25th May: Revolution in Buenos Aires!

We’re only half way through the week, and the weekend still seems a long way away… But hold on just one moment! This Friday, no need to go to the office because in Buenos Aires we celebrate el Día de la Revolución de Mayo (May Revolution Day)! It’s a very important day for the Argentine people, so if you’re traveling to Buenos Aires this week, come experience the local festivities on Friday 25^th May, 2012.

Here’s a bit of history for you. Día de la Revolución is celebrated in the memory of the May Revolution of 1810, which was a series of events that took place between the 18^th and the 25^th of May. The holiday marks the anniversary of the beginning Buenos Aires’s independence from the Spanish government, when defeated by the French and under pressure by the local population of Buenos Aires, collapsed to give place to newly formed government called La Primera Junta (The First Council).

Image Credit: Todo Noticias

This day is marked in the hearts of the Argentine population as it is in a way the birth of everything we have come to love about this wonderful country; it’s delicious food, its beautiful Tango, its extraordinary football accomplishments. This event is what created Buenos Aires’s cultural identity, as well as sense of patriotism for the country.

Experiencing Buenos Aires during the 25^th of May National Holiday

If you are travelling to BuenosAires this Friday here are a couple of things you must try to celebrate as do the locals during this national holiday:

-        Join the celebrations of the National Government in the well renowned Plazade Mayo. The events usually gather hundreds of people and politic manifestations with concerts and speeches by national politicians.

Image Credit: FM Centro

-        If you are a follower of the local gastronomy, don´t forget to get a taste of the local food. On this day, it is tradition for the Porteños to eat Locro, which is a sort of stew made out of mostly corn, meat and vegetables. A delicious dish, with a very typical Andean taste, but it should probably be preferable not to eat much for breakfast before!

-        For desert, stop at a bakery and try out the delicious Pastelitosde Batata y Membrillo, which are little pastries made of sweet potatoes and quince. 

Image Credit: Cadenamaxima

-        If you decided to go sightseeing in the city, don’t forget to go have a look at the May Revolution’s historic legacy. These events will forever be remembered through some of Buenos Aires’s oldest landmarks such as the Piramide de Mayo (May Pyramid). You can also go to Palermo Soho and enjoy brunch at one of the local coffee stores of the city. 

-        Plaza Francia in Recoleta and Plaza Serrano in Palermo will have local fairs with handicrafts, music and lots of other fun stuff, so these will be probably very nice places to take a walk and enjoy the local holiday atmosphere.

And if you are more interested in spending the Día de la Revolución joining a tour in Buenos Aires or making a guided visit outside Buenos Aires would be a great option to know more about the Argentinean culture.  Book today and benefit from our safe online booking services with BsAs4U. We will be happy to help in any way we can, and this we do 24/7!

If you are looking for tours and activities in Buenos Aires during the Autumn, visit our official website

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14th International Human Rights Film Festival: Searching for one’s identity

Buenos Aires is home to a great number of cultural events all throughout the year. It’s a greatcity if you’re looking for unforgettable experiences during your travels. From modern art to cinematography, the cultural activities never stop.

This time the city will be hosting from the 23rd to the 30th May 2012, the 14th edition of the International Human Rights Film Festival (Festival Internacional del Cine de los Derechos Humanos). It’s an excellent excuse for all you cinema lovers and human rights defenders traveling throughout South America to enjoy the multiple cultural and political activities that Buenos Aires has to offer.

The InternationalHuman Rights Film Festival of Buenos Aires was created with the objective to present the best films that pose their plot around the social problematic related to the defense of human rights and of the environment. In this light, the festival is hoping, through its many different and original points of view, to promote a critical cinema that may contribute to social change.  This year’s edition revolves around the theme of Identity, where the filmspresented will try and portray one’s individual search to integrate society as a distinct human being, which would in turn lead to their understanding of its cultural, psychological, social and biological aspects. This theme will be divided into seven categories: the Environment, Native Cities, Childhood and Youth, Memory, Migration, Gender Perspectives, and Panorama.

“One’s Identity is like a tree that you water in the past so that it grows into the actions and choices we make in the present. Each individual needs to find and recognize his/her own identity to freely develop his/her potential.”

Recommended movies:

- Eventhe Rain (Tambien la Lluvia), 2010, directed by Iciar Bollain (Spain)

- Polisse, 2011, directed by Maiwenn (France)

- Juego de Niños (Children’s Game), 2011, directed by Javier Gonzalez (Colombia)

The projections will be done in different cinemas around Buenos Aires, and tickets will be sold at the entry. In some cinemas such as Cosmos UBA or Cinema Gaumont INCAA, the prices will range from $4 to $15 (Argentinean pesos), whereas in cinemas like CCEBA (Centro Cultural de España en Buenos Aires) or Alianza Francesa, entry will be free! You only have to arrive have an hour before the movie starts to get your tickets.

Ver Film Fest Theaters en un mapa ampliado

To see full program of the International Human Rights Film Festival, click here!

So if you are looking for something different to do while exploringthe city, the International Human Rights Film Festival movies will certainly be an opportunity to breathe in the cultural atmosphere of Buenos Aires. 

For tours and activities during your travel to Buenos Aires, visit Bsas4U.com and book safely, paying the best quality/price for of the most authentic and fun activities in Buenos Aires. At BsAs4U, satisfaction is guaranteed!

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100TH Blog and many more to come…

Yes, this is the blog entry number 100^th and we are happy to keep sharing with you up to date activities, culture tips and thingsto do in Buenos Aires  We recently begun to review some of our most interesting activities and sightseeing tours in and around Buenos Aires but our main objective is been always to provide  inside information from people living in Argentina to help you plan your stay in Buenos Aires 

Some curious facts about BsAs4U blog:

With 2 weekly blogs being published every week (Tuesdays and Thursdays), we have written over 65,000 words and we counted with more than  45,900 readers from all over the world: North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia and AustraliaAnd of course  Argentina.

Image Credit: El Caff

From our side, the most enjoyable part of the writing a blog is getting to visit the great sights and sounds of Buenos Aires and searching for the hidden secrets of the tourist trail such as, ‘ElCAFF’ but we know that the most populat blog subjects are football, food and lifestyle, however, our editorial team work hard every month to choose interesting and up to date subjects for all our diverse range of readers, so we hope you all enjoy the reading as much as we enjoy the writing.

Image Credit: Google analytics

Finally, we thank all those people who have taken time to read what we have to say and have shown their support for our work. We hope you continue to read and engage with our blogs and we look forward to bringing what’s happening now in Buenos Aires  to you! Refer your friends and family to our blog if they are thinking of visiting Buenos Aires on vacation and write on our Facebookwall or Tweet us if you want to find out more about something to do with Buenos Aires.

If you are looking for tours and activities in Buenos Aires during the Autumn, visit our official website

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Buenos Aires in May: A series of breathtaking events and activities

Buenos Aires is considered to be one of the most lively and dynamic capitals on the face of the planet, as well as an excellent holiday destination for travelers who are looking to have a bit of fun. Host to an amazing diversity of events and activities, the city is the place to travel to at any time of the year, may you be looking for a culturalvisit to Buenos Aires or to party with a group of friends.

What happened in Buenos Aires last week?

Last weekend, Buenos Aires had the honor of hosting one of the world’s most famous electronic music festivals. Originate from Miami in 1999, Ultra Music Festival 2012 hit the Argentinian capital for the first time with such force it shook the grounds around PuertoMadero from Saturday 5^th May 6pm, to Sunday 6^th May 6am. 25 000 ravers from all around the world were present at Costanera Sur, South of BuenosAires’s beautiful port, as international electronic artists such as the French duo Justice and American DJ Kaskade blasted their tunes all throughout the night. Spectacular light shows accompanied the acts from the three tents that were set up around the area, and one could either join the crowd and go wild or just sit down a little further back, relax, and enjoy the show. 

Either way, everyone’s ears were wringing by the end of the night (or should we say early morning), but one could only see satisfied smiles as the people were going home for a good day’s sleep. All in all it was amazing event, and an activity Buenos Aires could not have made better, and hopefully this will be the first Ultra Music Festival Buenos Aires of many to come.

Image Credit: Infobae

What is happening in Buenos Aires in Buenos Aires right now?

For those who are travelling to Buenos Aires this week, take care to swing by the Centro Cultural de CarlosGardel or San Martin to feast your eyes upon the magical atmosphere the city has to offer with Buenos Aires’s 4^th InternationalCircus Festival (or Festival Internacional de Circo). This year, the Buenos Aires special event is offering 18 shows to its spectators, nine of which are international (France, Switzerland, Sweden, Brazil, Chile), from the 3^rd to the 14^th May 2012.

Great performances by worldly renowned companies such as “Les Sept Doigts de la Main” (The Seven Fingers of the Hand) and “Cirque ICI” can be enjoyed under the diversely colored tents, and such shows as “Secret” are to be attended imperatively!  So if you are in Buenos Aires this weekend don’t miss out on what some say are the best circus performances in the world!

Image Credit: Polo Circo

What will be happening in Buenos Aires this moth and that you shouldn’t miss?

For travelers who are searching to extract a more culturalexperience out of Buenos Aires, now is the right to time visit. When you think of Buenos Aires, what are the first things that come to mind?  Delicious meat, empanadas, dulcede leche, mate, beautiful women, and of course Tango! And for visitors who want to experience tango at its finest, this weekend Buenos Aires is starting its tenth City Championship Event (or Campeonato de Baile de la Ciudad), form the 10^th to the 26^th May 2012. Extending all over Buenos Aires’s geographical surface - starting in the Milonga  “elArranque” (a Milonga being a traditional tango club) in the San Nicolas neighborhood, and finishing in the House of Culture (or Casa de la Cultura) on Avenidade Mayo - this event invites dance couples from all over the capital to compete for who will represent Buenos Aires in the world final this August.  A passionate competition, where travelers lucky enough to be in the city at this time can enjoy the best tangoshows of the year, and therefore an activity not to miss during your travels to Buenos Aires!

See More Tours: Bsas4u.com

The city has also plenty of travel activities you probably cannot miss, so have a browse through our BsAs4u catalog for travel services and enjoy the benefits of all your toursof Buenos Aires purchasable online in a friendly and safeenvironment!


If you are looking for tours and activities in Buenos Aires during the Autumn, visit our official website

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Celebrating Mothers Day in Buenos Aires

This week, many countries around the world such as Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico , Canada and Uruguay are celebrating Mother’s Day! For this special day, nothing better than to experience it with the most important woman of your life on a lovely tripto Argentina and its capital, Buenos Aires, a unique city full of glamorous places to take her, and we selected the top three places that would be most convenient to enjoy mother's day. Check these out:
 

IGUAZUFALLS:

Recently voted one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the spectacular Iguazu Falls are divided between Brazil and Argentina. Putting football rivalries aside, the experience on the Argentine side is one of pure emotion since you are literally inside the most amazing waterfall in the world.

Excited about this opportunity to live this unique travel experience?  Check out our IguazuArgentina and Brazil Tour Package and enjoy the privileges of an all inclusive trip!

 TIGRE

This touristic town one hour north of Buenos Aires is a perfect choice if you wish to go beyond the boundaries of the city and experience Buenos Aires like a porteño. The cityof Tigre opens up on the Rio de la Plata Delta, where you can go on a nice little boat trip with your mother, enjoy a day of shopping in the fruit market, or just simply sit down for a delicious meal while you escape the pollution of the city. If you decide to navigatethrough the delta, you should know that each island has its own little surprise, and every one of them is laden with brightly colored houses.

Are you ready to navigate the waters in the best of comfort with your mother? Don’t miss the Tigre and SanIsidro Tour by Boat offered by BsAs4u! An excellent tour where you and your mom will enjoy a few unforgettable moments.

PUERTO MADERO – BUENOS AIRES

Puerto Madero is a fascinating place to spend a wonderful moment with your mother. Being one of the most modern areas of Buenos Aires, the port offers a choice of many good restaurants, local or otherwise, to be enjoyed in the company of your loved ones. Its romantic atmosphere makes it one of Buenos Aires’s mostpopular landmarks. In addition, the neighborhood is a tribute to the women of Argentina, and its many streets were named after them.  Manuela Saenz, and Ecuadorian revolutionary, Azucena Villaflor, founder of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, who dies during the military dictatorship. Even the daughters of the Greek god Nereus gave their names to the streets of Puerto Madero. 

So if you have decided to come to BuenosAires during this special weekend, BsAs4U wants you to enjoy it even more by offering a 50 % discount to all mothers for any reservation made for either Saturday 12^th May or Sunday 13^th May. To complete your travel experience, you and your mother will receive a shoppingtour absolutely free! So don’t miss this unique opportunity BsAs4U is offering you and your mother for this special occasion!

If you are looking for tours and activities in Buenos Aires during the Autumn, visit our official website

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No labouring on Labour day in Buenos Aires

 If you are visiting Buenos Aires this weekend, you are in for a special treat as Monday 30^th April and Tuesday 1^st May are National Holidays. ‘Labour Day’ (Día del Trabajador) is celebrated as a NationalHoliday in Argentina and recalls the labour demands and strikes held by American workers on the 1^st May 1886 in order to gain better working conditions.


You might then be wondering why Monday 30^th April is also a National Holiday. Monday 30^th April is known as “the holiday bridge” (feriado puente) and is intended to encourage local tourism so that people can take advantage of the long weekend and get away from the cities, a measure brought in by President Cristina Kirchner. The banks will therefore be closed and your travel agent in Argentina may not be available to answer your calls.

The weather forecast  for this weekend is relatively sunny with some showers and temperatures projected to range between 45F and 69F meaning you will need to be ready for all weather outcomes. Here are some ideas of how to enjoy the fresh, Autumnal Buenos Aires weather this weekend:

The weather forecast for this long weekend

The Argentine Workers’ Union and certain left wing organizations will be out in their thousands on Tuesday 1^st May, congregating at different parts of the city, such as the Obelisk and 9de Julio. Head to Plaza de Mayo and see the groups arriving from all directions as they march to hold their main demonstration outside the Casa Rosada. Make sure you don’t miss it, as it will be a unique, interesting experience with a Carnival atmosphere.

Museums fill the city but we would recommend visiting, the Museumof Latin American Art  (MALBA) where you can see "bye bye America Pie" the new exhibition about America art, besides the largest collection of modern Latin American art in the region.

Bye bye America pie exhibition @Malba

Shopping and fashion are highly regarded in Buenos Aires with Abasto and Alto Palermo shopping centres housing many of the big brands. Enjoy the warmth and shelter from the elements in one of the shopping centres and if the weather takes a turn for the worse catch an afternoon/early evening film (Subtitulada: English with Spanish subtitles) at the Alto PalermoCinema.

Bookstores are not usually on traveller’s must see list; however, not all bookstores are like the Ateneo GrandSplendid. Sit and relax with a hot drink on the old theatre stage or sit in one of the old theatre booths and read a book in one of the most jaw-dropping and beautiful building in the world.

Ateneo GrandSplendid

Visit one of the CafeNotables  and enjoy a traditional hot chocolate with churros. The sugary, doughnut sticks are claimed by Argentineans to have originated from Argentina. Head to CafeAngelitos  for a classic experience with delicious dulce de leche filled churros  and thick, melted dark chocolate in a cup.

The extended weekend is therefore ideal for visiting the attractions and landmarks of Buenos Aires  and the cooler weather conditions are a great chance to enjoy the city in a different way: instead of the regular bus tour you could try a bike tour to Tigre and San Isidro or perhaps a walking tour of Palermo’s green areas and enjoy the Autumnal scenery of the parks in Buenos Aires.

If, like a Porteño, you are looking to escape the city this weekend or a travelling to another destination in Argentina make sure you book everything well in advance! Many places will be closed, so if you have a booking for Wednesday in other destinations of Argentina like, ElCalafate or Ushuaia, make your reservations on Saturday 28^th April at the latest as, it will be difficult to arrange anything from Sunday to Tuesday. 

For an out of the ordinary and special long weekend, why not stay at Don Silvano or La Alameda gaucho ranches in the Argentine Pampa just outside of Buenos Aires, and spend the unique weekend as an Argentine cowboy/cowgirl. Alternatively, if you are really looking to get away from the hustle and bustle and want time to completely switch off, spend a romantic or relaxing night on an island in Tigre and enjoy your natural, exotic surroundings. Clickhere for a list of accommodation available.

If you are looking for tours and activities in Buenos Aires during the Autumn, visit our official website

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The Best Alfajor of Argentina: Alfajor tasting results

A passionate subject amongst those who have tried alfajores, we took the search for the best alfajor extremely seriously!  We started the search for the best alfajor with the Facebook community and asked for your favourite brand and type of alfajor. It did not take long before a heated discussion began and people started to express their love for alfajors on the Facebook Opinion Poll. 

Having looked at the results of the Facebook Opinion Poll, we wanted to take our research deeper into the tasty world of alfajores, so we decided to have a ‘regrettable’ alfajor tasting to measure if and  how much we were subjected to the marketing and the culture. We had a sweet Friday and made a blind tasting of the top brands of our poll: Havanna, Jorgito, Aguila, and Cachafaz with all the BsAs4U team as participants (we have to add that we have a multicultural team which makes our sample very diverse and less influenced by the culture).

The results of the blind alfajor tasting at BsAs4U were as follows:

1. Cachafaz
2. Aguila
3. Havanna (which surprisingly received 1 vote)
4. Jorgito

We have to say that besides being fun and sweet, it was a very interesting experience as we learned that our opinions were segmented and all of us had a change in thoughts and a change of our favourite alfajor brand after last Friday’s tasting. 

Finally, as a conclusion, we are proud to declare the Cachafaz as the best alfajor in Buenos Aires and this is a non paid publicity.  But do you know what a Cachafaz is? Lets learn a new lunfardo word...cafachaz, is an adjective to define a crafty or cunning person, and it is even a tango myth, a person considered the  the best tango dancer, teacher and actor of the late 20´s was known under the nick of El Cachafaz.

So Cachafaz is a word that represents the Argentineans, but how come Havanna became the most famous brand of Argentina? Well, it seems that Havanna Alfajores was the best or at least the best known and for many years identified Argentineans all over the world, but the company was sold. Urban legend says that the first owners of Havanna, after concluding their secrecy clause of the contract, began a new company under the brand of El Cachafaz using with the original recipe used in the traditional Havanna at its very beginning in Mar del Plata This might also explain why many speak about the similarity of tastes and packages.   

For those who have advanced Spanish, here is a video (Spanish) with a deep analysis about the similarities between Havanna and El Cachafaz:

And here is BsAs4U’s alfajor tasting that proves that El Cachafaz was the winner in the 2012 poll and can also be compared with what was supposed to be the only kosher alfajor, a brand called Successo which, is also very similar to the other two in question.

So make sure you don´t fall in the marketing and branding of today’s world and make sure you try the different alfajores for yourself. Let us know which your favourite is and enjoy your own personal quest in search of your favourite alfajor!

If you are looking for tours and activities in Buenos Aires during the Autumn, visit our official website

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23rd April - Day of the Spanish Language

Expanish is BsAs4U’s new provider of Spanish lessons in Buenos Aires and the accredited language school is recognised as one of the top Spanish schools in the world. To celebrate the new partnership and the Day of the Spanish Language, we are inviting you to participate in our competition. 

Here’s how to enter:

1. At the end of the blog, leave a Facebook comment with the funniest Spanish word or phrase you know.
2. Invite your friends to ‘Like’ your comment on our blog

 

The 3 most popular phrases with the most ‘Likes’, will each receive 1 free Beginner’s Spanish Crash Course for you and 1 friend. The competition winners will be announced on our Facebook Page on Friday 27th April 2012...¡Buena Suerte!

23rd April - Day of the Spanish Language

The 23^rd of April is celebrated in Argentina and in several other Latin American countries as the “Day of the Spanish Language”. In some other Spanish-speaking countries, the day is celebrated as “World Book Day”, in memory of the great Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, author of The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha among others.

This masterpiece of Spanish literature is universally known as one of the first "modern novels" in Spanish, and embodies the literary renaissance that has help influenced genres of literature in the region.

Don Quixote is renowned within the Spanish language, and has remained a permanent fixture in Spanish literature throughout the years.  Cervantes has since become a symbol of the language, just as Dante and Shakespeare are iconic authors of the Italian and English languages, respectively. 

The sculpture of Don Quixote at Av. 9 de Julio

It is said that language is one of the essential tools for achieving human communication, since it allows not only for interaction between humans, but is a vehicle for information, culture, art and customs.  A language also embodies the particular worldview of a people and helps establish the identity of a community. In the case of Spanish-speaking community, it currently has almost 400 million speakers worldwide.

Spanish (or Castilian = Castellano as some linguists call it) is one of the most widespread languages in the world and currently ranks as the second largest native language in the world after Mandarin Chinese.  Spanish is the official language in 21 different countries in addition to a rapidly growing Spanish-speaking population in the United States, which represents the largest minority in the country.  This growth is largely the result of increased communication within a globalized world, as well as, with the growing demand to learn Spanish in Argentina and other Spanish-speaking countries. 

Expanish students

However, on a day like Day of the Spanish Language, members of the Hispanic community remember that the Spanish language was not created by an institution, and is neither finished nor unchangeable.  On the contrary, we are promoters and trainers of the language, and as active speakers of the language, we perpetuate its growth into the future.  


Everyday we recreate and expand upon the language in ways that allow us to express our customs, our culture, but above all, in ways that allow us to properly express our ides, thoughts and feelings.  Borges once said, “Language is not a creation of the Academy, or of the Powerful, or of the Church, or of the writers.  Language is a creation of the hunters, the fisherman, the workers, the farmers, the gentleman, and the sincere men.  It is at the base where the true form of Language lies”.

Gabriel E. Aragona

Academic Director of Expanish

If you are looking for tours and activities in Buenos Aires during the Autumn, visit our official website


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