Don't cry for me Argentiiiiiinaaaaaa... 

I had that song stuck in my head the whole time I was down there. It was August of 1998 - and I was in Buenos Aires for about a month working at my company's Argentine headquarters. It was my first trip to South America - and it was absolutely nothing like what I had expected. 

I thought Buenos Aires would be kinda like Mexico City - somewhat modern, with a lot of sprawling shanty towns. I was all wrong. First of all, Buenos Aires looks amazingly like Paris - and the atmosphere and lifestyle were far more European than Latin American. BA was also a much bigger, more modern city than I had anticipated. I absolutely loved it - loved the architecture - loved the lifestyle - loved the people - and wanted to stay.

Doesn't the picture at the top look just like apartment buildings in Paris? Apparently, BA was built up by a massive influx of European settlers around 1900 - thus the European fin de siecle architecture. This picture to the right shows one of the many parks in the center of the city.

Tango Time    

We kept seeing 'performance artists' who would dress up as a statue (like this woman who is covered in gold paint). It freaked me out. And like in Europe, we saw a lot of street performers. 

Tango dancing was invented in Buenos Aires - and is taken very seriously! These pictures were taken one afternoon when we were in a section of BA called La Boca (see more on that below).

La Boca   

These shots are of a section of Buenos Aires called La Boca (The Mouth). It's basically this little neighborhood - the poorest part of town - next to the old port which is now full of rusted out, abandoned ships.  

In an effort to spruce up their neighborhood, people painted their homes with vibrant, cheerful colors. La Boca has become a really cool area for artists, and there is an outdoor market there where many local artisans display their work.

The Recolleta     

These shots are of The Recolletta - BA's most prestigious cemetery. The architecture of the mausoleums was incredible. It was also slightly creepy - a whistling wind whipped down the aisles and aisles of mausoleums. There were willow trees that swayed in a constant breeze as well.

Eva Peron (Evita) is buried in the Recolleta, along with the rest of Argentina's societal elite. 

Latin Living  

It was great having an extended stay - getting to work there and develop a routine. It gave me a glimpse of real life, versus the view you get as a tourist. I loved the Argentines - they were beautiful, friendly, and easy going. 

At work, I enjoyed the same status as the guys - none of the sexism you might expect - and we worked normal business hours. The restaurants don't open for dinner until 8 o'clock at night - but the food was great and well worth the wait - grilled Argentine beef, chorizo, empanadas, amazing regional red wines, and something called dulce de leche that makes a slice of cheesecake look like a light dessert option. 

I thought it would be a great place to live because you have all the luxuries of modern life, with this incredible Argentine cultural twist - plus, the sun shined every day.

KIM'S LIST OF THE BEST OF BUENOS AIRES