So on a hot and humid Saturday, I boarded the subway and headed over to the Chacarita neighborhood of Buenos Aires. I was told the walk from the subway to the Full City Coffee, the meeting stop for the tour, would only be 15 minutes walk but after a sweaty 35 minute trek I finally arrived with a pretty sweet stain on my shirt. Lovely! I had no idea Buenos Aires would be that hot in November! Sweaty yet content, I enjoy walking through the quiet neighborhood of Chacarita, where lots of beautiful single family homes lined the streets, tall trees shaded the sidewalks and an older Buenos Aires barrio vibe could be felt. Chacarita is known as the classic Buenos Aires barrio, one that has not undergone a chic, urban transformation such as its neighboring Palermo. One can observe porteños sweeping and washing the pavement outside their houses, locals chatting at cafes and people sharing traditional mate.
There were a couple of people at the cafe when I arrived, all sitting around in comfortable lounge chairs talking to Joss, one of the founders of Foto Ruta. The concept of the tour was very interesting: each week one neighborhood of Buenos Aires would be selected to explore, after a quick photography briefing you would pair up and venture out into the neighborhood to photograph ten clues. The clues vary weekly and range from hard to easy but all make you step out of your photography comfort zone and think creatively. Since the Chacarita tour was right before Halloween, most of our clues were in the spirit of Halloween: "Spooky & Spoiled," "Ghostly," "Reflections of the dead," and "This is what Halloween is all about."
Here are a couple of my favorite shots from the tour:
Overall, a great day and fun unique tour experience! Highly recommend it!
- Parque Los Andes
- Enjoy watching mate drinkers and circus performers.
- El Galpon Organic Market
Housed in an old railway station offering a healthy selection of organic treats
- Mercado de las Pulgas
A huge stadium sized selection of antiques, some of the city's best selection of restored furniture and retro signs