With over 40 ferias (street fairs, flea markets) in Buenos Aires, how do you decide where to focus your time?  While I have not visited all of them, I have done extensive research and enlisted the help of my Buenos Aires correspondents (aka my cousins Isa, Pilar and Carol) to point out the best ferias.  Aside from this post, check out my Quick Guide  on ferias for a comprehensive list, including hours, addresses and available links.   

For Fashionistas

Check out the vibrant fashion scene at the FERIA DE DISEÑO in Plaza Serrano (Serrano 1557) in Palermo Hollywood.  It features clothing from up and coming Argentinean designers, as well as shoes, accessories, and crafts.  The vibe is fun, young and trendy.  Take a break in one of the numerous neighboring bars and restaurants.  Carol recommends Oro y Candido, a combination food market and restaurant. Walk over to the feria in the PLAZA CORTAZAR, for crafts, jewelry and leather goods.  Later in the day, Isa advises a visit to the nearby Las Cañitas neighborhood.  It’s currently the hottest place for trendy Argentineans.
      
Hours: Wednesday thru Friday 2pm to 8pm
Saturday, Sunday and holidays 3pm to 9pm  

For Bookworms

Head over to the Caballito neighborhood to the PARQUE RIVADAVIA (aka PARQUE LEZICA, Av. Rivadavia and Rosario) to browse through books and magazines.  You’ll also find used albums and CDs.  There’s also a section for stamp and coin collectors.

Hours: Every day from 10am to 7pm   

For Hard Core Folklore

In Mataderos, PASEO ALBERDI (Av. Lisandro de la Torre and Av.Directorio) features 400 stalls specializing in traditional Argentinean folkloric art – think gaucho belts, mates, knives, silver pieces, and leather goods.  The vibe is rustic and authentic. Traditional foods, music, and performances (dance, horse riding shows, concerts) also figure prominently.

Check their website for hours – usually it’s afternoons and evenings on Sunday.  The site provides updates on special events and shows.  The season begins April 5, 2009.  

For Antiquing

The world renowned feria in PLAZA DORREGO at the Feria de SAN Telmo (Humberto I and Defensa) has been featured as one of the "Top 10 Markets” by Travel and Leisure.  Vendors offer antiques as well as crafts, and performers put on tango shows.  With 270 stalls, the varied performances and nearby restaurants and bars, you’ll spend a wonderful Sunday afternoon in this one-of-a–kind market.  

Hours: Sundays, 10am to 5pm.

For Bargains, Waterviews and A Break From The City

Want to get away for the day?  Take a cab or remis and head over to the river delta in Tigre and check out the PUERTO DE FRUTOS (Sarmiento and Córdoba).  It’s about a 40 minute drive but you’ll feel like you’re a world away.  The Puerto de Frutos feria features jewelry, leather goods, crafts and furniture, with a special emphasis on wicker goods.  There are numerous food stands, and bars and restaurants close by.  Make a day of it and take a river cruise, visit the amusement park and try your luck at the casino. 

Hours: Weekdays from 10am to 6pm, Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 10am to 7pm.  Not all stands are open on weekdays.

Quick Tips for Shopping at the Ferias:

• Wear shoes made for all day walking.  Some of these ferias are vast, and some are next to other ferias in adjoining parks, so you want to have energy and be pain free to stroll comfortably for extended periods.
•  Dress comfortably.  If you visit in the summer, it can get hot, so dress for the weather. This is not an excuse, however, to dress like a slob. Daisy Duke shorts, shoddy sweat suits, wife beater tanks, sloppy t-shirts and droopy pants will make you stick out like an unsophisticated outsider in cosmopolitan Buenos Aires. Yikes, I sound like my mother!  Good advice, though.
• Cash is king (and usually the only option for feria shopping), but be careful of pickpockets and purse snatchers.  They are looking for distracted tourists.  Put your bills in a money belt if possible, and leave the purse, along with your good jewelry in a safe in the hotel room.

In the rare case of problems with vendors, or any difficulty you may experience as a tourist, call the tourist office of the government of Buenos Aires, at 0800 999 2838 (toll free from anywhere in Argentina).  

Note:  Most of the web sites I’ve included are in Spanish.  If you don’t know the language but are an enthusiastic shopper, I encourage you to take some time to navigate the sites anyway, because often there are photos and descriptions of the products, websites and even contact information for each individual artist/vendor.

The Global Traveller has a great summary of airlines going to Argentina and tips for traveling and transportation inside the country.   To find out how to get to other countries, check out the convenient index. 

If beef is the national dish of Argentina, dulce de leche is undeniably the country’s sweet treat -- the average Argentinean eats 6 pounds each year.  Dulce de leche is a creamy, silky dessert made from sweetened milk.  It tastes something like caramel, without the syrupy aftertaste.  The texture is smoother and fuller than caramel but not grainy or dry like peanut butter. 

 

Describing the taste does not do it justice, of course.  You’ll just have to try it.  And in Argentina, it’s hard not to be exposed to dulce de leche – it is almost literally everywhere.  The dessert menu of just about any restaurant will feature it prominently.  Every confiteria (café) will offer pastries with dulce de leche and every ice cream shop includes dulce de leche as a basic flavor.  I recommend the ‘dulce de leche granizado’ ice cream – dulce de leche with tiny chocolate chips.

 

The appeal of dulce de leche is not just in its sweet deliciousness.  DDL (as our household has nicknamed it) is versatile and can accompany almost every bread, cookie, pastry and dessert. My father used to say “there’s no dessert that can’t be improved with dulce de leche”.  I think that’s a bit extreme (candy corn, jello, watermelon?) but he was not too far off.  In the US, dulce de leche is known as an ice cream topping, but it can add spectacular taste levels to:

 

• Crepes:  spread a tablespoon or two of dulce de leche on the center of a crepe, roll it up like a cigar and place it in a baking dish.  Continue until you have about a dozen filled crepes, place the dish in the oven and broil for 5-10 minutes.  Serve warm and, for extra decadence, with real whipped cream.
• Waffles: top with dulce de leche.  If you insist on extra calories, use whipped cream on them also.
• Cake:  use dulce de leche as cake filling and or frosting.  It’s great with vanilla, chocolate and mocha flavors.  Brownies with dulce de leche frosting are incredible.
• Flan:  to me, most flan tastes bland.  But pair it with dulce de leche and it’s a hit.
• Shortbread:  the perfect compliment to a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth piece of shortbread is creamy dulce de leche spread on top.
• Fruit:  cut an apple into slices and serve with dulce de leche for dipping.  Especially good with a tart Granny Smith – yum.  You can do the same with bananas, or you can smoosh a banana together with a heaping tablespoon of DDL.  It looks like a gooey mess, but it’s delicious.  If you have kids that are fussy about eating fruit, you may win them over with this dulce de leche strategy.
• Toast:  spread dulce de leche instead of butter while the toast is still warm
• Yogurt:  take plain or vanilla yogurt and stir in some dulce de leche.  The blend of sour with sweet makes this a healthy indulgence.  Just don't go overboard with the dulce de leche or you'll hit your daily calorie count by lunch time!

Every Argentinean is a dulce de leche connoisseur, and is often stubbornly loyal to his/her brand.  If you want to try dulce de leche for the first time, it is best to stick with a well-known brand, for consistency of flavor.  The best sellers are San Ignacio, La Serenísima, Gándara, Chascomús and La Salamandra.  I can sometimes find La Salamandra at Williams-Sonoma but I can always count on Amigo Foods, my reliable, convenient online resource, whenever we run out of our precious jar of San Ignacio.

 

Have you tried dulce de leche?  Are you turned off by the sweetness?  Or are you a fan? An addict?

This volcano is located in Chile, on the border with Argentina in Patagonia (see the map below with volcano, not to scale and enhanced for dramatic effect). The volcano erupted last May and although there was no loss of human life, the town of Chaitén was completely covered in ash and residents were evacuated. 

 

The volcano has once again increased its activity, recently spewing a 6 mile column of ash and causing earthquakes.  The Volcanism Blog is posting ongoing reports and photos.  El Cordillerano, a newspaper based in Bariloche, also has up to date reports (Spanish only).

The town of Chaitén has been evacuated, although there are some inhabitants who are refusing to leave.  Other communities are not in direct danger, although the dust and ash is currently affecting towns 60 miles away.  Governmental organizations are distributing drinking water, eye wash and headscarves to disrupted areas.

The volcano could have more far-reaching effects as continued ash eruption and wind patterns could spread dust all the way to Buenos Aires.  This dust activity was mild in the city last year and did not stick around very long.  The most important consequence for visitors to Argentina is the possible disruption of air traffic for domestic flights if the dust clouds spread and encompass flight paths.  Check progress with your travel agent or airline and have a back up plan (options: bus or car rental) in case your flight is cancelled.  

Photo from El Cordillerano

Reference map

Travel writer Jason H. Harper from Concierge.com loved the scenery, the amenities and the choice of activities at the Hotel Correntoso in Villa La Angostura, Patagonia.  Fly fishing, full spa treatments or taking a scenic drive along the Seven Lakes, it's all fabulous.  Read his review and then check out even more stunning views on the Hotel Correntoso web site.    If you can be tempted to leave the hotel, there are tons of things to do and see in and around Villa La Angostura. 

Hotel Correntoso, Villa La Angostura

Map of the Area (see the Map of Argentina as a reference point)

 

The best way for visitors to get around the city is by taxi.  They are inexpensive, ubiquitous, available at all hours and will get you to your destination quickly.  The taxis are unmistakable in their black-and-yellow.  They are generally safe, but it’s best to stick with taxis that have their company name and phone number printed on them on the passenger door (I've indicated this with a red circle in the photo below).  This indicates that they are properly licensed.

 

Cabbies, like many porteños (inhabitants of Buenos Aires), can be aggressive drivers.  If you feel like your driver is trying out for a spot on the Formula One circuit, say “un poco mas despacio (des-PAH-see-oh), por favor.” - a bit slower, please.  The drivers are usually friendly and often chatty if you engage them in conversation. 

 

Fares are regulated by the municipality, and start at a little over US$1 ($3.80 in pesos).  For most destinations in the center of the city, you would pay less than US$10.  Tip your driver a couple of pesos if he/she is helping you with bags and luggage.  Other than that, just round up the fare to the next peso or two.  Make sure you have change (“cambio”) before you get in the cab, because invariably your cabbie will not have any.

 

Remises – a town car and driver – are also readily available for rides to airports or other situations where you may need more room and/or comfort for passengers and luggage.  My uncle passed along this list of licensed remises and taxis (gracias, Daniel!) and direct links to a few cab companies:

• Radio Taxi Pidalo
• Radio Taxi Tiempo
• Taxi Premium

You also have the option of hiring a cab by the hour, for a minimum of two hours, at a rate of about US$11 ($37 pesos) an hour.  

From Ezeiza

A remis ride from the international airport (Ezeiza) to the center will run about US$40 ($141 in pesos).  You can hire a remis at the airport or make a reservation ahead of time.

A well known transportation company, Manuel Tienda León lets you make reservations on line.  

A cab ride will cost about US$25 ($86 pesos).   Taxi and remis stands are located at various points in Ezeiza (click here). There are also shuttle buses available.  To make sure you don’t get ripped off, NEVER take a ride from a cabbie who approaches you as you leave the customs area.  Go to one of the stands to ensure service from a licensed driver.

This beautiful video highlights an easy summer hike from the base of Cerro (Mount) Catedral to Refugio Frey at the summit. It takes about three and a half hours and starts at the parking lot of Cerro Catedral, a 20 minute drive from Bariloche. My advice - go on the hike in early spring (November) or later in the summer (February and March) to avoid the tábanos (horseflies). If you do want to enjoy the hike in December-January wear long pants, long sleeves, a hat, and try some insect repellent.  Extra maximum strength insect repellent...

The wild lupines you see in the beginning of the video are quite a sight. In early spring they form a blanket covering much of the mountains and the roadside. The yellow flower is the amancay (alstroemeria aurea), a beautiful symbol of the region. 

On my next trip to Argentina, I will definitely go back to Siga La Vaca, an excellent, inexpensive all-you-can-eat restaurant with several locations in central Buenos Aires and the suburbs (see map).  For US$20 per person you can indulge in appetizers, excellent beef, chicken, and/or pork, salad bar fare, sides and dessert.  Your first drink (wine, beer or soft drink) is also included.  Stop by for lunch on a weekday, and you pay less than US$15.  Incredible!

I visited their location in Pilar, a suburb of Buenos Aires.  The restaurant was spacious, warmly lit and had a fun, informal ambience.  It's family-friendly and can get a bit noisy.  The food was great - fresh, high quality meat grilled to your taste.  My favorite part of the meal was going up to the counter for seconds.  The asadores (grill cooks) display the meat, fresh off the grill, and you just point to what you like.  You'll see familiar food like steak, beef kebabs, chorizo (sausage) and chicken breast, along with some cuts and parts that may be new to you such as morcilla (black pudding), mollejas (sweet breads) and chinchulines (small intestine).  I really recommend that you try anything new.  "Just take a small bite," as your mom used to insist.  If you don't like it, you didn't waste your money and you can move on to something else you might like.  When else are you going to get such a great opportunity to discover new foods?  I'll bet that you become a fan of at least one of these adventurous foods andthat you find yourself back at that counter.  

The other nice thing about SLV is that you'll dine among regular Argentinean families. This may be the closest you get to a traditional family asado - the food, the laughter, the easy-going mood, the amped-up protein levels.  This is less true of the Puerto Madero location where half the clients are tourists, but on the other hand, this particular restaurant is open continuously from noon until 2am, accommodating both American and Argentinean dining schedules.  The restaurants are popular, and although they can take in over 400 diners in some locations, there may be a wait during peak times. 

SLV locations in Central Buenos Aires.  They also have a take out place in Belgrano and restaurants in Pilar and San Isidro

View Larger Map  

 

When you think of all-you-can-eat, the term "wine choices" doesn't immediately leap to mind.  Unless you are in Argentina!

Personally, I spend most of my time in Bariloche when I travel to Argentina.  Bariloche is located in Patagonia, in a region of mountain and lakes, southwest of Buenos Aires, on the border with Chile.  You get there via a 2.5 hour flight from BA.  Golfing, flyfishing, hiking are just a few of the summer activities available.  For a fun day trip, consider white water rafting with Aguas Blancas.  I went on the Class III/IV Rio Manso rafting trip . 

It starts with the Aguas Blancas crew picking you up at your hotel early in the morning, in their spacious vans. You're on the road for about an hour and a half.  The views are beautiful and the guides keep you entertained by sharing some mate (the tea of the gauchos) and by pointing out the notable sights along the way.  When you arrive at the launching site, you'll be served a breakfast of pastries and coffee.  You'll need the energy, so enjoy plenty of it.  Next, you're provided with wet suits, helmets and life jackets and given rowing and safety instructions.  Most of the guides speak English and they'll make sure you and your friends are assigned to a raft where instructions are given primarily or exclusively in English.  Then you are off!  

The trip starts calmly enough.  After all, Rio Manso means "tame river" so you would expect this smooth ride.  The Aguas Blancas team includes guides on kayaks, in case anyone falls out of their rafts or the raft guides need extra help.  Enjoy the calm while it lasts. Soon enough the white water appears and you're in for a thrilling ride! 

                                      

You'll raft for about 2 hours, arriving at the border with Chile, where the Aguas Blancas vans meet you.  After you change back into your clothes you'll all pile back into the van and be driven to the initial starting point on the Rio Manso.  Mmmmm... an asado (barbeque) is waiting for you, and you are ravenous.  After the late lunch, you're on the van back to Bariloche.  On the way, half the van is chatting and the other half is snoring.  It was a long, thrilling and unforgettable day.  Aguas Blancas provides a photographer so you can focus on the experience and still leave Bariloche with photos - the team will have a CD ready for you in a day or two. 

 The guides are a significant part of the experience. Our guide Juan had unlimited energy and was hilarious.  Also, you're most likely sharing the experience with visitors from all over the world and you'll get a chance to know them better during meals and drives.

Aside from this outing, Aguas Blancas also has a Class II/III trip and 2-day excursions that combine rafting with horseback riding or mountain biking. 

"Row, you bunch of lazy grannies! ROW!", yells Juan. 

We can't help but laugh and enjoy the rapids.

Our team, the blue raft, celebrates the end of a great ride, on the Chilean border.

Kayak periodically sends me some unbelievable travel deals.  This week, they highlighted an 8 day trip to Rio, Iguazu and Buenos Aires for $1499.   This includes airfare from JFK (other departure cities also available), connections and hotel.  This package is just one of the many offered  by Latin Destinations.  Their web site is very well designed and easy to navigate.  Customizing your trip and viewing alternatives is a cinch - just click on Design Your Own Trip. 

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