Buenos
Aires people have been greatly influenced by the immigrants who arrived after
World War, helping to develop a big cosmopolitan city. The 'porteños'
(this is how Buenos
Aires inhabitants are called in Spanish) are very kind, and it would not be strange if a chat with a
local ends in an invitation to see his house.
The
atmosphere is informal. The usual way of greeting is a kiss on the cheek both
for men or women. Hugging is very common, as well as approaching the other to
talk. There are also many gestures that locals use.
The
official language is Spanish, although some regional accents and variations
coexist. The most distinctive features are: the way of addressing using 'vos' instead of
'tú' for informal relations, and the use
of 'che' to call the attention of the other person. Most of the porteños
talk English and they will also understand Portuguese.
Learn
more about Argentine Spanish
Cafés
and bars
Porteños
consider cafés and bars as their second home. They may go alone or with
someone else, but the bar is the right place to study, read, watch TV, chat with
friends, or just watch the people going by. Many songs and poems were written to
honour favourite cafés.
Plenty of new bars also offer Internet access, live
artists, cinema, art performances or fashion shows. There are cafés for
everyone: traditional ones, entertainment bars, theme and sports bars, literary
cafés, bookshop cafés, etc.
Among
the oldest cafés, the famous ones are 'Tortoni' and the '36
Billares', on Avenida de Mayo; 'La Paz' and 'La
Giralda', on Corrientes Avenue; 'Las Violetas', in Medrano and
Rivadavia Avenue and 'La Biela' in Recoleta.
Mate
It's the
typical Argentine infusion drink. It's made with yerba mate (a local herb) and
boiling water, with or without sugar. You must try it! It's a popular custom
that has been part of local culture from the XVI century, appearing in many
tales and literary novels.
Time
The time
zone in Argentina is GMT-3 and is not changed during Summer.
Buenos Aires is active all day. It's the only city in the country that has lost
the custom of taking a 'siesta' (nap) after noon.
Shops
are open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on
Saturday. Shopping centres usually open everyday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Banks open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday. ATMs work 24 hours a day.
Time for
the different meals are variable, but in general, breakfast is served between 7
and 10 a.m. and in many bars and restaurants it's possible to get special menus
between $2 and $4.
Lunch is usually served from 12 a.m. to 3 p.m. and it's fast,
specially for people who are working full time. There are many fixed menus
available from $5 to $8.
Between 4 and 6 p.m. tea is available in different
tea-houses. Dinner is usually taken by locals after 9 p.m. and it's an important
moment to share with family or friends.
E-mail
