Manaus or Buenos Aires in November?

[lawrence]

It looks like I'll have the chance of spending a week or so in either Manaus or Buenos Aires in November. I haven't visited either Brazil or Argentina before and I'm wondering which of the two to choose. Any thoughts on this would be very welcome.

 

[tstermitz]

Buenos Aires has a lot going for it, culturally, physically and in-the-street. You could easily spend a few weeks walking the different neighborhoods of BsAs.

If the other choice were Rio or Santiago, Chile, maybe we'd have a more interesting discussion.

 

[Wouter]

Manaus is interesting - it's an island in the midst of the forest. But lots of poverty, lots of rain in the wrong season, and nobody speaks english. Most people going there for tourist purposes book a couple of days in a rainforest lodge. Buenos Aires is something totally different. 24hs a day alive, lots of culturally interested people, lots of bookstores, totally devoted to tango. Easy and cheap to rent an appartment in San Telmo or Ricoleta, good food everywhere, superb wines. Spend some time in a milonga (a tango danceteria or salon) and you'll be hooked forever. Meet one of those beautiful porteño women and you'll find it difficult to go back home. I've been there 5 times thus far, and would go twice a year if I could. Cheers.

 

[lawrence]

Manaus is interesting - it's an island in the midst of the forest. But lots of poverty, lots of rain in the wrong season, and nobody speaks english. Most people going there for tourist purposes book a couple of days in a rainforest lodge. Buenos Aires is something totally different. 24hs a day alive, lots of culturally interested people, lots of bookstores, totally devoted to tango. Easy and cheap to rent an appartment in San Telmo or Ricoleta, good food everywhere, superb wines. Spend some time in a milonga (a tango danceteria or salon) and you'll be hooked forever. Meet one of those beautiful porteño women and you'll find it difficult to go back home. I've been there 5 times thus far, and would go twice a year if I could. Cheers.

Many thanks. I was veering towards BA anyway and this confirms it.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Another vote for Buenos Aires. There is just sooo much to do there. Take a ride on the subway - there is one line that still runs vintage subway cars from the 1950s and even older. Wander San Telmo to take in the antiques market, and if you go on weekends, there's an outdoor market in the square. Just off the square is (was, it's been a few years so it might not be there anymore) an antique car dealer that had some really cool exotic hardware for sale - a Jaguar E-type, a Bugatti racer from the 30s, a 1947 Lincoln Continental, a Messerschmitt, a Delahaye, among others. Check out Recoleta cemetery, where Evita Peron is buried (although her tomb is rather uninspiring compared to the others - there's one that was built for a Nobel Prize winner in Physics (I think - might have been chemistry) that is big enough to walk into and sit down, and stands a good 2 1/2 stories tall. Go visit La Boca, but do it in the daytime, preferably with at least one companion - the neighborhood is kind of rough, so stay with the crowds of tourists disgorged by the tour buses. If you go to one of the milongas in La Boca to see a tango show or dance some yourself, get them to call you a cab to get you home at the end of the evening. Another area to explore is SoHo Palermo - lots of cool restaurants and up-and-coming trendy shops and galleries.