Santa's Little Helpers

It's summer in the southern hemisphere. Which not only mean's I'm sporting a tan (this has become a scary life goal), but also means that Christmas has just passed. Christmas isn't exactly on the agenda here - other than British expats flooding the beaches wearing santa hats (and I'll be honest here, I did the same), it seemed to pass without much note. But the good news is that Christmas elves never stop needing the loo. Northpole or not.

A Christmas elf in Bosques de Palermo Park, Buenos Aires

The Villas: The Sheratoncita

Slum tourism is a really buzz topic right now, as the favelas of Brazil welcome in busloads of visitors each day and the movie, Slum Dog Millionaire, suddenly made the shantytowns of Mumbai a tourist must-see. There are so many facets of the industry and so many faces involved:

Carlos Adrien outside The Sheratoncita

Carlos Adrien lives in Villa 31, the biggest shanty town in Buenos Aires. As Villa 31 is organizing itself into an established community with it's own governing system and an explosion of wrought iron houses instead of cardboard, he has decided to convert his own house into a hotel. Cleverly named the Sheratoncita, he certainly doesn't promise anything less... To read, A Weekend at the Villa: The Sheratoncita Hotel, click here.

(Photo: Shooresh Fezoni for The Argentina Independent)

The Villas: A Leg-Up

Of everything I have done for The Argentina Independent,  I think my favourite articles are the ones I wrote for the Villa series. I came across the stories on my first week here, so I was very glad when I finally found the contacts.

Guido Fuentes and the models on the rooftops of Villa 31

Guido Fuentes is a Bolivian hairdresser who runs a beauty school out of his kitchen in the biggest shanty town of Buenos Aires. The girls, age 11-22, put on fashion shows and do photo shoots in the Villa and beyond. Guido's unwavering sternness is the perfect anecdote to the energetic gaggle of models that flood his kitchen each week with make-up and costume demands to the max. To read the article, A Leg-Up: Catwalk Classes in Villa 31, click here.

A Hippy Haven

El Aldea is an ecocommunity hidden deep in the concrete jungle of Buenos Aires. Wedged between highrises and an airport, under a sky of smog, sits this Utopian community devoted to recycling and organic farming. I went a couple of times in order to write my article. I of course stood out like a sore thumb, but it wasn't long before I was eating a 'raw' cake made from ingredients gathered from dumpsters, and reveling barefoot with the best of them. The real clincher was right before lunch when we touched palms and closed our eyes in thanks - for about twenty minutes. Luckily the food was delicious. (To read my article click here)

...Can't you tell?

The Hit List

Everyone knows BA is all about the nightlife. In a city where dinner starts at 11pm, and work doesn't begin until lunchtime, that's hardly a surprise. In fact, beyond sitting in the park and the obligatory (though very interesting) tourist attractions, there is not that much else to do. Which is a good thing when you find yourself stumbling home as the sun comes up, day after day.


Where to go:

Club Niceto

It may be a familiar stop off on the Buenos Aires whistle stop tour but I've never had a bad night here. Some big time bands play too, and they have the mix of grime, trend and pure cheesyness down to a tee. Then again I haven't ever hit their infamous Club 69 which includes a drag show, a cabaret room and a stage devoted to hip-hop...

Club Niceto, Niceto Vega 5510

Latin Jam

For the Latin inside all of us. Latin Jam is definitely my favourite night in Buenos Aires. The live band would give any swing club a run for it's money, but the actual dancing is lacking. Nevertheless, it's as close as you're ever gonna get in BA. Sadly, my salsa dancing hasn't got any better. But that's not exactly a surprise when the average customer sports a fedora. A real shame to say the least. 

Latin Jam at Uniclub, Guardia Vieja 2260

Le Bar

The music is hit or miss as it mostly consists of new live bands or an open mic, but the low lighting and suave decor more than makes up for it. The drinks are good which helps, and it's a great, if somewhat surreal spot for lunch in the middle of the day. But hey, in the city that never sleeps, why should the bars?
Le Bar, Tucumán 422




Where not to go:

Le Cigale

This bar is really the reason why I am writing this post. I am currently awake and hungover in the middle of the night due to the worst drink I have ever had. Despite a two for one happy hour, which should be making the customers happy, I feel like I was fed turpentine. And that was just one drink. Don't go here. If that hasn't scared you away perhaps the fruit fly decor will (the walls, menu, signs, etc are embossed with images of fruit flies. It's unclear why, but ill-advised nonetheless).

For my pick of the TOP FIVE TERRACE BARS of Buenos Aires, check out my article here