Argentina is so alluring. Rugged gauchos riding the pampas, the percussive heartbeat of the tango, the otherwordly beauty of Tierra del Fuego, the friendly passing of the yerba maté gourd. This South American country invites you to connect, to linger, to relax, and to explore.
A blend of old-world Europe — Buenos Aires is known as the ‘Paris of South America’ — and local flair, Argentina is like nowhere else. City skylines boast neoclassical, art nouveau, art deco, and baroque architecture. The streets are filled with the seductive melodies of cumbia and tango. Cafés buzz with conversations in Spanish, Italian, German, and Arabic. And the food! Empanadas and dulce de leche and milanesa and the best beef in the world drizzled with chimichurri.
There are breathtaking waterfalls, shockingly blue lakes, steppes, volcanoes, and glaciers that invite you to jump on a horse or bicycle, lace up your hiking boots, or bundle up for an ice climb. There are whales, seals, penguins, and the Train at the End of the World.
In this episode, we talk about all the adventures that await in Argentina’s various geographical regions and learn the secret past of one of the most famous Argentines. Then we recommend five books that took us there on the page, including a historical novel set in the world of tango, a spy novel with feelings, a noir thriller set in 1950 Buenos Aires, an eerie short story collection, and a modern crime novel about the Buenos Aires elite.
Read the full transcript of Argentina: Tango to the End of the World.
Perhaps you’d like to listen to some tango music while you dig into these links.
And some photos to set the scene…
Frommer’s: Regions in Brief in Argentina.
Science for our friendly neighborhood word nerds: Argentine versus Argentinian.
Let’s tango in the streets!
Say hello to pampas grass:
Important: Learn All About Asado (Argentinian barbecue).
The Festival of Tradition in San Antonio de Arec, aka, the gaucho festival.
Cerro Aconcagua, the highest point in the Western Hemisphere.
Rough Guides: Tierra del Fuego Travel Guide.
7 Reasons Why You Need to Visit Tierra Del Fuego Before You Die.
Cruising Darwin’s route through Patagonia! Options here, here, and here.
Statement 1: The Pope was a bouncer at a club in Buenos Aires. You’ll find Pope Francis among these famous Tolkien and Lord of the Rings fans, and here’s his Wikipedia page.
Statement 2: If you want to dig to China, you must start in Argentina. Read all about the ‘Earth sandwich’ made by two men 20,000km apart and enjoy this Antipodes Map.
Statement 3: A team of Argentine bank robbers executed the greatest heist of all time. Read all about the ‘heist of the century’ in the NYPost — and this excellent piece from GQ. You can also watch Bank Robbers: The Last Great Heist on Netflix.
The female tango singer Mel mentioned is Azucena Maizani.
Rosalie Knecht is the author of Who is Vera Kelly?; her website. Here’s a Q&A with the author about her writing process.
Samanta Schweblin is the author of Seven Empty Houses; on Instagram.
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