Jon Yu - The Tango Dancers Guide to Buenos Aires

Copyright Tango With Yu 2014
Version 1.2 Updated 1/13/2014

Smashwords Edition, License Notes:
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This bookmay not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would liketo share this book with another person, please purchase anadditional copy for each recipient. If youre reading this book anddid not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only,then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This book is sold with the understanding thatneither the author nor the publisher are engaged in presentingspecific financial or legal advice. When in doubt, always consultwith a qualified professional prior to traveling abroad.

Dear Reader,

If you are reading this book, I am assumingthat you are interested in Tango and are considering making a tripto the city synonymous with the word Passion Buenos Aires,Argentina to further your exploration of Tango at some point inthe near future. I am also assuming that you wish to travel like alocal, or to, in other words, experience the hometown of Tango withinsider information prior to your trip, without wasting too muchtime or money on unsatisfying experiences during your stay.

If this is you, I invite you to read on. Thisbook is a spur of the moment, spontaneous creation one night duringmy first visit to Buenos Aires. In fact, this entire booklet waswritten and produced while I lived in the city, and I loved thecity so much that I extended my stay so I could continue to livehere. This guide is intended to give you a somewhat comprehensivedownload of the numerous lessons Ive learned from my first monthin Tango Town. Of course, the information presented here is by nomeans exhaustive or all-inclusive. However, it may spare you someembarrassment, frustration, unpleasant incidents and oversightsthat I either experienced or learned of in my first weeks.

No matter how long you have been dancing orhow serious you are about Tango, it is an undeniable fact that thisbeautiful dance brought us together. My closest friends are Tangodancers that have enriched my life immensely. It is for this reasonthat I write this book, to help a fellow dancer along the way. Withthis in mind, I am confident that you will continue to findpleasant surprises and experiences in your trip that will enrichyour appreciation of the dance innumerably.

This book is divided into two sections that Ihave named Logistics and During Your Stay. Each section includes acollection of tips, information and experiences that are broadlyorganized in a logical fashion. The sections under Logistics areorganized in a somewhat chronological order that containsinformation and topics you will need to consider primarily beforeyour trip, followed by some friendly advice to help you make betterinformed decisions as you plan, prepare and pack for your trip. Thesection named During Your Stay presents additional suggestions andconsiderations with a goal of helping your trip go as smoothly aspossible. The entire booklet is sufficiently concise that you couldfinish it at the airport or during your flight and absorb the coreinformation as quickly as possible. I have provided manysupplemental links and resources at the end of this work to helpyou find related information as the need arises. At any rate, feelfree to jump around or proceed to read the book from cover to coveras you see fit. If you have any questions or constructive feedback,you can reach me by email at the end of this book.

Un Abrazo,

Jon

I: Logistics

When is the best time to visit?

Buenos Aires is located in the SouthernHemisphere, so the seasons are exactly the opposite of the NorthernHemisphere. This means that winter is from June until September,spring lasts from September through December, summer is duringDecember to March, and fall is between March and June.

The best time to visit largely depends onyour personal preference. If you prefer to stay fresh and avoid theheat, plan your visit between September and late November while theweather is still on the cooler side. Alternatively, if the summersun is what you prefer, it is best to visit in mid-November, whenthe weather becomes more reliably warm. That being said, theweather, like many things in Buenos Aires, can be highlyunpredictable. It is fairly common to experience a hot summer-likeday in the spring months followed immediately by a cold, rainy daywithout warning. Temperatures can change drastically on a whim, sobe prepared and bring some clothing options for all seasons. Alight jacket, scarf and hat can definitely come in handy when youleast expect it to. For those traveling light, simply wear thejacket and additional layers of clothing on you to save space. Thisway you at least have the option of added warmth upon yourarrival.

The drainage system in Buenos Aires variesfrom neighborhood to neighborhood, and the excessive rainaccumulates on the streets that have poor or non-existent sewagesystems. Expect puddles of muddy water for a day or two immediatelyfollowing each bout of rain. It is a good idea to bring waterproofshoes to avoid the discomfort of walking around with soaking-wetsneakers. I only brought a pair of leather dress shoes, and eventhough they insulate water very well, they are less comfortable towalk in than a good pair of sneakers. Umbrellas cost around 30pesos in the city, so you can buy one locally from a store orstreet vendor if you dont plan to bring one with you.

If you plan to come when it gets warmerbetween the months of October and March, keep in mind that fewbuildings in Buenos Aires have screen doors or screen windows. Thismakes it very easy for insects such as flies and mosquitoes to getindoors. Some species of mosquitoes in Argentina are at least twiceas big as their North American counterparts and have a ferociousbite. If you are allergic to insect bites, be sure to keep doorsand windows closed to avoid getting bitten while you aresleeping.

Where can I stay?

This depends on your budget, length of stay,and local connections.

For short-term stays of a few days to amonth, you can stay in hotels (comparatively pricey), tango houses(moderately priced, starting at 20 to 30 USD a day), hostels(affordably priced, typically with shared rooms) or at apartmentsthrough rental agencies (competitively priced). We wont go intofinding hotels, tango houses or hostels in this guide as they arevery easy to come across through a generic keyword search on theInternet.

One such rental agency that we used is ByTArgentina, which we highly recommend. The website includes detailedpictures and pricing information for rentals categorized byneighborhoods. They have good service, responded very quickly toissues during our stay, and our experience overall was smooth andseamless. We had an issue with the heat late one evening and wereable to call and speak to our contacts at ByT Argentina, which wasvery assuring and gave us peace of mind. The building manager camethe following day and the minor issue was resolved in less than 24hours.

If you wish to travel and live like a local,there are even more affordable options that can work out well withsufficient due diligence. The first two options presented below arepriced quite affordably, and can work out for you as long as youapply common sense and take the time to interact with the people onthe other end prior to parting with your cash.

The first option is to check AirBnB, amarketplace that connects apartments with renters. You can browseapartments based on neighborhood, price, and reserve them throughthe Internet. While I havent had personal experience myself, Iknow of friends who used the service without any issues. If youhave Facebook, consider connecting it to Airbnb so you can seewhich of your Facebook friends are mutual friends with theapartment owner. This reduces substantial risk involved withrenting from an unknown third-party. The AirBnB website has adetailed help section that answers all your questions about theprocess. Be sure to contact their support to get a feel for thetypes of response time to see if that is something acceptable toyou.