If Your Compass Could Talk…

If Buenos Aires has a music season, this is it. This week Pepsi Rock is happening, the following month there is Personal Fest followed by the popular Creamfields. Even Madonna is making a stop by to rock socks with the locals. If you have ganas, check out www.ticketek.com.ar to find out who is coming when, and where you can buy tickets.

Madonna is sold out, but you can still find tickets online at: www.mercadolibre.com.ar.

Enjoy the music!

For a city with so many well-known barrios (or nieghborhoods) very few people step out of famous Recoleta, posh Palermo, high-end Canitas, trendy San Telmo or the bustling Centro.

However, there is far more to Buenos Aires than just these ‘guide book’ barrios. Buenos Aires has an incredible number of other barrios that are rich in culture, people and interesting stories. La Boca is known for its colorful housing and of course nearly every Argentine’s beloved stadium but even still, it borders on touristy when going for a visit.

Barracas is one such neighborhood in Buenos Aires that is located on the other side of the Centro from Palermo and Recoleta, near Congreso and is absolutely booming with the ‘up and coming’. The streets are cute and charming and the housing is cheap and incredible. It does require a keen eye when it comes to staying safe, but Barracas is so popular in fact that it is rumored that several Hollywood celebrities are buying property in what will soon be the ‘next San Telmo’.

So next Saturday or Sunday with nothing to do, go explore the REAL Buenos Aires.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patagonia

If you need to fly in Argentina the two most popular airlines are Aerolineas Argentina and LAN. If you book online you will be asked your country of residence. If you pick the US, Europe or any affluent country other than Argentina you will pay a higher fee than local residents. By simply saying you are a local you can avoid almost double the flight price. If you pay online, or go to a Pago Facil you won’t have any problems getting away with the lower price. However, if you pay at the airport you will. So pay the discount price before going to the airport. I’ve successfully accomplished this several times and want to pass the info onto YOU fellow travelers.

One of the worst things that can happen to a traveler is losing a passport. In Argentina the US Embassy is used to this common but annoying occurrence. Just go to the US Embassy and inform them of the loss. It might take a few days, but they can get you a replacement.

The Embassy is located  in the neighborhood of Palermo. From Plaza Italia subway station (on the D line), walk toward the river on Sarmiento Ave. You’ll come to the Embassy on the left at the corner of Sarmiento and Colombia. Drivers can find a public parking garage behind the Embassy on Cerviño Avenue.

Monday-Friday
8:30 AM to noon.
ACS is closed on U.S. and Argentine holidays. 

Its nice to sit back and enjoy the simple beauty of Argentina sometimes. Its something you won’t see outside your window when you’re back home.

It’s no surprise that Buenos Aires is the cultural epi-center of South America. Its undeniable. Art, theater, dance and film are everywhere. Every street fair and in every paper. Buenos Aires has a huge Independent film movement and a huge sub-culture of film. Each year there is an Independent Film Festival featuring films made from local film makers along with big-name foreign submissions. Its called BAFICI and takes place in the spring. However, there are always festivals and movies being seen and featured in the city. Just recently Buenos Aires had a German Film Festival in one of its most popular theaters in Recoleta. Right by the famous cemetery! Needless to say, if you’re a film freak – you can freak out over film in Buenos Aires.

For information on the state of Independent film in Buenos Aires check out: this article by The Independent.

For a list of movie times and theaters now playing click: here .

Check out:
www.buenosairesherald.com
www.the argentimes.com

to stay up on News in English!

So okay. Palermo is rumored to be one of the coolest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. And okay, the rumors are ture. Its basically THE best. Its got the hottest shopping, coolest bars, restaurants and is where all the beautiful people hang out. You may know the terms Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood, but we stumbled up on this map of every corner of Palermo possible! Its the map to cooldom if I’ve ever seen one.

Fun tid bit: Palermo Hollywood is named such because of all the Television and Radio Studios that are in the neighborhood. And on a personal note – because its uber Hollywood trendy. It oozes cool. Villa Freud was donned the name because so many psychoanalysts live in the neighborhood. And in case you were wondering, there are more psychoanalysts per capita in Buenos Aires than any other city worldwide. Those porteno personalities is requiring some major maintenance, no?

While traveling in many ways is about getting out of where you’re from and on with new things, most people would agree that it is important to keep up with whats happening at home. For those of you from the US, a big election is coming up and if you’re going to be abroad you can still vote by using an absentee ballot! For those of you who don’t know how, but still want your vote to count heres the best way to do it. Visit www.fvap.gov and pick the state you are from. It will direct you how to vote from abroad so your vote will still matter!!!

Get it done soon, times a tickin’.