together with the visitors for brunch (at their invitation) and then we took them for a walk in the Barrio Norte so they could see some of the REAL Buenos Aires. The guys were just blown away, because they had no idea that any of the things we showed them existed (and given the short time available, we barely scratched the surface). However, in just the couple of hours we were together, they saw and did more, apparently, than they did in the previous three days they were in town. They went away the next day much happier and looking forward to a longer return visit in a few months, now that they know there's more to Buenos Aires than the "could be just about anywhere" Puerto Madero and a bunch of tourist shopping traps!

 

MORAL OF THE TALE: There are lots of ways to visit and enjoy Buenos Aires. But arriving unprepared isn't likely to be one of them! You'll get much more from your experience if you read and print out the material here in the Message Center, or buy a good guidebook (available in English at the many big bookstores -- look for the Clarín series, in particular) or, best of all, contact Roberto. If he's in town and available, for a very moderate hourly rate (20 dollars or euros the first hour, 15 each additional hour, group rates/special arrangements to be discussed) he can orient you to the city, help you zero in on things that might be of particular interest to you, and give you the Gay B.A. 101 introduction that you won't get from the standard guide books. Roberto speaks fluent English and can help you make arrangements that require an ability to speak Spanish (and, when dealing with local escorts, an Argentine accent to avoid overcharging). Depending on your interests, Roberto can get you to places that a visitor would otherwise be very unlikely to go, and give you a chance to experience Argentina as an "insider," rather than as a run-of-the-mill tourist. So, chacun à son goût in the way they'd like to see Buenos Aires, but I hope you'll take my advice so that you'll make the most of your visit to this endlessly fascinating city.

 

BTW, if you decide to use Roberto's services, remember that he does this as a hobby, not as a profession, and he has a life beyond showing visiting M4Mers around! So please contact him as far in advance as you can to see if he's available, and to give him time to make arrangements for you if you have particular interests you'd like to indulge, like gallery tours, cooking schools, opera tickets, spending a night or two at an estate in the country, etc. Roberto is NOT an agent for the escorts, although he can help you make contacts when you're here. Don't bother trying to make arrangements with the escorts long in advance of your visit: they go in and out of business rapidly here, and aren't what you would call pillars of reliability or punctuality. For that, wait until you arrive, see who's available online or advertises in the local gay magazine (Imperio, available at newstands) and ask Roberto to help you make some phone calls once you're here.

 

B.A. has been awash with visiting Americans these past few weeks, and those who've prepared for their trips (and contacted Roberto) have all gone away thrilled with their experiences here. So will you, if you follow this advice!

 

trilingual Sun Apr-25-04 02:24 PM

Charter member

2551 posts

#8040, "RE: B.A. Nightlife"

In response to Reply # 10

 

Friday night three of us M4Mers went to Titanic, a convivial downstairs bar on Av. Callao near Av. Santa Fe. The entrance to the bar is almost next door to the entrance of the Hotel Wilton.

 

Titanic has a mixed-age crowd, with a fair sprinkling of working boys and strippers some nights. Friday night there were four. Three of them were too beefy/steroided for my taste, but the fourth would have done very nicely, indeed! However one of the beefier guys had a very clever number, done to a chic-a-chic-a-boom piece, that was a sly parody on Latin lover stereotypes. Among the working boys was one real beauty, who said he's half-Italian and half-Arab. Tempting, but the three of us were tired so we passed that night. The show starts around 1:00 and ends around 2:00 a.m. when the place empties out as patrons head home or to the discos, which don't get started in Buenos Aires until at least 2:00.

 

Titanic is conveniently located only a block or so from Contramano, the oldest disco in town, on Rodriguez Peña a few doors from Av. Santa Fe. Contramano also gets a mixed age crowd and some working boys, and is especially popular on Sundays, when it's the only game in town. It's also busy on Thursdays, as I recall. While at Titanic or Contramano look for a copy of La Otra Guia, a free gay guide to Buenos Aires that'll come in handy during your visit.

 

Mouth Sat May-01-04 03:26 PM

Member since Jan 26th 2004

2 posts

#8102, "RE: B.A. Nightlife"

In response to Reply # 11

 

Though I've posted reviews on the M4M sight, I've not posted

on the message board. I have just returned from a fantastic

week's visit to Buenos Aires. I took Trilingual's advice and

did a lot of advance planning. Roberto was in the United

States in January and I invited him over for coffee and we

talked about what I wanted to do while in Bujenos Aires.

Once my dates were set, I contacted Roberto, who informed me

Tri would be in Buenos Aires when I was there. This was

indeed good news.

 

On my second full day there, Roberto and Tri met me at the

Howard Johnson Hotel on Florida Plaza, which is indeed

superbly located. I think it is especially important to be

in a centrally located hotel on your first visit to a new

city, and in Buenos Aires, HoJo's was it. Through Roberto

and his contact at the hotel, Daniel Ponce, I made all the

arrangements, and the hotel was an excellent choice,

especially given the price. I had a huge room with two

double beds, a marble bathroom, and the price included a full

breakfast (eggs, bacon, ham or sausage, pancakes, rolls,

toast, juices, coffee or tea, milk, cereals, fruit, cold ham

and cheese, etc.). There is a computer in the lobby which

access to the Internet at no extra charge.

 

Roberto and Tri walked me through the Bario Norte/Recoleta

section of BA. This is the beautiful, upscale neighborhood

of elegant shops, fabulous palacios, high rise condos,

embassies, and government buildings, and gorgeous tree-lined

streets. The local population in very well dressed, and when

you see a handsomely dressed Porteno and he's handsome, try

not to drool.

 

We visited the famous Colonial church in Recoleta which has

been recently restored. It is both simplicity itself, and an

ornately rich church in high demand for local weddings by the

upper classes. The graveyard in the right next to the church

where Evita is buried is known as the city of the dead. Here

you see narrow-street-after-narrow-street of the most

elaborate mausoleums of the rich, famous and notorious of the

city's past. The architectural styles range from classical

to art nouveau and art deco. You can peer into a glass door

and see coffins on shelves--on top of each other and covered

with linen cloths. There are feral cats, who are well taken

care of here. This is a fascinating sight. Opposite the

church and cemetary are many outdoor cafes. Roberto had to

leave us after two hours, and Tri and I proceeded to have a

delicious lunch and went further afield to see the shops and

outdoor artisanal stalls selling locally produced clothing,

jewelry, and other curios. We later toured the Museo

Nacional de bellas Artes, with its section of Argentine

artists as well as paintings by world famous artists such as

Goya, Manet, Gaughin, Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Chagall, Klee,

Kandinsky, and Pollock.

 

Nearby is a fabulous group of home designer shops that sell

household items designed by locals and the prices are

outstanding by US standards.

 

A few words about money. US dollars and Euros go very far in

BA. One dollar buys you three Argentine pesos. I bought a

very handsome pair of hand-made dress shoes that would have

cost a minimum of $300 + in the US but cost only $83 in BA.

I didn't shop much. I looked, and found that CDs are very

reasonbly priced in BA as opposed to Europe, and Tango CDs

are very reasonable. El Arranque, the oustanding Tango

ensembe has a "classicos" CD and their latest,

"Orquesta El Arranque En Vivo (live)" cost only

about $6 per disc! American pop CDs cost about $10 more or

about the cost of buying them in the U.S. As Tri says, the

cost of a good meal is such a bargain here it is ridiculously

inexpensive. I don't think I ever spent more than $25 for

myself at one meal, and that was expensive. Most were $15 to

$20 for dinner. Maybe $5 tops for lunch, and these meals

(lunch too) included a generally excellent glass (or three)

of goo red wine. I had a empanada lunch snack at the famous

El Sanjuanino in Recoleto where I sampled the spicy meat

empanada and another of ham and cheese with a diet Coke. I

paid less than $2.50. The empanadas were outstanding.

 

You might want to walk into the local Ralph Lauren store in

BA. It's an old Palacio that has been restored to suit the

needs of this WASP retailer. The house is stunning, but has

one unique feature--the skylight is the only one in Buenos

Aires designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany, and is worth seeing.

 

 

I would recommend dining at Christophe, a superb French

bistro in the Palermo Viejo section of BA. This restaurant

is so outstanding and the service so good, due to the chef,

Christophe and his crew--Mercedes and Patricio that I went

twice. A warm salad of chicken livers, greens, shallots and

a balsamic dressing, a plate of slowly braised rabbit with

mushrooms and carrots with a mustard sauce with fresh

fettucine, a chestnut cake with chantilly cream, and three

fine glasses of a Malbec/Cabernet Sauvignon combination, cost

just over $20. I also had lunch in the same section of town

at Cabernet, where a three course lunch with wine cost about

$14 and was as good as any fancy lunch spot in Manhattan.

 

Near the hotel I had several meals at El Estalbe, an

old-fashioned Argetine restaurant where you can order pizza,

a number of grilled steaks, chops, and chicken, pastas,

salads, sandwiches, starter courses and many other things, is

a great place to find locals as well as tourists. The

waiters are all in white shirts, black slacks and vests.

They know their business and it's a great place to people

watch. I noticed several older gentleman in the company of

very handsome younger men, and believe me, they were not

their sons! ...hmmmm....

 

Other must-see sights include the world-famous Teatro Colon,

a national shrine to the Argentines. This magnificent beaux

arts building occupies an entire city block and they have

daily tours. You can sit in a box or in the orchestra as the

guides describe the history and superb architectural details

of this beautiful opera house. A young mezzo in the company

came out and sang a Pergolesi aria for the enjoyment of the

folks in the tour. We saw the rehearsal rooms, and workrooms

of the wig-makers, costumers, scene-painters, etc. It was

fascinating. I got there too late to see THE MAGIC FLUTE,

and Prokofiev's CINDERELLA was being danced by the Colon

ballet company. But someone hadn't negotiated the music

rights with Prokofiev's publisher, so they company danced to

a recording, which I decided was not the ideal way to

experience the company's legendary acoustics.

 

The antique flea market in the San Telmo district is a Sunday

event in the lives of tourists and locals alike. There are

genuine antiques (as well as local surrounding antique shops

and stalls--all opened for business) to be had here at pretty

good prices. Silver and gold are pegged at the international

rate, and the better your Spanish, the better deal you'll

get. There are also nearby outdoor cafes, with most of them

offering live musical performers who also sell their

self-produced CDs.

 

Museo de Arte Hispanoameicano Isaac Fernandez Blanco in the

Bario Norte district is a spectacular Colonial house with an

outstanding private collection of Spanish American paintings,

old religious objects, silverware, two spectacular

collections--one of antique dolls, and the other elaborate

and large tortoise hair combs used for special occasions.

The Peruvian-style mansion was built by architect Martin Noel

in protest at the Francophilia that swept BA in the 1920s.

There is a lovely if a bit overgrown garden which you can sit

on a bench and contemplate nature while you're here.

 

I also walked through the Palermo Viejo or Palmero Hollywood

section on my last day in BA. This area, where Christophe's

restaurant is located has been gentrified over the past five

years. You'll see many one-story houses in this old Italian

neighborhood with many boutiques, and good restaurants. I

love architecture and it was a pleasure to see many old and

beautifully restored houses here along the cobblestone

streets. I could live here easily.

 

I'm not a bar person, but was persuaded to come and see the

show at Club Titanic in the gay area of Avenida Santa Fe on

Friday night. Things don't get started much before midnight

(another reason I'm not a bar person--I like to be in bed

asleep at midnight!). I bumped into Tri and a friend of his

from Rio, and we had a marvelous time watching the strip

dancers do their thing on the bar in front an appreciative

audience. There are lots of taxi boys here who are not shy

about asking you if you want to have sex with them for a

price. They are mostly in their very early 20s, and you have

to use your judgement. I had already found a fine escort

that I saw throughout my stay in BA, so I passed on

this opportunity. Afterwards, I went to nearby Contrameno, a

disco that had an attractive crowd of all ages. But it was

now past 3 am and I wanted to call it a night.

 

Check on this sight for informtion about BA escort services.

Most hour-long sessions with a local BA escort will cost

about $35. They are certainly handsome, and you'll see some

of their reviews here.

 

I plan to return to this wonderful city. Roberto was

available for advice and got me information on Tango events,

and a cooking school. His advice was invaluable and

absolutely reliable. I loved the ambiance of the many cafes

and bars I stopped in for a quick espresso. The pace of the

city is lively and mostly reminds me of Madrid (and I prefer

BA). I found the people friendly and genuinely helpful even

when you couldn't understand them or they you.

 

 

Deweywop Sat May-01-04 04:00 PM

Member since Oct 21st 2002

107 posts

#8103, "RE: B.A. Nightlife"

In response to Reply # 12

 

I was in BA late last year and there was a sense of spring in

the air in more ways than one. It was like the Portenos were

finally coming out of several years of really bad mojo.

People seemed happy and optimistic and were living it up

again at all hours of the day or night. With the currency

being so cheap (though fairly priced, in my view, and staying

that way) and the city so beautiful and with so much to do,

BA is bound to be a magnet for young American ex-pats for the

next few years, the way Prague and Moscow were in the early

'90's. There are also more young Americans who know Spanish

as opposed to something Slavic. I'm hoping this Argentine

spring will be long and interesting.

 

trilingual Sat May-01-04 05:26 PM

Charter member

2551 posts

#8105, "RE: B.A. Nightlife"

In response to Reply # 13

 

Mouth, it was fun meeting you in B.A. And thanks a million for the superb contribution to the Message Center. Please keep posting!

 

Mouth Sun May-02-04 12:16 PM

Member since Jan 26th 2004

2 posts

#8109, "RE: B.A. Nightlife"

In response to Reply # 13

 

Deweywop,

 

I noted exactly the same feeling of a city coming back into

its own after a long and sad spell, much as New York has done

since 9/11. I had read the dire stories of a populace

stripped of their savings, and angry crowds storming banks

and protests over the collapse of the Argentine economy. I

even read reports that the city was dangerous. I never felt

uncomfortable or fearful in the streets, even coming home as

late as 3:00 AM. In very crowded areas, such as the Plaza

Florida where my hotel was locate, you note the presence of

guards and local police who patrol with restraint and seem to

work hard at blending in without looking menacing at all.

The city is full of very helpful and generous people from the

shopkeepers to restaurants. My Spanish is virtually

non-existent, and I never encountered anyone who wasn't

genuinely interested in helping me understand. The taxis in

this city are just amazing. In Paris and Rome, the taxi

drivers are incredibly rude and obnoxious and they give you

the cold shoulder if you dare to try to pronounce their

language. I wouldn't put up with this rude behavior in New

York, and happily, I only encountered pleasant, accomodating

drivers in BA.

 

Bars and cafes and restaurants look full with waiters dashing

to handle the business. This is a city that revels in its

public places to gather. You find cafes everywhere. There

are plenty of parks for jogging, walking, sitting on benches

and grass to catch the sun. The city also seems to be in the

midst of some major face-lifting. There is lots of

construction going on. The Teatro Colon is undergoing a

long-planned for fine-tuning and it should be even more

amazing when it is finished.

 

On the Sensualbaires website, I found Augustin who made me

smile during my stay here. A mature, educated, erotic and

friendly guy who was a pleasure to be with.

 

When I travel, I prefer to visit cities rather than resorts.

Buenos Aires was an ideal experience, and I urge all to visit

here and experience its many charms and unexpected delights.

 

 

lfarj Sun May-02-04 08:21 PM

Member since Sep 17th 2003

26 posts

#8111, "RE: B.A. Nightlife"

In response to Reply # 12

 

Mouth,

 

It was really nice meeting you at Titanic. I went to

Contramano the following night and looked for you but didnt

find. Hope you had a great time as I did with Tri and

Roberto, who is a fine person.

Hope to see you in Rio.

[Guest alain]

Thank you for such complete info about B.A., as I am planning to visit this charming and beautiful city next july, unfortunatelly I don't have information about the Winter Holidays at that time, I would like to meet Roberto hope he still has the e-mail: vdagp@yahoo.com.ar. Regards from Paris, Alain :-) }(

[trilingual]

The 9th of July is a big holiday in Argentina (there's a reason why the world's widest avenue is called Nueve de Julio). Otherwise, I don't know of other holidays in July. It is indeed winter in Buenos Aires, so evenings can be cool to cold. Days are usually mild. If you're familiar with winter in Los Angeles or the Costa del Sol, you'll have an idea of what winter is like in Buenos Aires. It doesn't freeze or snow, but overnight temperatures can get near freezing! Usually in August, which is the coldest month.

 

Of course, it's the height of the cultural season, so there will be lots of opera and theater, as well as many other events. There will be plenty to see and do in Buenos Aires in July! And Roberto is back from his trip!

[Guest alain]

Tks.very much Tri, for your, as always usefull info. Roberto has just sent an e-mail to me, and I am very happy he is back in B.A., and as I want to go skiing in Las Leñas in Mendoza next july, I have just made reservations with an excellent air fare with Aerolineas Argentinas from Paris on next 30th June, because from 13th.July Argentina has Winter Holidays for almost two weeks in schools and Universities, and it is worth it to make reservations in advance. Tks.a lot again. Alain