Sean and I typically have no problem agreeing on travel destinations. But when it came to planning the last few weeks of our journey through Latin America, we might as well have been from different planets. I was sold on Buenos Aires; he wanted to skip it. He had his heart set on Rio; I was convinced I’d hate it. But that was then.
Five months have passed since we initially debated the merits of those contentious cities, and if you ask us about them now, you’ll get very different answers.
Her city: Buenos Aires
What’s your history with Buenos Aires?
Sarah: My interest in Buenos Aires goes all the way back to middle school Spanish class. Somehow, during the course of learning the Latin American capitals (raise your hand if you still know those songs by heart), I got it into my head that Buenos Aires was the best one. Aside from the fact that it’s very European, I knew next to nothing about it, but that was enough for 13-year-old Sarah. I’ve been dying to visit ever since.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Sean: Buenos Aires wasn’t a high priority for me, and when we were planning our route for this leg of the trip, it didn’t really make sense logistically (the most economical choice would’ve been a direct flight from Salta to Iguazu Falls). I knew we’d get there eventually on a future Patagonia trip, so I was open to skipping it this time around. But we had a few spare days in the schedule and the extra flight wasn’t outrageous, so in the end we made it work.
How do you feel about it now?
Sarah: “Buenos Aires” means “good air,” and I’ve never been to a more aptly named city. As soon as we stepped off the bus from the airport, my whole body exhaled. Wide sidewalks, trees everywhere, and yes, French-inspired architecture on every corner—it was like a big, beautiful hug. If I were going to live anywhere in Latin America, it would be Buenos Aires without a doubt.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Recoleta cemetery, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Sean: While I enjoyed most of the big cities we went to in Latin America (especially Mexico City and Medellin), they were all a little rough around the edges. I expected the same of Buenos Aires—but I was wrong. It’s very clean and comfortable. I was particularly impressed by all the green space. We walked around so many parks for free, including one that was full of weird Argentinian animals.
Patagonian mara wandering freely in a park in Buenos Aires
I’m a huge fan of Japanese gardens, and the one in Buenos Aires was top of the line. (At the time I thought it was a preview of future adventures; little did I know that it would be our last glimpse of Asia for the foreseeable future.)
Japanese garden, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Origami crane, Buenos Aires, Argentina
What was your favorite part?
Sarah: The obvious answer is steak, Malbec, and tango. Buenos Aires wouldn’t be Buenos Aires without them. The city is littered with steakhouses—from high-end haunts to affordable holes-in-the-wall. We opted for lunch at a casual cafe called Parrilla Peña, and it was magical. The ribeye was huge and perfectly cooked, the chimichurri was insanely delicious, the free empanadas that appeared out of nowhere were a welcome surprise, and the house Malbec made everything go down nice and easy. (Plus the waiter complimented my Spanish, which is worth 500 bonus points.)
Steak lunch, Buenos Aires, Argentina
We spent our last night in Buenos Aires at a tango show. Was it good? I think so. But let’s be honest: When you’re sitting in a sumptuous theater making your way through a bottle of Malbec, everything is good. (The Uber driver who took us back to our Airbnb after the show also complimented my Spanish, so I guess the lesson here is: Drink Malbec to improve your foreign language skills.)
A less obvious highlight has to be El Ateneo Grand Splendid, a 100-year-old theater turned bookstore. Not only is it absolutely stunning, it’s also a perfect fit for the city: Buenos Aires is full performing arts venues (the Teatro Colón is among the top 10 opera houses in the world). Even though the Ateneo theater was no longer needed, I love that its soul is still intact.
El Ateneo Grand Splendid, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Sean: The gaucho ranch we went to outside Buenos Aires was one of the most unique cultural experiences I’ve ever had. The grounds were so beautiful, and the barbecue (asado) lunch we had was absolutely delicious. I’ve never eaten so much meat in my life—they just kept bringing it! (Surprisingly, the intestines were the best part.)
Gaucho, Argentina
An abundance of meat on the parrilla (grill)
I also really loved the horseback ride we went on. I’d never ridden a horse before, and it was a lot of fun to do it surrounded by gauchos. (Yeah, yeah, I’m from Texas and I had to go all the way to Argentina to eat barbecue and ride a horse. I can hear you laughing through the computer.)
Horseback riding on the Argentinian Pampas (plains)
His city: Rio de Janeiro
What’s your history with Rio?
Sean: I’ve always been amazed by photos of Rio—how the jungle, ocean, mountains, and city all come together so beautifully. The 2016 Olympics sealed the deal for me. I was glued to the T.V. for two weeks straight, and when the Games were over Rio was at the top of my travel list.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Sarah: I’m going to be perfectly frank here: I had absolutely no interest in going to Brazil. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Between the scandal-plagued Olympics, the persistent hand-wringing over the favelas, and the rampant deforestation of the Amazon, I was convinced that Brazil was not the place for me. Sure, Rio looked nice enough on T.V., but those pretty pictures weren’t enough to erase all the bad press. I followed Sean there very grudgingly.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
How do you feel about it now?
Sean: In my experience, popular places that look great in pictures wind up being the most disappointing: overcrowded, full of tourist traps, and generally genericized. Rio was none of those things. In fact, it vastly exceeded my expectations. I even loved the beaches, and I’m a ginger! I never love beaches.
Sand sculpture on Copacabana beach
Sarah: I owe Brazil a massive apology. My preconceptions were 1000% wrong. Rio is absolutely gorgeous and very well kept—the airport and the subway system were the nicest I’ve seen anywhere in the world. The people were some of the friendliest in Latin America (second only to Chileans) and I can confirm that they almost all look like Gisele Bündchen (lest you were wondering why Sean liked the beaches so much). Before we got to Brazil, we figured our future Patagonia trip would be our last visit to South America. But after spending five nights in Rio, I immediately started planning our triumphant return to Brazil.
Ipanema beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
What was your favorite part?
Sean: Our Airbnb host helped us get tickets to a big rivalry match between Rio’s top futebol (soccer) teams at Maracanã Stadium. (If you watched the 2016 Olympics, you definitely remember Bob Costas saying that name over and over.) It was an absolute blast! The energy was insane—the crowd got so into it.
Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
I bought a Flamengo jersey before the game started, and the guys sitting around us absolutely loved seeing a foreigner in their team’s colors. They kept high fiving us, hugging us, kissing us, and asking for selfies. (Ed. note: Remember hugs and friendly strangers?) They didn’t speak much English, but one of them screamed “I LOVE YOU!” as we were leaving.
Making friends at Maracanã
Sarah: Four words: Caipirinhas on the beach. I look absolutely nothing like Gisele Bündchen, but with 20 ounces of cachaça and lime juice in my hand and huge waves crashing at my feet, I forgot about that pretty quickly. We had four full days in Rio, and we spent two of them sitting on the beach staring at the mountains. (There’s a reason Rio’s harbor is considered one of the seven wonders of the natural world.)
Rio harbor, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
But here’s the kicker: According to Brazilians, the beaches in Rio aren’t even that nice. For true paradise, you have to venture to more remote destinations along Brazil’s 4,600-mile coast or head to the islands. And that’s exactly what we’ll do when we go back.
The girl from Ipanema goes walking on the beach
What’s the first thing you think of when I say Colombia? Cocaine? Pablo Escobar? Narcos? FARC? Terrorism? That’s fair. But what if I told you everything you thought you knew about the country is wrong?