One day in the city

Goucho The part of Alain de Botton’s The Art of Travel that relates to me the most is the theme of the difference between anticipation and the actual reality of the place our visiting. While anticipating my arrival to Buenos Aires, I imagined a city much like any other city. In addition, I imagined lots of tourists with cameras and cowboys riding in the streets. Not really, but kinda -- you know what I'm saying. I thought that because I lived in a home-stay, I would miraculously learn exponentially more Spanish. I thought that one semester would be enough to see all of Buenos Aires. Now reality sets in and you realize that there is meat and tourists, but there is also crime, homeless people and corrupt politicians. One thing that is universal about cities is that they have almost everything.

Chamfort's dictum states that a person should swallow a toad every morning to be sure of not meeting with anything more revolting in the day ahead. I think this is great advice when it comes to anticipation. While anticipating what will be of your travels, I find it prudent to not anticipate all the good that will come of it, but all the bad that might become of it instead. In other words, set the bar so low that there would be no possible way for your trip to not reach expectations. I recommend this, because it prevents you from having false ideas about the place where you will be going. It is so easy to characterize places with the generalizations that people tell you before you go. Today I opened up my guide book of Buenos Aires and read the itinerary for people staying in Buenos Aires for one day. It includes a Goucho show, a tango show, a parilla, and a trip to Casa Rosa. When I thought of that, I realized first of all that might be tough to do in one day and also that doesn't begin to enlighten a traveler about what is Buenos Aires. My one day itinerary would include a trip to Boca to see how the poor live in shanty towns, then a trip to Belgrano to see how the upper class lives. Then I would take them to eat at La Corbisos (a parilla). If there was time, I would also take them to Casa Rosa just cause I think its cool, not cause of its touristy allure. I guess my point is: This city is too small to see in one day.