There always seems to be a big difference between tourists who simply visit a new country and those who travel like a local. While there is nothing wrong with visiting a new place and playing tourist, there is something more profound and rewarding about getting to know a new culture from the inside out.
When you travel like a local, you get to know people, places, customs and culture from a whole new perspective. You are not an outsider looking in, but truly assimilating into the culture from its core. Each country and city has its own quirks, those that just scream, “I’m from here!”
None is more true than in Argentina, where by simply looking at a person you can tell that they are so Argentine. Begin your journey ready to travel like a local Argentine, and you will find yourself lost in a beautiful world of passion, friendship, and tradition.
Here’s our trip to travel like a local Argentine in 5 easy steps:
1. Buy a SUBE card and take public transportation
In big cities like Buenos Aires, the majority of Porteños take public transportation everywhere. With the subway, train, and bus systems across the city, it’s incredibly easy to get from one place to another while experiencing local life. Purchase a SUBE card, which is an electronic card that you can charge money and pay for each ride electronically. Don’t be afraid to ask Porteños for direction, they almost always know how to get to where you need to go. Enjoy the ride!
2. Drink Mate all day, every day
Mate is the highly caffeinated tea leaf that most Argentines drink daily. There is mate culture all over Argentina, where there is never a wrong moment to drink a mate. Head to a park or plaza and notice all of the couples, friends, and families drinking mate together. Don’t be afraid to go and introduce yourself and ask to try some. Argentines drink mate groups, so this is a good way to meet new friends and bond over your first time drinking mate!
3. Eat meat and drink wine
The meat in Argentina is some of the best in the world and Argentines are very proud of it! Meat is served at most group gatherings including the popular asado, an Argentine barbecue. Malbec red wine goes perfectly paired with all cuts of meat, so make sure to fill up a glass. Attending an asado is a chance to see the true Argentine spirit Friends and family coming together to share memories and laughs with good food and good wine. If you can score an invite to an authentic asado, this may be the highlight of your entire trip.
4. Ditch the Morning Bird routine
Social events in Argentina happen every single day of the week. These include include birthday parties, after-office with coworkers, end of the year parties, bachelor/bachelorette parties, and casual get-togethers. Many of these events are for many hours and usually begin late in the evening. Learning to stay out late all nights of the week is a key to surviving in Argentina (hint: this is where the magic of mate comes in). Just make sure to fit in your mid-afternoon siesta to get some rest.
5. Keep a sense of humor
Show up for dinner and the line is out the door? No pasa nada. You can’t plan everything in Argentina and it’s much better to sit back, relax and enjoy the journey. Grab a drink while you wait, talk to other people in line, and practice a bit of Spanish. If you are running late to a scheduled appointment, don’t worry about it. Everyone else is too!
Don’t forget a very obvious step of traveling like a local: dressing like a local!
Let Say Hueque help you travel like a local during your trip to Argentina!
Is Mendoza your next vacation spot? Great! The Argentinean part of Mendoza is undoubtedly breathtaking. Plus, the region has so many interesting places that you would love exploring this city.
However, one of the things you should definitely do when you land in Mendoza is to go on a wine tour. Since Mendoza is worldwide famous for its wine you will surely love spending your time in some of its best wineries that are mentioned below.
Bodegas Lopez Grimon is a large scale wine production house started by a wine lover, Don German Lopez Figueras. The place was built in the 19th century and it includes a house, service quarter and a winery. The winery covers the largest part of the wide area as the vineyard expands to three hectares. Here the wine is produced in a traditional, home-made style and cement tanks are used to store the wine. The winery is so huge that it stands solemnly overlooking the beautiful national park of Timanfaya.
This family-owned winery has been operating in Mendoza for three generations!
In the 1980s, Jose Alberto took over the family business from his father and began producing world class wines under the label of Santa Julia (named after his daughter). After ten years, his youngest son started producing virgin oil from freshly extracted olives which were harvested on the family’s estate.
Hence, the place is well-known for olive oil and wine. You can try both – wine and olive oil – at the family’s restaurant, Zuccardi Restaurant.
Your wine tour must include a visit to a boutique winery. By visiting to a boutique winery you will definitely enjoy the wines that are being made on small-scale budget for centuries.
What boutique winery makers do is that they make wines in a more traditional way and due to that their wines taste that much more unique. The best wine boutique you must visit during your wine tour in Mendoza is Carmelo Patti. You will have the most charming wine experience as the wines are originally made from the grassroots. When you visit the place, the owner of the vineyard – Carmelo will give you a lively tour around the place explaining the process of making wine and sharing remarkable stories. Carmelo is known as one of the most passionate winemakers in Mendoza and you are sure to enjoy his company.
This type of vineyard is a little steep but it is absolutely worth it. Here the visitors get samples of fine wine and the tour guides provide you answer for all of your questions related to wine.
The art installation “Wine Way of the Cross” created by Hugo Leytes is the most epic thing you will notice in this winery. The art portrays the history of wine industry.
Make sure your wine tour includes these four amazing wineries. We are sure you will have a ball of a time tasting the most delicious wine in the world. Contact Say Hueque to plan your Mendoza getaway today!
Paulina Cocina has become a popular youtube culinary influencer. Why is she famous? She makes easy-peasy recipes, uses affordable ingredients and has a firm philosophy of not throwing food away. Also, she uses a very essential ingredient in every video and recipe: humor!
1. Place the sourdough starter ingredients in a small bowl. Keep in mind that the milk should be warm, not lukewarm or cold. Mix all the ingredients with a spoon and cover the starter with a paper film or a dishcloth and let it rest until it doubles in size (about 15 to 20 minutes).
2. In a large bowl, add the flour and sugar (with the lemon and orange zest) and salt, and then stir. Make a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the eggs, butter, warm milk, sourdough starter, and vanilla extract. Mix all the ingredients – feel free to watch Paulina’s video (linked below) to have an overview of the process – with your hands from the center to the outside until its homogeneous. Once it’s thoroughly mixed, bring it over the kitchen counter and knead energetically for 15 minutes until the dough is soft. Divide it into two balls, cover them with paper film and let them sit for at least half an hour.
3. Once the dough balls have doubled in size, place them onto a lightly floured surface and knead for another 5 minutes. Gradually knead in the soaked raisins, nuts, almonds, and candied fruit. Keep in mind that you can put in some chocolate chips, or any other addition if these fillings don’t appeal to you. Shape the dough into a ball and pop into the prepared panettone tin. You can choose to make two pan dulces or just one big one. Cover them once again and let rise for an hour. After that, place the tin/s on a greased sheet pan.
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 356°F and bake the pan dulces for 30-40 minutes until they look golden. Take them out and let them cool. Once they have cooled down, mix the ingredients to the icing and drizzle on top of the pan dulces to your liking.
Let's keep together & connected through our social media channels: