The main square in Salta was packed until the wee hours of the morning *
We love to travel, both at home in the United States and abroad, wherever it may be. That much is obvious, right? While traveling here in the US is great, there’s something different about international travel that just gets my heart fluttering a little bit faster, my nerves tingling a little bit more, and my brain anticipating what’s going to happen next.
Why is international travel so appealing to us?
But what is it about international travel that we love so much? Is it the new places? The new people? The new food? The time off work? The chance to relax and do whatever we want? A resounding yes is the answer to those questions, and all are aspects of travel that we love, whether it’s domestic or international.
For me though, the one facet of international travel that stands out above all the rest as a favorite is experiencing a different culture, a unique way of doing things, an anomalous way of living. That was never more evident than the time we spent in Argentina. While other countries we’ve been (India and Vietnam for example) have been more drastically unlike ours culturally speaking, there was something about Argentina culture and the people of Argentina that we fell in love with, that just clicked with our personalities and how we view life, and at the same time was so different that what we were used to.
Argentina is pretty westernized, and it obviously has more similarities to the United States than other eastern or more developing countries. The similarities are not what we noticed though. It is the way the Argentines live their lives on a daily basis that made them stand out as so indubitably different than us.
The rocky start
Our initial start in Argentina was a bit rocky. We came over the border from Bolivia by way of bus before heading south to Jujuy, then catching another bus to Salta. Our feelings for Bolivia are well documented, so while we were excited to be heading to another country, there was a bit of depression.
After arriving and wandering literally for hours trying to find a room for the next few nights, we became even more distraught. We had been in South America for nearly two months at that point, were firmly entrenched in the backpacking lifestyle, and our Spanish had vastly improved, at least we thought so. Then we arrived in Salta, had trouble finding a room, got worried about the high prices and our budget, and worst of all, communicating was very problematic. It’s like they were speaking another language, and we began to worry as our initial plan was to spend 2-3 months here in Argentina.
After finally finding the right place for us, unpacking, taking a deep breath, and settling down, we were ready to explore. That is when the introduction to the Argentina culture, the Argentine way of life began, and it was the perfect precursor for what we were to experience in this lovely country over the next several months.
Something odd is going on here
Strolling through the streets of Salta for the first time, at about 8pm on a Saturday night, it started to become evident to us that things were a little bit different here in Argentina. It was December, the beginning of summer, and people were out and about on the streets and in plazas, squares, and parks. But we noticed a funny thing as we sauntered around while getting our bearings. Every restaurant we passed was empty. Completely, 100 % empty.
Now we had read that the people of Argentina like to eat their meals later than we’re used to, but it was 8pm on a Saturday, and not a restaurant had a customer. We thought it odd as we continued to wander aimlessly and check out the city, not really giving much more thought to it. Because of our budget concerns, we thought it would be a good idea to hit up the grocery store for some supplies and head back to the hostel to cook dinner there.
We had a great meal, a couple bottles of wine, and a fantastic time trying to keep up with the youngsters staying in our hostel. The aforementioned group headed to the clubs, and while we aren’t really the clubbing type, we weren’t done either, so we decided to head out to explore more and get another drink or five. It was about 1am. And that’s when things got really weird.
Is my watch broken?
This time as we passed various restaurants, we noticed how packed they were. People were everywhere; inside, out on the patios, strolling the streets, literally everywhere. And we’re not talking about a college town with drunk students going from the bar to Taco Bell for a late night snack. We’re talking regular people, families even, sitting down having their Saturday night meal along with some wine, at ONE O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING!
We knew they ate late, but good God, this was a bit crazy. After moving on to the main square, Plaza 9 de Julio, we decided to just go with the flow. The weather was beautiful, the square was packed, music emanated from the doors of many bars and restaurants, and people ate, drank, and were merry.
So we pulled up a few chairs at an outside table of one of the restaurants and ordered some beers. And we watched. And we smiled. And we felt……comfortable. We noticed couples having a romantic meal and a bottle of wine. We noticed tourists much like us just sitting and taking it all in.
A priority on family time
But most of all, we noticed the families. At nearly 2am on a Saturday night/Sunday morning, there was a plethora of families just out having dinner. Not just parents and their teenage children (though there were plenty of those, too) either. Massive tables of moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, babies, and every age in between. All just sitting, laughing, talking, eating, drinking, and enjoying each other’s company.
What an odd site to see as an American. No matter how much research you do about a place or read about the customs and culture, until you’re right smack in the middle of it, observing it, participating in it, living it, do you really begin to get a feeling for it. This was the total opposite of what we were used to. While family is important here, once most kids get to a certain age, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Steve, and weird cousin Al just aren’t who you want to be around on a weekend night. And while I’m sure there is plenty of teenage angst amongst Argentines, this was just different.
After a few beers on the patio, we decided it was time for some music. So we happily bounced inside to find a local band playing, with tons of people on the dance floor, moving and shaking to the sounds. Nervous teen-aged couples dancing with that awkward look in their eye, older couples busting a move like they’ve been doing for years, and even moms and their sons joining in on the fun, without a sense of embarrassment whatsoever. It was an incredible sight, and it was impossible not to sit there and smile, wondering if all the country was like this (it is).
The pace, the relaxation, and the slow way with which everyone went about their business was so odd to us. Everyone is always in such a hurry at home. Have to get to work, have to go to the gym, have to eat, quickly, quickly, quickly. Everything is just done with such a frenetic pace that seeing everyone so laid back just looked and felt odd.
A new way of looking at everyday life
That first night in Argentina had us out until nearly 5 in the morning, drinking, dancing, and just enjoying being in this new and wonderful country. In our next couple months there, we really grew to love the laid back, family oriented culture evident in Argentina. We began to enjoy eating dinner at midnight. We loved doing as the locals did, which meant long, sometimes multiple hour meals, with copious amounts of red meat and wine.
The pace of life and Argentina culture is just different, and while the United States likes to think of itself as innovators and leaders of the developed world, we sure could learn a few things from a culture like this. So the next time you’re rushing around to get out the door even though you aren’t late for anything, or you’re stewing because the server is taking too long, or you’re speeding down the interstate for no apparent reason at all, or you’re not really too excited about spending your weekend night with family, STOP. Take a breath, pour yourself a nice glass of Malbec (unless you’re still driving down the interstate), and just relax. Life is for living, and we could learn a few things from the people of Argentina, like stopping to smell the roses once in a while, enjoying the company of the ones we love, and really appreciating our short time on this Earth.
*picture by No Gravity/David–Creative Commons
