Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is one of the world's most sophisticated  and beautiful cities. Like most cities on the east coast of South America, it is much more reflective of European culture than the west coast.

It's major art form is the tango which began around the turn of the twentieth century when immigrant European men arrived, leaving their families behind. Also gauchos newly displaced from ranches on the Pampas came to the cities. And of course the men frequented the bordellos.  While they waited their turn to go upstairs, they played music, and eventually danced with each other and that dance evolved into what today we know as the tango.  The first tangos were danced by men, that is why in some forms of tango the two people do not look at each other and barely touch.  Later the “ladies” decided they could increase their income by dancing with the men before taking them upstairs.

Argentina is tango mad, largely spurred by the introspection caused by the economic collapse of 2000-2001. Two of the most amusing aspects of the tango and Argentine music is that the Uruguayans assert that they invented the tango and that the most popular song here is “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” written by a pair of Brits.

You will find young couples dancing the tango to a boom-box in squares around the city. Although touristy, tango shows in night clubs are worth the time.

The cruise terminal is about a 1 km. (0.5 mile) from the city center. Taxis are reasonably priced or your cruise ship may have a shuttle bus.

La Cabaña Las Lilas
Alicia Moreau de Justo 516
4313-1336
www.laslilas.com

Must Try: Steak with a bottle of Malbec.

Review: A splurge in B.A. was to have lunch at reportedly “the” best steak house in the world – La Cabaña Las Lilas.  Argentina is known for its beef as their cows are “free range”, fed on grasses in the plains in the northern part of the country.  Remember, Argentina is a beef country.  (If you are a vegetarian they have to kill you.  Cows are vegetarian and they kill them!)  Las Lilas grills 90 tons of steak annually.  It is located at the docks of Puerto Madera, a refurbished port area with businesses and restaurants lining both sides of four large rectangular basins connected by short canals.  Unfortunately, when this port area was built they did not know cruise or container ships would become so popular, and so they are too large to dock here.  Too bad, as it is a lovely area and no container ships in sight!  There is a graceful bridge in view designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

Las Lilas raises its own beef on its own 17,000 acre estancia (ranch), and dressed cows are brought to the restaurant where the meat is cut on site.  We shared a large rib-eye steak ($20), plus a bottle of very tasty Argentinean Malbec wine, as well as appetizers which they put on your table.  The steak was fantastic (tho' probably not the best we’ve ever had), but the ambiance was superb – sitting outside under cover, with a slight breeze, the old port and tied-up sail boats in front for our viewing pleasure.  We could have been on the Côte d'Azur or in San Diego.  Truly a moment to remember. $$$$