BAires the big bad metropolis: Is anywhere safe?

Security, security, and more security seems to be the dominant taking point in Buenos Aires. Since we arrived here two and a half months ago, conversations start off with: “Where are you from?”, “Where do you live?”… and “Ohhh, is your place secure enough?”

A couple of weeks ago, we moved from a flat in an enclosed compound with 24-hour security and into a cute, English-style house. The house has metal grills all around the property, several keys for various locks and security lights in and around the building. The first thing our landlady advised us to do was to call a company whose sole job is to come to the house to ensure we get in safely.

Constantly on the lookout

We’ve got used to our friends and acquaintances talking about this preoccupation every time we see them and now listen with mild amusement. Last night, we went into our local ice-cream parlour (one of the very many highlights of BA) and after trying every flavour of chocolate possible, the owner launched into a tirade about robberies and assaults.

I wanted to know whether he meant just in Quilmes. I’ve mentioned Quilmes a few times in reference to St George's College, the school where Alistair teaches; however there are also extensive slums just a few blocks away littering the sides of the motorway.

I gaze them in disbelief every time, within the shelter of a bus or car. I know several Latin American countries are renowned for their shanty towns. But in a city like Buenos Aires, which claims to be the "Paris of South America", I’m shocked by the level of poverty virtually on our doorstep.

Corrugated iron covers the buildings lucky enough to have a roof; burned out cars lay abandoned on the edge of the motorway; while pitiful, miserable-looking horses graze among the mounds of garbage. Occasionally you hear their hooves as they pull the carts and their owners who have come to look for anything that may be of value among the rubbish bins in town.  

      

So to answer my questions, no; not just Quilmes, the ice cream parlour owner replied. Everywhere is a problem. According to him, the country has reached the abyss. With the government taking little responsibility for the welfare of the state - not providing decent education, overseeing a crumbling health service due to lack of resources, and running hospitals into the ground, for example – what do you expect? Of course crime will be the order of the day, he said. Just last week, several hospitals in BA went on strike to protest against the poor state of security and the abuse suffered by staff.

The notion of security has become such a part of the psyche that it’s ingrained into the Porteño consciousness. Or maybe we’re the ones being too blasé… Perhaps it’s not such a bad thing to have to go through a few more doors to satisfy my ice cream craving.    

BAires two months in: Home sweet home

“Don’t you miss home?” my cleaner asked me. I’ve been in Buenos Aires for just over two months now; for the first time during my various travels I haven’t felt that yearning in the pit of my stomach that would have punched me by now. 

Of course I miss my friends and family dearly. Bizarrely I’m coping without hummus, but I am hankering for some decent chocolate; even just Cadbury. And yes this time is different. I’m here with Alistair; we’re here for a few years rather than just months so time is not of the essence in quite the same way; and Alistair’s job means we’re already part of the St George’s school community.

Ahhhh home at last

In all honesty, my biggest surprise is just how much I do feel at home here. I’ve just finished reading Bad Times in Buenos Aires by Miranda France; while some parts did make me chuckle in solidarity, I’m very glad I read it after we’d arrived. While the bureaucratic hell she refers to is still alive (bear with me, more on this), times have changed, well for some things anyway.  

I can see how in a country where many things are more often broken than not, living in a pre-internet era, not having a Sube (an Oyster-style card for the buses) or having to go through an operator to call your neighbour would wear down the sturdiest of demeanours. But come on, you’re in Latin America… that’s what happens. At least the sun shines. 

The highs

• Climate: Speaking of sunshine, suffice to say I think we’ve found our perfect climate in BA, a latitude of about 35 degrees. It's not horrendously sticky, it's sunny most days, and the sound of the Pampero wind whistling through the city is simply mesmerising. 

• Castellano: I thought I’d hate Argentine Castellano – double ll pronounced as juh, vos instead of tu, missing off letters at the end of words… why?! I’m becoming more accustomed to the accent, Argentinisms, and actually find it all rather endearing. I’ve also just read 1964, a poem by Jorge Luis Borges, one of Argentina’s most famous writers, and I’m smitten. Plus my cleaner tops up my lessons with more day-to-day vocab.

• Ice cream: I’m in helado paradise. What you don’t realise until you arrive is how good, and how many, ice cream parlours there are in BA. The chocolate may be deeply disappointing but thankfully the ice cream makes up for it.

• Buenos Aires, of course: Despite all the political and economic malaise we constantly hear and read about, we couldn’t have picked a more friendly, warm-hearted and diverse city in Latin America. The cultural scene is one of the best in the region, offering everything from Tango to jazz, wine tasting to music festivals, literary events to cinema… you name it and someone will be doing it.  

• Home sweet home: Don’t knock suburbia. Before we arrived, we mocked it and were dead set against living in Quilmes, where the school is in the south of BA. Once again, it’s proved rather agreeable. It has plenty of shops, restaurants, cafes and to my delight, a mosaics class. Transport into Capital is silly cheap, AR$2.20 (15p*) for a return train journey (admittedly a bit hairy) and buses, quick and with air conditioning, are only AR$7 (47p). On the downside, it does mean I haven’t seen as much of Capital as I’d have liked by now but hey, three years right…

The lows

• Political and economic labyrinth: Disappointingly, I know even less about Argentine politics and economics than when I arrived. The presidential elections take place later this year, in October, but I have no idea who represents which party, what they stand for, nor what half of them look like. Does anyone…?

• Identity obsessed: I didn’t appreciate how individualistic Britain is until we came here. I cannot buy anything in this country without my national identity card (DNI). I need it to buy a pay-as-you go SIM, to withdraw cash from an ATM, to enter a running race etc. As it happens I still don’t have my DNI. 

• Security mad: Argentines are absolutely obsessed with it - whether it be at home, school, the workplace… everywhere. I’ve got 3 keys for my front door. It takes so long to lock up, check right to left, back to front that no one’s around that I’ve probably already been robbed.

In-betweeners

• Going with the flow: I’m not very good at slowing down, even more so in a city where everyone walks at a snail’s pace and then stops right in front of you. I need to improve my Spanish, find work, get contacts if I’m going to be a freelancer… oh so much time but also so little time. Tranquila everyone tells me… I’m not going anywhere fast so maybe I should stop and listen and see what happens. 

So two months in, it’s funny how you get used to a place. For the same amount of time, our stuff from England – TV, cutlery, bikes, kettle, toaster, bed sheets etc – was sitting in the docs and we seemed to manage just fine without it. Until it arrived, naturally. So, yes I do miss many people and things in and about England. And yes some areas of my life, especially work, are unsettled. But until we go back, I feel right at home. 

Exchange rate: AR$15 = £1

Colón: Termas, rivers and truly Argentine

Colón, a boon for water and nature lovers (no irrigation involved), is an idyllic weekend respite from the Porteño capital. Only five hours by bus – see the size of Argentina and you realise single-digit-hour journeys are short – we were pleasantly surprised with this pretty town in the province of Entre Rios (Between the Rivers).

It is a popular tourist destination for Argentines but retains a local feel, making it an ideal getaway while still being authentic. Apart from meeting a couple of Dutch lads who lived in Buenos Aires, everyone else we interacted with were natives.

We went over the Easter weekend, which turned out to be perfect. The temperature was around 30 degrees, there was a lovely holiday buzz and importantly it was safe to walk around at night on our own.        

Water galore  

Being between the rivers - River Paraná which goes through Paraguay and Brazil, and River Uruguay - Colón has plenty of water-based activities to offer, as relaxing or active as you like.

Termas

Despite the sun beating down and the temperature up to 31 degrees by mid-morning, no trip to Colón would be complete without a visit to the termas. By 10.30am on Easter Friday the Termas de Colón was packed with holiday makers. Most of the benches and chairs had already been taken, although you can rent chairs from the café. If not, there is plenty of grass and wooden decking on which to make yourself at home.

Replete with slides, several pools and hydrotherapy, you can easily spend a day relaxing in or by the water. 

Entrance fee: £6.66* (AR$100) per person

Other termas nearby include Termas de San Jose and Termas de Villa Elisa. 

Island hopping

We didn't realise how expansive the River Uruguay was until we took a boat ride. You see the various islands on the river, including San Francisco, and go up to the General Artigas Bridge, a road bridge that connects Argentina, via Colón, to the town of Paysandú in Uruguay. Nice in the afternoon when it's not baking.

Cost: £6.66-£8 (AR$100-120) per person for 1.15hr round-trip to the bridge and islands

Other activities: swimming in the river, fishing kayaking, canoeing, parilla on the river front

Food/gastronomy

Colón has a remarkably good selection of cheese and deli goods, as well as a healthy abundance of fish, as one would expect in a riverine town, but which is surprisingly hard to come by in BA.

El Sótano de los Quesos: A riverside deli set in a cave with an adjoining restaurant. A huge assortment of expensive, albeit tasty cheese judging by the queues. We went three times and each time people were lining up outside the door. There are also deli items such as jams, meats, dried fruit, chocolates and the ubiquitous dulce de leche.

Beware of strange opening hours: Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 17.30 – 23.00

Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays, 1730 – 24.00

Sundays, 13.30 – 21.00

Los Cosquilla de Ángel: A cute, intimate restaurant though on the pricey end compared with most other eateries in town. A wide range of pasta and options for coeliacs. For a quality restaurant, I was disappointed with my pasta dish - mushroom paparadelle with cherry tomatoes, garlic and basil. The pasta was flavoured with mushrooms rather it being an ingredient in the meal and the strips were not cut. However, Alistair said that his steak was one of the best he had tasted in Argentina. Lovely, welcoming owner who is taken with Chelsea, London.

Brown 38: An unpretentious restaurant set just off the main square with an exhaustive menu, including pizza, pasta, Milanese, steak and good portion of fish.

La gran cabaña de Antonio: While not gourmet cuisine, you could do worse than a £10 (AR$150) an-all-you-can-eat buffet of asado, pasta and salad. 

Bahillo: Delectable ice creams and desserts, especially the Bariloche cake.

Accommodation

Given the time of year, we were lucky to find reasonably-priced, decent accommodation at La Posada de Colón.

I know I’m biased and this was the only place we stayed in but it was cute and homely. It’s run by a quirky lady called Catalina who has German heritage and also lived in Germany for several years. 

Cost: £140 (AR$2,100) for a double room with an ensuite bathroom (very hot water) including breakfast for 3 nights; good selection of tea

Location: Combatientes de Malvinas 321, very close to the Termas and to the bus station which was extremely handy as we were catching the 7am bus back to Buenos Aires.  

Extras: Swimming pool, pet chicken  

For more information about Colón,visit: 

http://www.turismoentrerios.com/excursiones.htm

http://www.colonentrerios.net/

http://www.colonturismo.tur.ar/

*Exchange rate of AR$15 = £1