In the
process of trying to complete my matriculation at the Universidade Federal de
Santa Catarina, I learned that I needed to have their name on my visa. To do that, I
needed to go to a Brazilian consulate office outside of Brazil. For me, living in Florianópolis, the closest
Brazilian consulate, outside of Brazil, is located in Buenos Aires,
Argentina. So began my trip to a city
that I knew very little about until I arrived there.
Because
Brazil has always been my South American country of choice, I had never considered
visiting any other country in the region.
Had circumstances not dictated my need to travel to Buenos Aires, I can
see now, it would have been a mistake to miss the opportunity to visit a
beautiful and interesting city that shares a lot in common with two of my favorite destinations in the US, Washington, DC
and Manhattan, NY.
I’ve had
the privilege of living on the east coast for several years, specifically Washington
DC and northern New Jersey, and there are some principal characteristics of
those areas that make them nice places to live and visit. Interestingly, while in Buenos Aires, I felt
right at home because I noticed some of those same characteristics that I loved
about living on the East Coast.
Because I love “live” flowers, I immediately took
notice, in Buenos Aires of the ubiquitous street vendors selling flowers. The
same is true for DC and Manhattan. Since
they were so accessible, while living on the East Coast, it was easy to reward
myself with fresh cut flowers regularly.
Second,
my attention was seized by the architect and monuments in Buenos Aires. Since this trip was unplanned and strictly a
business trip, to change my visa and quickly return to Brazil, the only
research I did prior to leaving for Buenos Aires was to learn all I could about
changing my visa and gathering all the documents necessary to accomplish that
end.
Upon
arriving in Buenos Aires, the first item on my agenda was to locate the Brazilian
consulate office. On my way to my
destination, to my great surprise, as I ran across the busy intersection of
9 de Julio, I saw a tall obelisk, an exact replica of the Washington
Monument. Interestingly, on my last day
in the city, on my way to purchase my return ticket to Brazil, I stumbled upon a
monument that resembles a combination of the Vietnam Memorial and the Tomb of
the Unknown Soldier in Washington, DC. The
monument is named, “El Monumento a Los Caídos en Malvinas.” Similar to both the Vietnam Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, it pays homage to soldiers lost during war. The appearance of the monument is like the Vietnam Memorial, the names of fallen
soldiers are carved into black stones, but the activities at the monument are similar
to those at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
An eternal flame is a part of the monument and guards dressed
in historic uniforms are posted at the monument.
Third, I would
be remiss if I did not mention the parks, plazas and shops. Buenos Aires is very urban and holds the
distinction of being considered “the Paris of South America.” I stayed in the Recoleta neighborhood, which
reminded me of a combination of Dupont Circle in Washington, DC and the upper east
side of Manhattan, NY. Despite its
urban characteristic, it is clear that the city demands its green space. I was enamored by the plazas and parks that I
frequently stumbled upon, and the variety of shops and restaurants that kept my
constant attention as I made my way from one destination to the other. The
fashion trend in Buenos Aires, for every member of the family, is definitely
inspired by Paris.
Fourth like any major city, with all its
wonderfulness and beauty, you must exercise caution. I was almost the victim of a theft while
walking along the busy avenue of Santa Fe.
I was carrying my book bag on my back.
I thought it was secure because I had all the zippers pulled completely
to one side. I was not prepared for the craftiness
of three perpetrators as oppose to one.
While one person, perhaps standing to the side of me, slowly unzipped
the bag, the other, standing behind me, attempted to rummage through my
bag. Fortunately, I felt my bag moving and
turned around, startling the thief and thus foiling their plan. When
I took the bag off my back, it was completely open. The most surprising thing about the entire
ordeal is that I would never have suspected the persons to be thieves. They were well-dressed and groomed, and
looked like your typical employees on a lunch break. While it seemed strange at first, I became
quite comfortable carrying my book bag covering my chest.
Finally, I know that there is so much more to Buenos Aires that
time and circumstance did not permit me to explore, however, the corner of the
city that I was able to experience was a great place to start.
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