the creative chaos of buenos aires

I love Buenos Aires. It is a city with so much character and charm. The architecture has that sense of renaissance by virtue of its Italian-Spanish heritage and its skies create the perfect backdrop of pinks and blues in the Argentinean capital.

I spent two months living in Buenos Aires and it taught me a little more about the world we live in; its relentless change and mankind’s resistance and participation within it.

The week I arrived there had been an intense and unusual heat wave, which coincided with the garbage collectors strike. The city literally stank as the streets were lined with humming garbage. One of the many strikes that the leftist country has been facing; creating a constant sense of uncertainty as impromptu strikes had buses and trains out of operation while roads would be blocked by activists.

I found the chaos a rather intense one to witness. There were floods, a ship container fire of toxic consequences and a sense of constant change as scaffoldings and street work lined the uneven and unkept pavements that had the unaware constantly tripping. That and the dog poop.

I explained to a cab driver one night how interesting and powerful I found the city and its chaos while he expressed his frustration at its madness. I suppose its easy to admire something when you're visit is fleeting.

Men kiss each other

Knowing how to greet another is a rather interesting one. It’s cultural. While I love a hug and a kiss with friends, I also recognize that a ‘hands together in prayer’ with multiple bows of respect in Japan is more appropriate and likewise a couple of pecks bonjour in France; the standard. This has been one of the strangest things I’ve had to adapt to from culture to culture. Seeing men kiss one another on each cheek as a way of greeting is awesomely unsexist and has a sense of equality about it I liked.

Passion in the streets

The latins are incredibly passionate and openly so when it comes to relationships. In the UK we’re rather prude when it comes to displaying and expressing affection whereas the Argentinian would give another a big smacker in the middle of the street. It’s romantic and open.

Ice cream and wine

Two of life’s vices that Buenos Aires has plenty of. Whether it’s a tasty red from Mendoza or a delicious dulce de leche icecream, Buenos Aires can tickle the taste buds of a bit of naughty but nice behaviour.

Graffiti

Something I didn’t get chance to participate in but am eager to another time is the graffiti movement that’s taking place in Buenos Aires. A loophole in the law means that artists have the freedom to express themselves beautifully and provocatively on the streets of BA.

All in all the city was incredibly inspiring. It challenged me as a traveler who’d spent a lot of time in nature namely trekking mountains and it was a world from anywhere I’d been before however, Buenos Aires has a charm about it that I love. Its real. Its in a flux. Its chaos. But perhaps that’s what makes it so special.

If ever one needs to escape it, I personally found the yoga retreat on the outskirts quite the zen hit.

I studied to be a qualified TEFL teacher while in Buenos Aires. The school I was at was brilliant, in a building design based on Dante's Divine Comedy and I fully recommend it (the teachers were fabulous!). For more info go here.