Experiences as a Development Practitioner: Northern Argentina: A Summer in the Winter

We ate and ate, and then ate some more. I’m an eater, and yet I had never eaten so much in my life. Argentina is known for its carne asada, the most delicious, juicy meats prepared with minimal spices. Dishes are served with a variety of side supplements such as vinagered onions and pickles, eggplant, potatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and a variety of cheeses. The Mendoza wine, particularly the region’s specialty, Malbec, complements the savory and the sweet, allowing the palate to taste a little piece of heaven. I took it another notch higher and indulged daily in delicious gelato, a mix of passion fruit, raspberry, and mascarpone. The final high was the result of a daily dose combination of dulce de leche, empanadas (origins of Sri Lankan patties), and alfajores, dulce de leche sandwiched between 2 buttery biscuits, dipped in either powdered sugar and coconut or milk chocolate. It was a gluttonous experience to say the least.

Enjoying northern Argentina at the cusp of its spring and summer, just as DC was entering its winter was bliss. Buenos Aires is an intriguing city, where the old and classic is constantly juxtaposed by the modern and sleek of Puerto Madero. My cousin and I were fortunate to have a resident cousin and his wife with whom we stayed with while in the capital and exposed us to a more authentic albeit high class taste of the city life. We were accommodated in classy Palermo, one of Buenos Aires’s 48 communes.

The cousins in Buenos Aires

Our fancy accomodation in Palermo barrio

Much of the old city’s structures mirror the classic European Spanish architectural style, including the former Post Office, now Pink House or the Casa Rosada, housing the offices of the President. Facing the palace is the Plaza de Mayo, which is stamped with the symbol of the Madres de Plaza, a white head scarf around an invisible face. Each madre’s head scarf has the name of her kidnapped child embroidered into it from the Dirty War (1976-1983), a period of state-sponsored violence during which thousands of left-wing activists, students, journalists, and other socialist sympathizers opposing military dictatorship and harsh elements of capitalism were abducted, tortured, and murdered. The madres continue their marches around the pyramid in the square every Thursday to this day.

Madres de la Plaza Del Mayo

Demanding and waiting for justice

Casa Rosada

I’ve heard that if there’s one must see in Buenos Aires, it would be the cemetery in La Recoleta. It is virtually a town within a city, filled with crosscutting lanes lined with the grandest graves of the wealthiest and affluent families of the country. Some have even built mausoleums of marble, decorated with ornate statues and stained glass. The main site here, of course, is the grave of the late Eva Peron.

Other commonly visited communes that offer spectacular markets, restaurants, and good night spots, which we could not refuse, are Retiro and San Telmo. Here, one can opt for formal tango shows with dinner or enjoy the street tango. And, following unintentional, uncontrollable tradition, I heard my name being called out yet again through the market streets, as I ran into another friend from elsewhere on the globe, whom I happened to bump into in San Telmo’s antiquities market. These unanticipated run-ins are always so delightful and never cease to amaze me.

Basilica Nuestra Senora del Pilar, Recoleta

Statue adorning a grave in the Recoleta cemetery

The grandest of graves

Recoleta cemetary: a town within the city

Another view of the Basilica

Street tango in Recoleta

Floralis Generica, blooming with the sunrise and closing with the sunset

Mate tea cups

Don Qixote

Basilica in San Telmo

From Buenos Aires, we moved onto Iguazu, home to the glorious falls at the crossroads of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. There are various pathways once can traverse to lower and upper Iguazu that all offer stunning, breathtaking views of the falls, including Dos Hermanas, Bozzetti, San Martin, Escondido, Rivadavia, and even Adam and Eve. We maneuvered them all, and when you think it just can’t get better, well, the views become experiences and even showers under the falls. The most entertaining experience was taking the speed boat into the Devil’s Throat (Garganta de Diablo), a U-shaped part of the falls through which runs the Argentina-Brazil border. Travelers can also traverse various islands, though we found the most worthwhile to be the Isla Grande San Martin which takes one closest to the falls.

Upper Iguazu Falls

Another view of the falls

Garganta del Diablo

Motor boat ride into the falls

The lower Igauzu falls

Another view of the falls

Our last stop in the north was, of course, to the wine country of Mendoza, which lies along the eastern side of the Andes. Mendoza produces some of the best olive oil and wine in the world, which I can certainly affirm. We particularly indulged in the wines that are not currently exported and only available for those in Argentina to enjoy. I, very happily, carried back the 12-bottle limit to the States, to continue the Malbec experience.