Christmas & New Years Eve????

[RobeartoNYC]

Hi Everyone,

I was planning to make my move to BsAs in early January, but am just too anxious to wait. The only thing holding me back is that I am coming down alone without knowing a single person. I would rather not spend Christmas and New Years Eve sitting alone in my apartment.

Is anyone else in this same situation? Any ideas?
I'm not 100% sure what I am asking here, other than who wants to get together and do it up for Christmas?

- Robert

 

[citygirl]

Christmas and New Years are big family holidays here - quite different from the US. For example, usually on NYE, everyone has dinner with their family and if they go out, it won't be until 2 or 3 in the morning. Same on Christmas.

If you're here, Asia de Cuba usually has a big new years eve party that is filled with expats. It's fairly pricey I believe.

 

[RobeartoNYC]

Thank You Citygirl, you always seem to be very helpful. Maybe I will just wait until January to come down. Kind of a bummer, but I know that I will have my days of feeling lost and alone down there, and i don't want to start off with those days being the first.

Thanks Again!

 

[Napoleon]

Boliches are relleno (packed) on Christmas Eve/Morning (starting at about 2/3am and some going until 11am) and then again just about the same on New Year's Eve. Christmas Eve is very heavy in the 17 to 25 crowd (I felt a little old this past year and don't plan on returning to Crobar for an über-expensive night of awkwardness).

It's also extremely dead in Buenos Aires around late December until mid/late January. At least in my barrio (near the Facu de Meds) that is loaded with Universidades y Colegios.

But the mosquitos will be out in full force, so you can meet them.

suerte

 

[captdave]

RobeartoNYC et. al.

I agree that both Christmas and New Years are not good nights to plan on going out in BsAs. Restaurants are generally either closed or offering expensive fixed menus that are seldom good and always overpriced!

I'm seriously tempted to host a New Years eve party here at the mansion. All I need is a little encouragement in the form of interested folks and it's a done deal!
The roof here is a GREAT place to watch fireworks, and we can probably figure out something to eat while we're waiting for the ball to drop!

One issue is transportation. New Years eve is NOT a great night to find a cab, and the buses tend to be sparse as well. They are running however, and if just a few folks commit we'll do it!

Post here if your interested, and if it sems like a go I'll start a special thread...

Feliz Fiestas!

David

 

[Napoleon]

RobeartoNYC et. al.

I agree that both Christmas and New Years are not good nights to plan on going out in BsAs. Restaurants are generally either closed or offering expensive fixed menus that are seldom good and always overpriced!

I'm seriously tempted to host a New Years eve party here at the mansion. All I need is a little encouragement in the form of interested folks and it's a done deal!
The roof here is a GREAT place to watch fireworks, and we can probably figure out something to eat while we're waiting for the ball to drop!

One issue is transportation. New Years eve is NOT a great night to find a cab, and the buses tend to be sparse as well. They are running however, and if just a few folks commit we'll do it!

Post here if your interested, and if it sems like a go I'll start a special thread...

Feliz Fiestas!

David

Once again the mighty captain is coming to the rescue. The party is a great idea. Transportation is a nightmare. But if there are enough people, there might be a way you guys can rent a van/bus to take people back home at a predetermined hour. Maybe one stop Belgrano, then P. Hollywood, then P. Soho, then Recoleta...

I will not attend because I will be in Punta. (That's with an "N".) I don't know what to expect, but it won't be as moderately priced, close to home, and laid back as Captain Dave's party.

Thanks again Dave from the expat community, you are providing a nearly invaluable service.

The Ghost of Napoleon

 

[citygirl]

If I were you - I would enjoy your holiday season in NY. I've never gotten used to the holidays in the summer here - still feels wrong to me. Last year, I spent Xmas day on a friend's boat wearing a bikini - that's just wrong! I'll be in NY this year for the holidays (first time in 3 years?) and I'm so excited for a winter wonderland.


And yes, January will be quite quiet here, most people are away on their holidays. But perfect time to come and get settled in.

 

[Ryoga]

I'm thinking about having a xmas dinner, Georgia style with a hint of Cali, in San Telmo. If Jumbo still has turkeys and i can find a decent lomito cerdo ahumado, it's on. Sorry, there will be no marshmallows in my sweet potatoes. I have to find out how many of my roommates friends would attend before opening up the invite.

turkey
baked ham with pineapple
brazilian-style greens
cilantro-lime mashed potatoes
georgia-style sweet potatoes with pecans
... maybe this is my sick fantasy


For NYE, I'm meeting some people from the bay-area in Floripa. I dont know the details yet, but I know getting there is going to be a pain; i going to return by bus and may fly there direct or fly iguazu and take the bus to FLN. I need to take advantage of my brazilian visa since the punks only made it valid for 1yr

 

[ssr]

Well, I had my first Christmas in Argentina experience last year and it was pretty wild, but not in Buenos Aires. My girlfriend is from a small city in the middle of the country and it's customary (and I believe this is true throughout Argentina) for everyone to get dressed up and go out all night and party on Christmas (starting late, of course; think we went out around 2AM). We went to one of several massive outdoor parties and didn't get home till around 8AM (largely because it was impossible to find a free taxi). And I'm fairly certain that I was the only "expat" there.

So, if you can make some Argentine friends from outside BA and tag along with them for Christmas, you may find a surprisingly large party at which you won't be just another expat but, instead, the unique and exotic visitor from afar.

 

[Napoleon]

Last year, I spent Xmas day on a friend's boat wearing a bikini - that's just wrong!

First of all, you can't go posting a sentence like that and not post a photo or three. And secondly, I'll be the judge of what "wrong" and what's "oh-so-right".

I'm thinking about having a xmas dinner, Georgia style with a hint of Cali, in San Telmo.

You have to clarify when you post. Are you talking "Georgia" as in "the peach state" or as in "your Russian neighbors are likely to carve you in two at any moment? And when you say "Cali", do you mean "laid back California style"? Or do you mean "Cali, Colombia" in which case there could very well be mounds of coke and everyone will be packing heat?

I haven't made my Christmas plans yet and as long as your version of San Telmo doesn't mean south of Altopista 25 de Mayo, it could definitely doable. (I spent Christmas Eve just south of Defensa where it turns into Regemiento de Patricios... a.k.a. La Boca and I just don't want another Christmas in the ghetto. I mean, I'm not Elvis afterall.)

For NYE, I'm meeting some people from the bay-area in Floripa. I dont know the details yet, but I know getting there is going to be a pain; i going to return by bus and may fly there direct or fly iguazu and take the bus to FLN. I need to take advantage of my brazilian visa since the punks only made it valid for 1yr

I went to Floripa in January/February this past year because my 5 year Brazilian visa was about to expire. (A friend who got his visa a tad bit rushed in the States for the exact same wedding trip to Brazil found out that he paid the same as I did, US$100, for a 90 day visa!) No one at the consulate in BsAs, the border patrol when we crossed, or the main police station in Floripa knew whether it was:

A) 5 years from the date I obtained the visa
or
B) 5 years from the date I entered the country the first time

So I had it officially extended/clarified for free at the main police station on the island.

I took the bus both ways and if you like 5 movies on a 24 hour bus ride that really takes 28 hours (with one of the movies starting at 2:30am...), then you will love the bus. With stops at restaurants/ convenience stops where the drivers get kickbacks, as well as an hour plus at this lovely border crossing:

No, it's not a maximum security prison. It's the border crossing where your bus disappears for about an hour.

Travellers wait at the border for their passports to be returned while stray dogs and barefoot children sleep behind them.

Opposite angle with street kids on the left, stray dogs on the right


TRAVEL TIP:
I went to a fabric store in ONCE and bought 2 meters of towel fabric. It's about 1.4 meters wide, so it was plenty big for an extra blanket on the bus (very important because it can get über cold because of the airconditioning) and then it served as a massive beach towel with possible enough room for two people.