As a yanquí expat in Buenos Aires, it is basically in my blood to be pesada and complain about the things that I don’t like in Buenos Aires, while arrogantly explaining why the U.S. does it better. However, being abroad also makes you realize what you love about the culture of the country that you are living in. As my time in Buenos Aires draws to a close, I wanted to share with you the Top 5 Things That I Absolutely Love About Buenos Aires And Will Truly, Dearly, and Ever-So-Faithfully Miss:

#5: Saludos!

One of the things that Argentines tend to comment is that estadounidenses are frío, meaning they are not particularly warm or friendly. While I happen to disagree and believe that it depends on the area of the U.S. you are talking about, what is true is that the way we greet each other is a little cold.

Imagine my pleasant delight when arriving in South America I got a kiss on the cheek from everyone and their madre, no matter how well or how little I knew them. At gatherings or parties, it’s customary to greet everyone with a kiss on the cheek, even if they are el hijo del cuñado del primo de tu amiga that you are meeting for the first time. There’s something about human affection (even if it’s polite affection), and acknowledgment of the people around you that was really refreshing, and will definitely miss when I go back to Fríalandia.

#4: Culture of Sharing

The fact that Quilmes (the national beer) basically only comes in bottles by the litro should speak volumes to this culture of sharing. In fact, when going out to drinks with friends, it’s very customary for the friend pouring the drinks to serve everyone first before they serve themselves. The same goes with food or drink, as it is tacitly expected of you to offer the goods to other people as well. Being surrounded by this heightened sense of sharing has made me less of an individualistic, egocentric yanquí and more aware of peoples’ needs around me.

#3: Ice Cream

The porteños may not have done their Italian ancestors proud with their pizza and coffee (insert angry porteño rebuttals here), but their helado is top notch and something only a rehab clinic would succeed in weening me off of when I leave this dear country. It tastes more natural, is less sugar-loaded that us yanquís are so quick on doing, and is just creamy enough to make you feel satisfied, but not sick to your stomach. Unless you have been known to kill quarto kilos on multiple occasions….errr….

There are a lot of great flavors to choose from, but some of my favorites include:

• Mascarpone con frutos del bosque
• Dulce de leche granizado (A classic)
• Chocolate suizo
• Frutilla a la crema
• Chocolate con dulce de leche (Because really, can you ever really have enough dulce de leche? Don’t answer that question)

#2: Public Transportation

Besides New York and DC, public transportation in the States is embarrassingly abysmal. It was no wonder then that in the first couple of weeks in my semester abroad in Santiago in 2009, my sheltered suburban self almost had a Mariah Carey meltdown just thinking about how I was going to get around the city without a car. Now, in Buenos Aires, I can’t get enough of it. Whether it’s the subte (subway), colectivos (buses), or trenes (trains), there are plenty of ways to get around Buenos Aires, and for cheap; even with the unfortunate subte tarifazo that the government has imposed, Buenos Aires still has some of the most affordable transportation in the world.

If public transportation is my god, then the Guía T is my bible. The Guía T is a little pocket-sized book with little grid maps of the Buenos Aires, along with the bus routes for every colectivo that makes it way through the city. With a little Guía T ayuda, you’re all set to go for your transporte público adventure. Yeah, sometimes the amount of people on public transportation forces you to become spatially intimate with strangers, but it’s a great way to save money, practice your listening skills by creepily eavesdropping on conversations, and get to know the city!

Also, thinking about what the subway will look like in the (allegedly) near future makes me almost have a subte-gasmo:

#1: Fútbol

There is one thing you cannot deny here, and that is Argentina’s passion for fútbol, a passion so deep that some hinchas (fans) are willing to risk their lives defending their local club and/or national team. As someone who has played soccer since I was five years old, it is absolutely awe-inspiring to be in a country with that much love for my favorite sport. Argentina may be a machista country that thinks girls are incapable of even dribbling the ball blah blah blah (see previous blog posts), but I have managed to find a niche here and have some really awesome people to play with (this is where I TRL shout out The Outsiders, Fútbolfeminino Fenix, and los chicos de dominfútbol). I play so much soccer here, I don’t even have to buy a membership to the gym – my Fútbol 5, 7, and 9 games keeps my body and my wallet happy.

Buenos Aires may not be perfect, but it is a city I have fallen in love with and will truly miss.

Lo que me hace quedar tranquila es que no es un adios, sino un hasta luego.

Gracias por todos los lindos recuerdos, Buenos Aires!!!! Te voy a extrañar!!!

When you travel to a new city, there is always the question where will you stay? The accommodation of your stay is essential to have a good time. It is the place where you make new friends, where you find interesting activities to do, where you find people to explore the new city and of course where you should feel comfortable. When you travel, you always need an accommodation unless you have friends or family where you can stay.
There are plenty of methods, how you can find your preferable accommodation. Often “backpackers” are traveling with a lonely planet or another travel guide, but unfortunately these accommodations do not always have the best offers and prices.
For this reason, Expanish Spanish School Buenos Aires thought about 10 excellent hostels in the heart of Buenos Aires, which will make your time in Buenos Aires unforgettable:

BA Stop:
The newly renovated BA Stop is a centrally located hostel for young people. It is situated in the heart of the City centre, just one block away from the historic Avenida de Mayo, and few steps from all mayor subway lines and buses which take you to the key places in the City.
The hostel offers all different types of rooms such as dorms, three bed privat, four bed privat, double private and single private. So it is excellent for people to make new friends but also to enjoy their peace in the private room. There is a newly built flort with private rooms and private bathrooms (double or twin). Each room has a ceiling fan and heat, double glass windows to keep street noise down and more.
The hostel offers breakfast which is included in the price, free internet access, sheets and blankets, free lockers in the bedrooms, free city maps. Towels can be rented. To make new friends and sharing meals together, BA Stop has a fully equipped self service kitchen.

Direction: Rivadavia 1194
http://www.bastop.com/

BA Stop Buenos Aires hostel

ChillHouse Guesthouse
A fancy hostel founded in 2003 by an Argentine and a French guy who had the idea to set up a hostel in the capital of Argentina. The hostel is located in the barrio “Abasto” just a few blocks from the well known Abasto Shopping, Museo Carlos Gardel or El teatro el cubo. The subte station is not more than 4 blocks away where you have easily access to the other neighborhoods such as Recoletta, Palermo, Microcenter etc.
The ChillHouse Guesthouse is composed of 10 rooms, a comfortable living room, two intern patios and a terrace where long summer days can be enjoyed with guests from all over the world. They have a barbecue at the roof terrace, which makes the summer nights particularly enjoyable.
Next to free Wifi in all rooms and breakfast which is included, they offer bike renting, good offers with city tours, discounts in clubs and other entertainment things.
Direction: Agüero 781
http://www.chillhouse.com.ar

Rooftop terrace at Chillhouse Guesthouse

Garden House Hostel
The Garden House hostel is located in the authentic barrio “San Telmo”. The hostel is made by and for travelers. It is described as a chilled-out and fun place. The Garden House is run by two young people who decided to open their own place in Buenos Aires after having travelled around the world. With their own travelling experience they could realize what they appreciated more or less during their personal travels.
The hostel is familiar and has a capacity for 25 peoples. They offer everything from single room to dorm and breakfast is included. Furthermore, the hostel has a barbecue grill and a fully equipped kitchen with oven, microwave, fridge etc. Internet is for free use, there are lockers and safety boxes available and there is a free luggage room.
Direction: San Juan 1271
http://www.gardenhouseba.com.ar/

Dinner Nights at the Garden hostel

Giramondo Group
The Giramondo Hostel is a lively hostel for young people who prefer to live in the popular neighbourhood Palermo. The hostel is located in Palermo Soho where you have a lot of popular bars, pups, restaurants, nightclubs and independent design stores close by. The hostel has four different floors and all of them are separated from each other so that you feel free whatever you do whenever you do. They offer single/double room with private bathrooms and shared bathrooms and triple rooms with private bathrooms and dorms. The private rooms have air conditioning, stereo and cable TV. The dorms have heater and fan, free WIFI and breakfast is always included.
The hostel has a bar which offers the whole week different theme nights such as pizza night, asado night, Sunday movie, Sushi Day etc.
Direction: Guemes 4802
http://www.hostelgiramondo.com

Hostel Giramondo

Che Lagarto Hostel
The Che Lagarto Hostel is an international Hostel Chain which has hostels in Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Peru and Uruguay. The hostel in Buenos Aires is located in San Telmo, three blocks from the Casa Rosada. Puerto Madero and Avenida 9 de Julio are very easy to reach and also the Subte station is around the corner. They offer female and mixed dorms with private bathrooms, hotel style private rooms with air conditioning. Furthermore they offer the following services: Free Internet and WIFI, TV, living room, barbecue, bar, travel information, 24-hour front.
Direction: Venezuela 857
http://www.chelagarto.com

Che Lagarto Hostel

Ostinatto Hostel
The Ostinatto Hostel is a welcoming hostel with a relaxed atmosphere. It is located in San Telmo neighborhood, in a lively area with many cafes, bars, restaurants, art galleries, museums etc. Plaza de Mayo, Microcenter and Puerto Madero can easily be reached by foot.
The hostel occupies five floors which are all accessible by lift. On the first floor, there is a spacious communal kitchen and dining area for the guests. The main dorms are situated in the second and third floors. The rooms are functional and clean, the bathrooms are immaculate.
The Ostinatto Hostel has a ground floor piano bar which is open to the public. The basement features a common room with large TV which also houses art exhibitions which are changed once a month.
The place offers a luxury kitchen, a rooftop terrace, a small pool, BBQ place, Micro-Cinema, WIFI, free internet access, Yoga lessons, Tango lessons and more.
Direction: Chile 680
http://www.ostinatto.com

Ostinatto Hostel

HostelSuites
Hostel Suites is centrally located in the major tourist pedestrian road of the city – Florida Street. The Obelisk and the famous 9 de Julio Avenue are just a short walk away. The hostel is combined between hotel quality service and hostel fun atmosphere to make your stay unforgettable.

Rooms available from dorm to private, all rooms have private bathroom and air conditioner. There are mixed dorms, female and male dorms available. The hostel offers free Wifi and computers to the guests, a pool table, mini cinema etc. There are also daily activities organized by the hostel, which can be joined during the stay in Buenos Aires.
Direction: Florida 328
http://www.hostelsuitesflorida.com/

Florida Hostel

V&S Hostel Club
The V&S Hostel Club has 10 years of experience with foreign travelers and offers its guests rooms different styles and decoration. It is located in the centre of Buenos Aires, only 500 meters from Colon Theater, the pedestrian and commercial street Florida and Corrientes Avenue, the avenue which boasts of many popular theaters.
The well-tended hostel contains off different dorms and private rooms to various prices. The Hostel Club V&S also offers a warm and bright common room, equipped with a wide screen cable television and a video library, Furthermore they have an internet room consisting of several computers equipped with flat screen monitors, webcams, headset and microphones (for Skype and MSN) as well as WIFI in the entire hostel.
For all passionate tango dancers, the hostel offers every Wednesday night tango classes in the hostel.
Direction: Viamonte 887
http://www.hostelclub.com/

V&S Hostel Club

Lime House Hostel
A very friendly and conveniently located hostel, just in the corner of 9 de Julio Avenue and Rivadavia Street. It is easy, fast and cheap to get to the main attractions of Buenos Aires from the hostel.
LimeHouse offers a cable TV room, Pool table, and much more. They also have their own hostel bar. Breakfast is included in the price, and there is a fully equipped kitchen to use for the guests. They have laundry facilities and a key luggage store when you wish to travel without taking the entire luggage with you.
The hostel has dorms for 4, 6 and 12 people (12 people is the most affordable) and also private rooms for the people who want to enjoy more privacy. The bathrooms are semi-private.
Direction: Lima 11
http://www.limehouse.com.ar

Lime House Hostel Buenos Aires

Sudamerika H&S Hostel
Another conveniently located hostel from Expanish Spanish School in Buenos Aires is the Sudamerika H&S Hostel. It is situated only a short walk from the “Obelisk” and the Avenue de Mayo which brings you to the famous “Plaza de Mayo. The hostel offers different types of rooms with common and private bathrooms. There is a high speed internet and telephone room, the entire hostel has WIFI access, they also offer a reading room and DVD/TV room as well as a bar and restaurant.
You can get dancing classes such as Tango and Salsa, transfers from and to the airports, bicycles rent and you will also find a travel agency in the hostel itself.
Direction: Hipólito Yrigoyen 951
http://www.sudamerikahostel.com.ar

Sudamerika H&S Hostel

Ideal Social Hostel
“We are not the best hostel, we are the Ideal Hostel” – that’s how they describe themselves in one sentence. The Ideal Social Hostel is located only one block from the Obelisk, in the emblematic heart of the City. It is a new, quiet pedestrian street, there are no busses or cars just people walking and cycling between the two most important avenues of the city centre. They have comfortable 4-star mattresses, a spacious lounge with a bar. They are offering all rooms from dorms (12 beds) to private room for reasonable prices, breakfast included. Furthermore, they offer other services such as 24 hours reception, WIFI in the entire hostel, a kitchen for the guests on each floor, a bar, a social lounge place, TV, playstation and DVD offer, individual lockers. For all the football enthusiasts, they show live matches on TV that can be enjoyed while having a beer at the bar. Furthermore they have life music.
Direction: Suipacha 362
http://www.idealsocialhostel.com/

Ideal Social Hostel

Expanish ofrece a sus estudiantes la posibilidad de participar en muchas actividades semanales. Gratuitas o de bajo costo, las actividades son una gran forma de conocer a otros estudiantes, gente local, profesionales de distintas disciplinas y por sobre todo, divertirse haciendo algo novedoso y cultural, que ayudará a los estudiantes a sumergirse en la cultura Argentina.

Ejemplo de los actividades semanales

Las opciones son variadas y hay para todos los gustos e intereses. Entre las actividades gratuitas, por ejemplo, contamos con clases de tango, reggaetón y salsa. Bailarines profesionales de cada disciplina vienen a la escuela para enseñarles a los alumnos los pasos más importantes y la técnica de cada baile. Los estudiantes tienen la posibilidad de practicar su español con sus compañeros de baile y con los profesores al ritmo de cada música. Es una forma divertida y diferente de sumergirse en la cultura local.

También gratuitas son las actividades relacionadas directamente con la práctica del español como el Club de Conversación o los Expan-Games. Los estudiantes ponen a prueba su conocimiento del idioma y lo que han estudiado en sus clases. Es una forma muy práctica de sociabilizar y practicar español al mismo tiempo y resulta de gran interés para aquellos estudiantes que no quieren estudiar solos o encerrados en sus habitaciones.

Si lo que les interesa es el cine, nada mejor que acercarse al Club de Cine y presenciar una película argentina subtitulada en español, con la compañía de un profesor que responderá las dudas y dará una pequeña charla sobre la película.

Por otro lado, cuando una persona viene la Argentina, sabe que va a tener que probar el asado, las empanadas, jugar al fútbol, bailar tango, etc. Por eso es que ofrecemos un mate-tasting gratuito; una pequeña orientación sobre qué es el mate, cómo se prepara y de qué trata este hábito tan común y cotidiano entre los argentinos.

En Expanish procuramos reducir al mínimo los gastos de los estudiantes. Por esta razón es que ofrecemos actividades de bajo costo y que resulten de interés para cualquier persona interesada en, por ejemplo, realizar un tour por el barrio de La Boca, o quizás visitar museos por el barrio de la Recoleta. También contamos con un tour histórico, uno de diseño y moda y otro que muestra el arte callejero del grafiti en Buenos Aires. Todas estas visitas están organizadas y conducidas por guías altamente capacitados y profesionales que garantizan que los grupos reciban una experiencia cultural gratificante y a la vez segura por la ciudad de Buenos Aires.

Si los estudiantes prefieren realizar algo más deportivo pueden contratar un tour en bicicleta por Tigre. Los guías los conducirán por esta localidad en las afueras de la Capital Federal, para pasar un día al aire libre, lejos de la ciudad y de los edificios. Es una forma distinta de conocer Buenos Aires y sus alrededores mientras se practica un deporte agradable con gente nueva y divertida. Por otra parte, está la posibilidad de participar de un tour en bote por el delta del Tigre, otra opción para recorrer esta localidad desde otra perspectiva.

Los estudiantes no deben perderse la posibilidad de jugar al fútbol con otros compañeros de clase y gente local. Para los argentinos es el deporte privilegiado y constituye una parte fundamental de nuestra cultura. Expanish organiza encuentros para que cualquier persona interesada viva la experiencia de jugar un partido y de, por supuesto, poner en práctica el vocabulario específico del fútbol!

Si lo que buscan además de aprender español es conocer la noche de Buenos Aires, los estudiantes pueden ir al Buenos Aires Pub Crawl; una visita guiada un tanto distinta, que los llevará por distintos bares de la ciudad y terminará en el “boliche”, donde pueden poner en práctica los movimientos aprendidos en las clases de baile de Expanish. También organizamos encuentros en Sugar y cenas con profesores de español en Acabar, otros bares del barrio de Palermo.

Como podrá ser observado, Expanish cuenta con una gran variedad de actividades de todo tipo e interés para maximizar el estudio del español en Buenos Aires. No duden en acercarse a nuestra recepción donde podrán obtener más información sobre las actividades que ofrecemos.

]]> http://www.expanish.com/blog/2012/01/3771/feed/ 0 http://www.expanish.com/blog/2012/01/going-out-as-a-woman-in-buenos-aires-how-to-handle-the-machistas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=going-out-as-a-woman-in-buenos-aires-how-to-handle-the-machistas http://www.expanish.com/blog/2012/01/going-out-as-a-woman-in-buenos-aires-how-to-handle-the-machistas/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:08:05 +0000 admin http://www.expanish.com/blog/?p=3683 Tweet

Argentina may have elected a female president in 2007, but the inauguration of Christina Fernandez de Kirchner into Argentina’s highest office didn’t exactly ring the death toll for Latin machismo within the country. While we’re not exactly living in the dark ages here, machismo is still alive and well.

My good friend Merriam Webster defines machismo as a strong sense of masculine pride, or an exaggerated masculitiny. However, this is one of those words that carries a much heavier load than its literal meaning, and it can even mean different things to different people and within different regional contexts. Personally, when I think of machismo, I think of the prideful male ego that should never be bruised and a stubborn and unbending insistence on traditional gender roles.

One of the most prominent ways that machismo manifests itself in everyday life is through the piropo, which is actually a pretty difficult term to define. Depending on who you are talking to, a piropo can be a compliment directed at a charming young lady on the streets or it can be a direct form of street harrasment. While I’m not going to wax poetic on the political implications of this form of “flirtation”, I would like to offer some advice and experience on how to survive on the streets to my fellow females who plan on spending some time in Buenos Aires.

 1.     Don’t take it personally: The piropo is not about you! If some wannabe alpha male decides to affirm his masculinity by throwing out some idiotic comment about your appearance, it does not mean that you have done something wrong! Don’t think that you dressed too provocatively or walked in a way that invited the comment, because you didn’t. I was once walking down the street in winter, minding my own business, when a man decided to yell out “Ay, mami, ¿cuánto cuesta?” which basically translates to, “Hey babe, how much?”. Was I wearing a mini skirt, tank top and stripper heels when he decided to inquire about my hourly price? Not even close, it was cold outside! I was bundled up in jeans, flat boots, a sweater, scarf and a winter coat. I even had my school books in my hand. I looked more like Laura Ingall than Jessica Rabbit. The bottom line is, the kind of man that catcalls at a random woman will catcall at any random woman so don’t blame yourself.

2.     Don’t make eye contact: The machista has a big ego, so if you look him in the eye after he just told you that you he wants marry you and build you a castle to live in together, his exaggerated sense of male confidence is going to take that gesture as an invitation. It is best to simply ignore the comment and keep on walking as if his existence doesn’t even register on your radar.

3.     Remember you are in a foreign country: In your home country, this kind of behavior might warrant physical retaliation or, at the very least, a verbal confrontation. In Argentina, however, catcalling is simply accepted and is not generally considered a very negative thing. Although I will never understand, many Argentine women even take piropos as a compliment and get distressed if they haven’t received one in a while.

4.     Know how to retaliate if it crosses a line: While the occasional light-hearted piropo is nothing to worry about, if someone is excessively harassing you while you are minding your own business and you did not make the accidental eye contact mistake, that is definitely crossing a line, and you can feel free to unleash a short scathing comment. He should get the message. Remember that is not culturally accepted for a man to touch you or make any kind of physical contact on the street, and you should definitely react and defend yourself if that line is crossed.

When the sun goes down and the city starts preparing to dance the night away in a boliche, the Argentino’s inner machista seems to shine a little brighter. Speaking from experience as a foreign woman on the Buenos Aires night scene, Argentine men are a little more persistent than what I’m used to back home in the US of A. A simple ‘no’ is generally not enough to deter the average Argentino, because, again, his inflated sense of male ego tells him that no woman could ever possibly reject his amorous advances. Obviously, if a woman says she’s not interested, he just needs to try a different approach. So what is a girl to do when she just wants to dance with the ladies, but an Argentino refuses to acknowledge that she is just not feeling it.

 1.     Be persistent: If he doesn’t listen the first time, try, try again. You may have to say no 3 or 4 times before a guy will understand that you mean business. Even then, he might try to act like there’s something wrong with you for rejecting him, but at least he’ll be off your case.

2.     Get back-up from a friend: If a guy really won’t leave you alone, it’s always good to have another friend back you up. Have your girlfriend say no, too, that you don’t want to chat, dance, or make out on the dance floor with this guy. For some reason, a little noise from the peanut gallery usually makes a guy back off sooner.

3.     Go out in a large group: The more people you go out with, the less likely it is that a guy will bother you, so sometimes it is nice to go out with a large group of amigos. If there are guys included in the group, even better. Very few Argentinos will approach you while you’re hanging out with another man, and a back-up ‘no’ from a male friend is almost a guaranteed free pass to dance the night away unbothered.

4.      Have fun: Don’t let the overly excited Argentinos ruin your fun. You can still have a great night with just the ladies or even meet a guy you actually do want to dance with. So if you have to say no to the first few frogs that come along, don’t despair. There are plenty of princes in the city, and you might just find one to teach you a little more about the local lifestyle.

“Colectivos” or “bondis” -in a more colloquial word-in Buenos Aires can take you almost everywhere, in fact sometimes it is the only way to get to certain neighborhoods, as the subway net is quite short compared to other countries…
You have to be really carefull when taking a bus, because a same line may have many different routes, and if you don’t pay attention to the sign on the lower left hand corner of the windscreen detailing its routing, you may be in for a surprise. This being said, the systemworks and is used by many hundreds of thousands of commuters daily.
Before you even venture onto a bus, you’d be foolish not to lay out the AR$5 it costs to get a bus guide. The “Guia “T” de Bolsillo” is published annually and includes all the information you’ll need. They can be purchased at most news stands around the city.

Buy a Guia T to find the correct colectivo

Finding out what bus to take

To use the guide, first look up the street from which you will be departing. It’s located at the beginning of the book. You will see a MapPage and a set of co-ordinates listed next to the street name. Were you looking for 698 Tte Gral Juan D Peron – Expanish address ,for example, the numbers listed to the left of the name refer to the range of street addresses, whereas the 17-B-4 on the right refers to Page 17, Co-ordinates B-4.
Now go to the map section and find the one listed as well as the co-ordinates. Each page is divided into quadrants , the left with thebus lines and the right with the maps. If you are departing from the area within quadrant B3 on the map page, you look to the left andfind its match. The corresponding B3 quadrant on the left page will list all the buses that operate in this area. Now you repeat thisprocedure with your final destination. Find its quadrant on a map page, match it up with the bus page on the left, and see if there are any bus lines common to your departure point. It may take a little detective work, but eventually you’ll find a bus that departs or arrives in a zone not too far from your ideal points.
Anyway, if you have access to internet, the best option is the web site: http://mapa.buenosaires.gov.ar/
There you click on “como llegar” and complete the information: “desde” (from) and “hasta” (to). You click on the search icon and you will get a list of all the possible options to travel with the stimated time… if you click on one of them, you will get a map and a whole explanation of where to take the bus/subway and where to get off… I just love that page!
The guide also has a listing of all the bus lines that operate in Buenos Aires with color photos that show you the unique paint schemeeach bus line features. This makes it easier to identify a bus. The listing goes into minute detail, listing every street the bus uses as it finds its way to its final destination. It’s another useful tool in doing the detective work necessary to find the ideal line that will get you to where you want to go in the most direct manner.
Street by street listed, both outbound and ingoing. They use a slightly different route in either direction due to most streets being uni-directional.

Once on board
Once you’ve decided on which bus line you want to take, you’ll make your way to the street on which it’s listed as running and find the appropriate bus stop. Most of the time buses that stop on a designated corner share the same bus stop and/or shelter. It’s not like that in Buenos Aires. There are far too many buses, so they stop at designated areas in the middle of blocks as well as every available corner,each being unique to a few bus lines.

Here you see the typical bus stop sign. Not only does it list the bus #, but also the major streets and/or points of interest on its route.

Buses in Buenos Aires do not automatically stop when they see passengers waiting at one of their designated stops. You must flag them down. Just show the driver the palm of your hand, as if you were gesturing him to stop or slow down. Unlike buses in many areas,drivers in Buenos Aires will almost always stop, no matter how full they are. Since there are so many buses that have the same routes, if your bus seems too full, wait a few minutes for the next one. It will often be as empty as the previous one was full. Riding an emptier bus will also hinder pickpockets which favor the crowded colectivos to ply his trade.

Once you board the bus you have two options. You either tell the driver your destination (cross streets or point of interest), allowing him to program the automatic machine with the correct fare, or you merely walk on board and tell the driver the fare if you know it. Regularbuses are never more than $2 / $2,50, but there are also some buses called “semi-rapidos” they go through the highway and can take you out of town in 30/40 minutos and therefore are more expensive. Depending which of these “Semi-Rapidos” you take (according to your destination) they tend to have just one fixed rate and it can be from $3 to $8. You can identify these differential buses because they all have a red sign that says either “semi-rapido” or just a red S on the lower left hand corner of the windscreen.
Paying less than you are supposed to, can subject you to a fine if an inspector boards the bus and discovers your ticket was a few centavos short.

Once your fare has been determined, you use the automatic machine, usually located behind the driver, and insert your coins. The machine does not accept paper currency, but does provide change. A ticket will be dispensed together with any applicable change.Keep the receipt, in case the bus inspector makes his rounds, find a seat and enjoy the view. Nowadays, due to the shortage of coins,you can only use a Monedero or Sube card. You can get a Sube card in most post offices (Correo Argentino, Oca or Andreani) and Monedero cards can be found at:

Estación Tribunales – Subway Line D (Monday to Friday from 7 to 20 hs).
Estación Independencia – Subway Line E (Monday to Friday from 7 to 20 hs).
Central Hall af Station Fco. Lacroze from FCG Urquiza (Monday to Friday from 7 to 20 hs).

When you’re ready to leave the bus, simply buzz the driver using one of the buttons located on many of the vertical poles and departusing the back door. If the bus is too crowded to make your way back, or you’re sitting close to the driver, using the front door is acceptable.

Having said all of this, make sure to use the colectivos! For tourist they are a cheap and fun way to explore this great city.