163 - Buenos Aires travel guide
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Buenos Aires is located on the Rio de la Plata (the silver river). Most of the transport hubs are located on or near the river, and the city is laid out on a rough grid stretching away from the river. The city centre is centred around where Avenida 9 de Julio (which runs up from the river) crosses Avenida Corrientes, and that's where the Obelisk is located. The other principal street, Avenida 25 de Mayo, runs parallel with Av. Corrientes.

Buenos Aires is divided into 48 barrios (neighbourhoods) but docsmost are residential - posh Recoleta is in the north near the bus station, and edgy La Boca is in the south near the river.

In the city grid, the blocks are numbered by the hundreds, so each street you cross will take the numbers up 100, even though there aren't that many buildings in each block. This makes finding an address really easy!

You aren't going to go hungry in Buenos Aires. There's everything from budget options like hot dogs on the street, to the lushest meal in a five-star restaurant. Don't miss out on an asado (barbecue) - if you can get yourself invited to a local's home you'll have the most authentic experience, but if not restaurants are tripping over themseves to feed you tasty Argentinian meat.

Empanadas are a must - they're pastry circles folded over and stuffed with meat, egg and olives, There are different fillings but the beef ones are the most popular. You can find them in bakeries and some corner stores - make sure you ask for them heated or you might get cold ones. Alfajores are a typical Argentininan snack - two soft biscuits stuck together with dulce de leche and maybe coated in chocolate. If you take a long bus trip, they might just give you one, but the fresh ones from a bakery are much better. Medialunas (half-moons) are a great option for breakfast or a mid-morning snack.

Mate is also worth a try, but it's difficult to buy just one cup. Mate is the bitter tea you'll see Argentinians drinking all day out of small cups, with a straw.

You might have some problems if you're a vegetarian though, although most restaurants have some sort of vegetarian option, it isn't universal. There are quite a few vegetarian and vegan restaurants around though, if you do your research!

Attractions Buenos Aires is an attractive city to walk around, with a lot of parks and squares to explore. Many are central, but Palermo is a great place to start, as that is where the Botanical Gardens are located. There's also a rose garden in Parque Tres de Febrero, and BA has the largest Japanese Garden outside of Japan.

Plaza de Mayo is a square in the central city, and is lined with impressive buildings that house the government offices, and might be familiar as the location of one of Eva Peron's speeches. You can also visit Evita's grave in the stunning Recoleta Cemetery - many other historical figures are buried there, but it's worth a visit even if you hate history, the tombs are amazing.

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