A trip to Rosario

Rosario, which has just barely ousted Cordoba as Argentina’s second largest city, is a mere four-hour bus ride north of Buenos Aires. If you’ve heard of Rosario, then you’ve heard the modern day myth: the girls are gorgeous. Just as the French malbec grape proved to grow better in Andean Argentina, the diverse European immigration somehow has been producing a genetically enhanced breed of woman.

So I packed my bags and decided to take a gander for myself. At 2:00pm on a Friday afternoon my travel companion and I were pulling up to the bus station. As a traveler, I tend to walk the fine line between laid back and unprepared. No need to book a hotel in a city of 1,000,000+ inhabitants, right? After several hours on the hunt, we came to the unfortunate conclusion that there were literally zero hotel/hostels in the entire city available this three day weekend.

What a blessing in disguise! After inquiring about a nearby town with potential lodging, we stumbled upon Capitan Bermudez, a mere 20km from the city. Bermudez (as called by the locals) is the epitome of quaint. Quaint plaza. Quaint houses. Quaint hotel. Quaint bars (all two of them). Even the chinos (Asian-run mini marts) were quaint. Hell, if I’d have seen a pile of dog excrement, I probably would’ve branded it quaint too.

The man running the family-run hotel allowed us to haggle a bit over the price before we were finally granted cozy, modest quarters. After a bit of haggling and small talk, we put our bags in our room and off again we were.

With 24 hour bus service passing every 5-10 minutes, we were ready to take Rosario by storm. That is exactly what took place, literally. The city suffered power-outing, torrential downpours that evening. Yet another blessing in disguise. We managed to snag two bar stools at the Red Lion, one of Rosario’s snazziest pubs.

This place puts off those classy Palermo vibes without the ”to cool for school” air. Until midnight you’ll hear everything from Sublime to Santana before they ease you into accessible electronic music. They boast a very extensive cocktail menu, where you’ll find pear mojitos and Jack Daniel’s lemonade at quite affordable prices. Nothing over $20 pesos and only $12 for a Branca with Coke. It’s like the Buenos Aires of 2006.

Rosario is host to a handful of clubs to choose from that won’t make you queue an eternity or pay your savings to get in. The downside is that smoking is permitted and prevalent.

But Rosario has much more to offer than an upbeat nightlife. The Parana River that defines the provincial border between Santa Fe and Entre Rios provides a tranquil landscape, some tasty freshwater fish, and even a few beaches. Coffee shops and restaurants lining the shore certainly enhance the river experience.

The downtown area is more cozy than hectic. Here you’ll find the flag monument, arguably Argentina’s most patriotic historical site. A giant stone pillar stands proudly behind a spacious cement plaza with an Olympian-style eternal flame. It costs a few pesos to go up, but there are plenty of lookout spots of the river as well as the city.

From here, a 20-minute riverside walk takes you to a cluster of colorful silos that were recently converted into an impressive modern art museum. For me, this museum beats the pants off of Buenos Aires’ MALBA, which says a lot.

As far as tourism is concerned, Rosario really doesn’t have too much to offer. This shouldn’t deter the eager traveler by any means though. It’s just a four-hour bus ride from Buenos Aires and the real essence of the city lies in a lazy riverside afternoon. The outskirts are to be avoided at all costs, but even a taxi would refuse to take you there anyway. Wandering the heart of the downtown area is always amusing and the locals are keen on practicing English. The nightlife is where the city really lights up and one could spend a month trying out different venues without discovering all the hot spots. For any traveler looking for a few extra days to kill, this is certainly your best bet.