What to do in Buenos Aires?, Featured Content, Buenos Aires things to do

5 Unusual Things in Buenos Aires You Didn’t Know About

Erick Sunga Romero

By | September 7, 2018

Couple observing a large fire at Argentina Burning man

Some very unique things are happening in Buenos Aires. From Burning Man to shaman chant DJ remixes, this city always has some unusual things going on! Discover the latest in BA with this top 5 list.

Buenos Aires is a pretty big town in a pretty big country and as should be expected, it is filled with a vibrant life force that is constantly growing and changing in unexpected ways. It’s easy to get lost in the romantic tango shows, the street fairs on the picturesque cobblestone streets, the faint “belle epoque” glow of Café Tortoni’s homage to yesteryear. But there is so much more, and what doesn’t fit into the general guide of what you should be doing in Buenos Aires definitely deserves a meander or two. Without further ado, here are the 5 unusual things you didn’t know were happening in Buenos Aires but definitely should; in no particular order because nobody likes to play favorites.

1. Nightlife

The ‘’Burners’’ have made it to Buenos Aires! Burning Man is a socio-artistic movement with its roots in the beaches of California. What has started in the 80’s has since grown to a world-wide attempt at creating temporary utopias with about 50 regional burns worldwide.

Fuego Austral” is the first and currently only regional burn in Latin America, and it is quickly growing as word spreads of this unique experience. Now, whether or not you attend the actual burn may be a little difficult as it is held just once a year towards the end of summer in the southern hemisphere (around the month of March) and coordinates are kept top secret.

But do not dismay my beautiful night owl, there are plenty of burner parties throughout the year! There are quite a few theme camps that hold regular fundraising parties, but the two most active are Pampa Warro (imagine glamorous pool parties filled with pink flamingos and golden unicorns) and Imaginarium (think Amazonian shaman has a birthday party) and their events have definitely proven to be the best.

Fuego Austral as an entity is also set-up as a non-profit organization that regularly holds fundraisers to pay for the varied and miscellaneous expenses of creating a temporary utopia in the endless cow pastures of Argentina’s pampas. Their events can range from sculpture workshops to decked out themed meet-and-greets. Check out the endless possibilities and join one or more of the events to help the art of this temporary utopic city mutate and grow.

Audience observing unusual theater display of woman undressing

Skinlight photo

Arts and Culture

With the extremely relaxed lifestyle of most Argentines coupled with the Parisienne architecture that dots the city it can be easy to forget that Argentina has had a long history of coup d’états and violent dictatorships, the last one ending just about 35 years ago in 1983. Let’s let that sink in for a moment; the majority of the country’s population have firsthand memories of social and political atrocities. This seedy underbelly of political unrest and revolution has taken on various forms over the years, and it’s charged, tense air can definitely be felt as poets and artist take to the stage sharing stories and demanding change through their chosen form of artistic expression.

There are a few open-mic nights sprinkled throughout the city, but one of the best come from Russian expat and fearless poetess Marfa Nekrasova. If you seek the unusual and unique things to do Marfa organizes various events that tend break the rules of gender binaries, but by no means does she restrict herself to the issues of the LGBTQ+ community. One of her last events began with a tantra yoga class, followed by workshops for nude photography and kinbaku, the art of Japanese bondage (think origami with ropes and whips). You can find her interesting calendar of events on her Facebook page, La poesía sobre el monotributo.

Chinese hot pot ingredients at Mian, Buenos Aires

Gastronomy

In a country where its citizens tend to have a deeply instilled fear of all things spicy, including black pepper (which is something I will never understand, but I’ve made my peace with it), it can be difficult to find good Chinese food. It makes sense, the meat is some of the best in the world and has always been, so there has never been a need for food culture to develop anything further than the asado. However, sometimes we just find ourselves with a deep, uncontrollable hankering for the greasy, spicy umami bombs that our Asian grandmothers (genetic, adopted, or otherwise imaginary) used to force-feed us.

Cold, rainy day got you wet to the bone? How about a nice bowl of spicy goodness filled with cassava noodles? Check out Mian on Mendoza 1725 (4789-0636). They are open 12PM – 8PM every day.

Some Asian friends in town and the Instagram-famous restaurants of Palermo just won’t cut it? Take them to the only authentically szechuan restaurant (that I know of) in all of Buenos Aires, complete with seedy Bowery Street lighting and the never-clean chopsticks you have to wash in hot tea before usage, Da Dong Fan Dian. Say that three times fast. So authentic that there is nothing that even remotely resembles a milanesa on the menu. True story. They are located on Vera 468 (4857-6314). Open for a lunch service from 12PM to 3PM, take their siesta, and reopen for dinner from 7PM to midnight.

You’re welcome.

Musician playing unusual things in buenos aires

Music

Even if you have wandered the streets of Buenos Aires for just one afternoon, you’ve heard cumbia, or at least this nation’s version of it. Cumbia is a type of music indigenous to the caribbean region of Colombia. On it’s way to present-day Argentina, however, cumbia has taken on a completely different flavor than it’s forefathers. Good or bad, I’ll let you be the judge.

We are here today to discuss the new wave of cumbia that has hit Buenos Aires. The official name seems to still be up for debate but most will settle on the terms, Andean Electronica or Organic Electronica. It is quite literally magic, as some tracks are interlaced with actual shamanic chants from the Amazon rain forest or songs based on ancient folklore indigenous to the peoples of the Andes. Here are a few Argentine artist to looks out for: Uji, Chancha Via Circuito, San Ignacio.

Alternative health pose in Buenos Aires
PH Credit: Sebas Andrei

Health and Wellness

And that brings us to this article’s last but not least, unusual thing to do in Buenos Aires…magic is in the air! It might not be apparent in the never faltering sales of ham & cheese empanadas, but there is a thriving culture of alternative therapies. From the fairly known and rather innocuous reiki sessions you can get with your hour-and-fifteen massage, to the psychologist who analyzes the position of the celestial bodies in your natal chart as she explains how Jungian archetypes from your childhood are affecting your adult need for self-actualization. A bruja once told me that the kundalini line that ran through India for millennia is now moving into its new home, Argentina. That’s like the north and south poles switching places. The next Buddha will be born in Buenos Aires. This is admittedly a very big rabbit hole to fall into, so before I get more distracted here are two places to check out and wet your proverbial toes.

Golden Dawn, yes you read correctly. The Golden Dawn has a temple in Caballito, Buenos Aires. They regularly have open houses and speakers who present the ancient philosophies of Kabbalah, astrology, tarot and how to apply them in everyday life. Definitely worth a gander even if you’re not looking to getting initiated to learn Enochian magic and become the next Aleister Crowley.

Humano Dorado is a healing center of sorts on the outskirts of Palermo. They offer different types of yoga and dance classes as well as alternative therapies like bioharmonization, which from what I have gathered is something along the lines of mixing energetic fields with meditative regression to help heal past traumas. The best part of Humano Dorado is that they hold regular jam sessions where everyone comes to improvise music, song and dance. There is something incredibly healing in communicating through the universal languages of music and dance. Also, everyone that goes seems to be a healer or a shaman of some sort so the interludes (vegan fair and refreshments are usually offered) can give rise to some very interesting conversations.

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