Buenos Aires : Santiago’s older sister

Ever since starting my Latin American literature course at university, I have desperately wanted to visit Buenos Aires. I pictured it as a glamorous and cosmopolitan city, influenced by Europe and a pioneer in the arts and literature for the rest of the continent. I can tell you that it does not disappoint. I was very excited to spend just under a week in Argentina and experience the city for myself. It is very easy to fall in love with Buenos Aires, and I understand now why it attracted so many artists. The beautiful parks, architecture and museums fit very nicely with the bustling nightlife and shopping scene. The city encompasses a mix of different cultures and vibes. As you walk around Recoleta you could easily think you are in Paris or Rome, whereas I think Puerto Madero bears a striking resemblance to Boston.

IMG_5615

IMG_5664

I started to think of Buenos Aires as Santiago’s older sister: it is bigger, more glamorous and European, there is more to explore as a tourist. In order to discover the real beauties of Santiago you need to live there and learn to explore it like the locals; it is hard to get a feel for the city in a couple of days. On the other hand Buenos Aires is more welcoming and mature.

So as you can imagine I was very excited to check out the shopping spots in the city. My friend took me to Palermo, which is a great neighbourhood lined with cute boutiques and cafes, as well as vibrant restaurants and bars in the evening. It reminded me of a cross between Lastarria and Barrio Italia in Santiago (I will refer you to my previous blogpost for a refresher!). It has a lot of character and we ended up spending quite a bit of time there.

Unfortunately my student/internship budget could not stretch to splashing out on clothes, but nevertheless some great window-shopping was done. I noticed that the collections in the shops leant towards boho chic, perhaps borrowing some influence from LA (quite timely given Coachella 😉 ) Picture long dresses teamed with silky tank tops and embellished bomber jackets.

Bendito pie

home-locales

Salsipuedes

1

Miux and Jessica biederman

The platform trend persists in Buenos Aires, with bigger heels and fancier shoes.

12328023_976952915732245_962476543_n

It is also important to make the most of the mouth-watering food on offer in Palermo.

Felicidad

12745510_10154514186040931_6768566277940857908_n

Pani

IMG_5595

Minga

IMG_5625

Buenos Aires, it was a blast… I’ll be back!

Leave a Reply