Thursday, April 23, 2009

Tango City


Tango City is yet another nickname given to Buenos Aires. It was there that the famous Tango dance was born in 1850s, and has continued to grow in international popularity ever since. It is a very sensual dance, and often the performers dress in flashy suits for the men and near scandalous outfits for the women. Many children learn the dance from a very young age and perform in the street for donations.

While the street dancers are fun to watch, the best thing to do is shell out the money to go see a show. This usually includes a dinner before the show, and by comparison to other attractions, can be quite pricey. It is entirely worth it. All told, it is something that you should definitely include in your budget if you plan on visiting BA.

Out of everything I did during my stay in Tango City, nothing beats watching a soccer match crammed in with fifteen thousand crazy La Boca fans. Tickets were sold out for the game I wanted to see, but Pedro came through. My new metal head Argentinian friend somehow rustled up a general admissions ticket for me. I arrived at the stadium after it was already packed to the brim. I squeezed my way up to the nose bleed section through an already electric crowd. The stadium was built on a suspension cable system, and as the game began, the chanting of thousands of local people was so powerful that the top sections were swaying with the song. The visiting team was from Brazil, and I actually ended up sitting in the visitors section. Unfortunately for us, the game was a tie and the Boca fans rioted in the streets waiting for a fight for over an hour. The security team kept us up in the stands until they could clear out the locals and ensure us safe passage out of the neighborhood.


That about sums up my time in Buenos Aires. It was a fun place to stay for a while, but it quickly became just another big city. I was ready to see some more of the culture and scenery Argentina had to offer. My next stop: Patagonia.

No comments:

Post a Comment