What I've Learned in Buenos Aires: My Experiences

Buenos Aires is a vibrant city. Every neighborhood has its own pulse that you can feel immediately. Buenos Aires never seems to sleep, people go out a lot, often all night. What surprised me positively was the access to culture. Concerts, theater, exhibitions – culture is not an exclusive commodity here, but is available to everyone. Everyone can enjoy culture, everywhere. What made my arrival difficult was the inflation. I've never counted so many banknotes as in Argentina. It feels like people spend half the day doing this. You can now pay by credit card in restaurants, but not in supermarkets or other stores.

The inhabitants of Buenos Aires are called Porteños, which means, literally, people from the port. That describes the attitude to life here quite well. Argentina is a country of immigrants. The Porteños are constantly searching - for their roots, for a stable future, for a good life. Argentinians like to make jokes about inflation and the many crises. The tragic is taken with humor. That impressed me.

Everything comes together in Buenos Aires, the capital is the hub of the world for Argentinians. There is a lot of dancing, often all night long, and in the morning it's back to work as if nothing had happened. I still don't know exactly when the Porteños sleep. Mate tea is very popular, it keeps you more awake than coffee. People meet up with friends in a park in the afternoon and talk about big philosophical questions while the calabash (mate cup) is being passed around. 

Don’t take anything for granted in Buenos Aires. You never know when the bus will arrive or how much your money will be worth tomorrow. On the other hand, life is impressively vibrant. The Porteños talk about their city as if they had a love affair with it. Or at least a love-hate relationship. Within South America, Buenos Aires is a green city with lots of old trees. It's quite enchanting in November when it takes on purple clothing with the blooming of countless jacaranda trees. 

Buenos Aires has an incredible number of street cafés by South American standards. Just sit down somewhere and order a café con leche with medialuna. This is coffee with milk and small sweet croissants. That's how the day starts. If possible, go to a soccer stadium and watch a game. That's where you learn about real passion. And how many different ways you can swear in Spanish. The soccer icons Messi and Maradona can also be seen on many facades as street art. Street art is omnipresent in Buenos Aires, for example in the San Telmo district. Palermo is very hip right now. The districts in general: each has its own face. I advise my guests to take the bus and let themselves drift. Just feel the pulse of the city.

Simone Glöckler comes from near Ulm in Germany and has lived in Buenos Aires since 2014. She blogs on argentinien24-7.com and guides travel groups through the country, often to Patagonia. What brought her to the metropolis on the Río de la Plata? A semester abroad and love.