I booked my trip to Buenos Aires and Santiago a week before departing. I found reasonable airfare and Airbnb apartments in prime locations. I had no clue when I arrived how I would be spending my days, and I frankly was not in a rush to figure it out. I was simply glad to be in a new location with an opportunity to practice another language. When I go abroad I often consult Viator, a travel website, and then read over reviews on Trip Advisor, but as a solo traveler I often run into the issue of not having enough people in my party to book an activity. So, this time around I scrolled through the Airbnb app, and looked at the experiences they offered. I went from browsing the site to having a full agenda with four activities booked quite quickly, it was like I couldn’t be stopped.
Argentina Wine & Food Tasting– To begin my time in Buenos Aires I met Diego at Freud & Fahler Restaurant where I was provided a brief history of wine regions within Argentina. I had the opportunity to taste five bottles of wine all paired with tapas to truly bring out certain flavors. My tasting with Diego included:
- Vallisto Melbec 2011
- 962 Melbec 2016
- Desquiciado Cabernet Franc 2017
- Jardin Enchanté 2018 Rosé
- Valle Escondido Gouguenheim 2017
I found the price to be reasonable, the wine to be superb, and Diego to be knowledgeable. This experience through Airbnb was a perfect welcome to the city of Buenos Aires.
BA like a local– In my attempt to exercise with a purpose I signed up for a thirteen mile bike ride through the city with Luana. It was my first time taking a tour by bike and I had a great experience. Luana was very informative, descriptive, and attentive to my needs. About halfway we stopped for some pasties and mate she packed for me. When in Buenos Aires do not make the mistake of calling mate, tea. Mate is a warm beverage containing caffeine that is made by the infusion of the dried yerba mate leaf. On the bike I was able to maneuver my way through parks, universities, and past more than half a dozen foreign embassies. I not only had an unforgettable experience, but thanks to Luana I had a fantastic workout.
BA Flavors– I found José and his experience to be the most unique out of the four I booked. Once we were together we ventured out on a unique walking tour. We started at La Carniceria where we were able to enjoy a few house delicacies accompanied with a pairing of red wine before they opened the doors for their dinner rush. On our 15 minute walk to our next restaurant José told me the story about how La Carniceria’s young Argentina and Columbian owners hosted a party to celebrate two years of business. The shindig was hosted at the restaurant and had an elite invite list. Around 3 or 4 in the morning, once the hosts and guests where intoxicated, the owners wanted to make the guest a snack, their rendition of a Choripan, a local sausage sandwich that locals eat. “Chori” was our second stop and these young owners second restaurant which included a menu of Choripan renditions. Our last stop is special to me because of the story behind the decor and the unforgettable drinks. A pharmacist traveled quite often in search of new remedies. On one particular trip he didn’t come back and left his pharmacy to his great grandson who turned the space into a bar, all while honoring his great grandfather. Other than the welcome drink and the toast I had with the bartenders before saying chao I was given six infused shots at Boticario I will never forget.
- Gin and rosemary
- Gin and hibiscus
- Bourbon and Columbian coffee grains
- Johnnie walker red and lemon grass
- Vermouth chai tea and orange peel
- White Vermouth shitake mushroom
Tango Lessons All levels– Victor was a very patient and kind instructor. My time spent with Victor was my first time doing any type of ballroom dancing and he had no problem not only starting from scratch, but moving at a very slow pace. During my session we worked on four components: Walking, Connection, Trust, and a Structured Tango 8 step. Who would ever assuming at the age of twenty-nine I couldn’t even walk correctly. He began to make adjustments to my posture, I know somewhere my chiropractor was pleased. Victor had a very unique way for us to work on connection. He used balloons placed between us then, placed one in our hands while standing across from each other to ensure we were moving collectively. Our trust exercise included me being blindfolded and guided around the dance floor by my partner. My experience was very intimate, however, he made me feel very comfortable, and if you are in Buenos Aires you do not want to miss out on learning or perfecting your Tango in the country that originated the dance.
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