Thursday, August 18, 2011

San Antonio de Areco, Argentina

Just an hour and half outside of Buenos Aires is San Antonio de Areco, a pueblito famous for gaucho culture, Sunday parrillas and horses. Here gauchos still exist, riding their horses next to the highway and parking them outside of cafes. Not exactly the open pampas but I guess everyone has to adapt.


With glitter still stuck to my face from last night’s bachelorette party, the first order of business is to take a siesta. In small town Argentina, there really isn’t anything else to do from 2 – 4pm and we are happy to abide by the local customs. Once we finally wake up, we are faced with the all important question, "What's there to do in San Antonio de Areco?" Short answer: chill out, eat and drink.

Hang Down by the River
"The mark of a successful man is one that has spent an entire day on the bank of a river without feeling guilty about it." Author Unkown

Well then we'd be successful. The river is the place to hang out in town with family and friends while enjoying mate, chatting and teaching your kids how to fish. This is another world compared to the traffic and bustle of Buenos Aires.

Mate

If you feel the need to do more than just sit by the river and don't have an irrational fear of large mammals, then you can ride horses for a steal of a deal. Personally, not my cup of tea, but whatever floats your boat.

Equus caballus

Parrilla
On a Sunday afternoon, the rich smells of wood fires and roasting beef wafts out onto the street. It is very hard to resist. Perhaps a vegetarian's worst nightmare, eating an asado is the thing to do in San Antonio de Areco on the weekend.

The restaurants do fill up, especially during prime asado time (2pm) and/or if the sun is shining, but don't let this dissuade you. Grab your friends, a bottle of wine, agua con gas, salad and order any part of the cow you can imagine. They may even cut your piece right in front of you.

A skilled asador

Nightlife
Ok, so we didn't really find any 'nightlife' in this town. Once the sun went down, the streets seemed very quiet and peaceful. Still, there are places to grab a beer. The best (and really only) cervecería is the Old Town Brewery, where we met our friends Dani and Lolo.


Not only are they a ridiculously good looking couple but they are also an extremely interesting one. With four nationalities representing three continents at the table, we discuss living in Argentina, the state of this crazy world and most importantly, which beer tastes the best. Our favorite is the amber.


Just around the corner is the neighborhood pulperia. Recommended to us by our hosts, I lead the charge into the local joint with minimal signage. I am greeted by collective silence and male stares. Uhhhh… I’m am unprepared and I imagine it shows on my face. Behind me someone has enough good sense to say buenos noches and everyone quickly returns to their drinks. I love finding hole in the wall places like this and I try to take photos but I don’t want to make them feel like this is a Nat Geo moment ("just look at ‘em, in their natural habitat, drinking beer").

Pulperia in afternoon light

Practical Stuff
Companies like General Belgrano and Chevallier run services San Antonio (1.5 to 2 hour trip) at 30 – 45 pesos each way. Bring a book or good company. Pick up a map if needed, but this town is so small you can probably figure out the hots spots within an hour.