My Buenos Aires Brothel
Do you remember the days before Yelp and OpenTable? We walked into bookstores to buy guidebooks that were out of date the day they went to print. We used those books for background information, to learn about sites and museums, and maybe which hotel to book.
In today’s world we have of up-to-the-minute information at our fingertips on everything from public parks to art galleries to neighborhood bars. We look up reviews before we dare enter a restaurant or bar. We book dinner reservations weeks, if not months in advance.
And for all our research and planning to make our travels fabulous, are we making them less memorable?
About 15 years ago my friend - let’s call her Jane - and I took a week-long trip to Argentina. We based ourselves in Buenos Aires and walked most of the city from the Casa Rosada to the Recoleta Cemetery. At that time it could be tricky finding restaurants for dinner because Jane was a vegetarian and Argentina is famous for its beef. But with such a strong Italian influence in the country, we found a wonderful spot every night.
One evening we strolled around a less touristy neighborhood where we were having more trouble than usual finding a restaurant, but we finally saw one. It was a bit dark and not completely inviting, but we had already been searching for a while so we walked in.
At first glance it seemed normal: a large, loud bar full of people having fun, and an area with a bunch of café tables that all seemed empty. Perfect! It was typical to seat yourself so we walked right in toward the section with tables.
The first table we came to had a woman's purse sitting on it. We moved on. At the second table we saw a woman's scarf. At the next table we saw a woman's hair clip. As we looked around it seemed that ALL tables were "saved" with some personal item.
Just as we were about to give up, we spotted a table without a female accessory. We swooped in and each took a chair. As we lowered ourselves to sit at the table, we were suddenly aware of the piercing stares of all the women at the bar.
It was slowing sinking in.
As soon as we were seated, we looked at each other. Jane said "is this a?" and I said "yep" and we bounced up and out the door in less than two seconds, leaving delighted women and disappointed men in our dust!
I love this story. It’s one of the most memorable experiences of that trip, and one that Jane and I can still laugh about!
Today it seems this type of awkward situation is so much less likely to happen with all the research we do and reviews we read. When I plan trips for clients I like to leave them with time to explore on their own without guides, maybe with just a bit of structure. In place of a guide I might offer my own suggestions of certain areas to visit. As long as the destination is safe to explore on your own, I suggest meandering through streets and wandering into shops and cafés.
A smartphone can be a great tool. But sometimes all our research shields us from spontaneity and taking random left turns. To me that’s a shame. I mean, I don't remember where we had our dinner that night in Buenos Aires, but I will never forget that brothel!
Above: my visit to the colorful La Boca neighborhood in Buenos Aires