Top 15 Things to do in BA

Okay, after the first two, these are in no particular order. I'll write in more detail of each one as I experience them, and of course, the "Top 15" might change once I get there.

1) Become fluent in Spanish

2) Take as many tango classes as I possibly can

3) Visit the Casa Rosada and the Plaza de Mayo

The "Pink House" is the Argentine version of the White House and is where Peron and Evita would give speeches from the balcony. The Plaza de Mayo is where it is located and also is where a human rights group known as the "Madres de la Plaza de Mayo" would congregate during the military dictatorship in 1976-1983 to protest the disappearance of their loved ones. They still meet on Thursdays, so that's when I'm going.

4) See an opera at the Teatro Colon

The Teatro Colon was built in 1908 at the height of the Golden Age in Buenos Aires, and apparently is a Beaux Artes masterpiece. It is currently under renovation but the website says that will be done by May, so hopefully they are not delayed. 

5) Have a cafe at the Cafe Tortoni

Cafe Tortoni is where Jorge Luis Borges would come to write and mingle with other literary types, and a protective law passed by the city means its exactly the same as it was in his day.

6) Wander Recoleta Cemetery

Sounds weird, I know, but all my guidebooks hail this as a must-see. Evita is buried there, so I agree.

7) Go to the Sunday antiques fair in San Telmo

My homestay in Puerto Madero is close to the San Telmo neighborhood, so hopefully I will be spending many a lazy Sunday shopping for crafts and antiques. Apparently they also have live impromptu tango shows!

8) Eat at Cabaña las Lilas, and find a great parrilla on my own.

Cabaña las Lilas is praised by the New York Times as the best parrilla (steakhouse) in Buenos Aires, so of course I must go see what the fuss is about. Part of the study abroad experience, however, is "going local" so I want to find my own favorite.

9) See a polo match

I've seen many in Newport, but this is just too cool to miss.

10) Go to a Boca Juniors game

I'm not much of a sports fan, but Argentines love their futbol. Again, I want to get as much of the Argentine experience as possible, and what better way than to take part in one of their favorite pastimes?

11) Visit the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes

The Argentine version of the National Gallery. I'm going, hopefully for days at a time.

12) Walk the Caminito in La Boca

If you have seen the pictures of Buenos Aires with brightly painted buildings, those are in this neighborhood. La Boca was the original port in BA, and is where tango originated, but now its sort of a rough neighborhood. Which is why I'm going to go in the daytime and stick to the touristy Caminito ("little walkway").

13) Go running in the Ecological Reserve in Puerto Madero

An ecological reserve was named on the place where trees, flowers and birds took hold on the construction debris dumped in the Rio de la Plata during the development of Buenos Aires. It is fairly close to my homestay so I figured it would make a pretty running route.

14) Read some of Jorge Luis Borges' "Ficciones" en espanol

One of my favorite books, and most of it was written in Buenos Aires. Hopefully after a few weeks there I'll be able to read it more easily in Spanish.

15) Go shopping in Recoleta, preferably finding my dream leather tote

Recoleta has been described to me as the Georgetown of Buenos Aires, with lots of cute, local designer boutiques. I have been on the lookout for a roomy leather tote for awhile now, and since leather is (relatively) cheap and (very) high quality in Buenos Aires I am determined to find one while I'm there.

(16: and of course, get good grades)

One week! Besos!

N