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Buenos Aires, the national capital of Argentina, has everything that defines a modern city, including a sanitary water system, electricity, telephones, public transportation and even modern sky scrapers. It is known as the city of “Good Air.” Its position on the Atlantic Ocean provides a constant breeze that keeps the air in the city relatively polutant free.

Very rarely is there haze, and the sky is almost always a deep clear blue. Buenos Aires is the center of the national industry. It is the nations main port city. Because it is a port city, the people of Buenos Aires are often referred to as "porteños."

Transportation:
In Buenos Aires people get around by car, motorcycle, moped, bicycle, public transportation, or walking. As a missionary, you will mostly ride public transit and walk. In Buenos Aires the public transit system include taxi, bus (colectivo), the subway (subte), light rail (premetro), and train. Transportation in the suburbs of Buenos Aires include bicycle, moped, motorcycle, bus, train, and Remis, a private car that you can hire to take you from place to place. Buy a good pair of shoes, because as a missionary you will spend most of your time walking, and occasionally you will use the bus and train. The Buenos Aires missionaries do not use bicycles. On the rare occasion that you need a bicycle, the mission will provide one for you.

Outside the Capital:
Things change a little once you leave the Capital. For example, you will find more dirt streets. The homes still have running water, but instead of being connected to the city water system, most homes pump water from a well to a holding tank on the roof. It wasn’t very fun when the water in our tank ran out in the middle of a shower. We had to turn on the pump, and refill the tank. Some of my favorite memories are the propane trucks in Catán and the donkey drawn carts on the city streets. One of my least favorite experiences happened at the house in Merlo. In the summer the water from the city system didn’t reach the roof tank. If you were the last to shower in the morning we often had to fill bucket of cold water from the faucet in the front yard. At least the last person to shower in the morning was awake by the end of their shower.

The Culture and Places to Visit:
Buenos Aires is a city rich in culture. Besides being famous for dancing the Tango, Buenos Aires has a national center for the performing arts, and a sports and horse racing complex. But most important are the soccer (fútbol) stadiums. Like other Latin American countries, soccer is the national past time. Shortly after arriving in Buenos Aires you will be asked Latino "¿De qué cuadra es?", What team do you root for? Especially volatile is the rivalry between Boca and River. Other teams include San Lorenzo, Huracán, Independiente, and Velez Sarsfield.

Buenos Aires has many tourist locations to visit. Some of my favorite places to visit are: El Centro: You have to visit downtown Buenos Aires. Here you will find the national Congress, El Teatro Colon: the national center for the performing arts, El obelisco: An obelisque constructed at the place where the Argentine flag was first flown, Avenida Nueve de Julio: the widest street in the world, La Casa Rosada: the presidential mansion, although the President only uses the Casa Rosada for state functions and when world leaders visit from other nations. His family lives on a private estate a few kilometers north on Buenos Aires. The National Cathedral: is on the same plaza as the Casa Rosada. General José de San Martín, the liberator of Argentina and most of South America is entombed there. And you can’t skip shopping in the downtown district on the Streets Florida and La Valle. La Boca: A tourist and artistic neighborhood in south Buenos Aires. I regret not making a visit to La Boca when I was in Argentina. Palermo: The area offices of the Chuch are in Palermo, but even more important is Parque 3 de Febrero, where South America was dedicated for the preaching of the gospel. Also in Palermo is the national zoo, the botanical gardens, Japonese garden and the National Rose Garden. Recoleta: The arts capital of the city. Recoleta has a beautiful park where you can find living statues, painters, an up-scale shopping district, and the national cemetery. Famous people buried the cemetery include pasts Presidents of the Republic, Military Generals and also Eva Perón. Also located in Recoleta are Planet Hollywood and the Buenos Aires Hard Rock Café. Retiro: The main train station for the northern part of Buenos Aires. Retiro is home to the the eternal flame and memorial wall for the soldiers lost in the Falklan Islands War. San Telmo: You have to visit the street fair and Tango dancers in San Telmo. Lujan: I would suggest taking the train ride to Lujan and visiting the National Basílica. On the way you will pass through beautiful sunflower plantations that stretch as far as you can see. There is also transportation museum next to the Basílica. You can picnic along the Lujan River, or go to the movies in downtown. Lujan is the national seat of the Catholic faith. At one time there were even rumors of moving the Popes summer home to Lujan. If you are interested in visiting Buenos Aires, we have dedicated an entire section of the website to this purpose. Click here to go to the section on Visiting Buenos Aires.

Avenida 9 de Julio, the widest street in the world. La Boca, Buenos Aires. Parque 3 de Febrero, where South America was dedicated for the preaching of the gospel. The tomb of Eva Perón. The stadium of Club Atletico River Plate. The Basílica in Lujan.