Voted the best idea RayRay's had in ages by Biking Buenos Aires guests worldwide and his faithful research and development team. 

STAGE 1 STREET ART BUENOS AIRES

Depart from Biking Buenos Aires headquarters in the once swanky San Telmo and dive into the port neighbourhood of La Boca to discover a local cantina and some of the latest street art in the city ...

...followed by a quick visit to Proa gallery and the nearby El Caminito.

STAGE 2 ART ART
Your next stop was the first foundation of the city Nuestra Señora de Santa Maria de Buenos Aires (pictured left), and once the second largest slave market in South America after Salvador de Bahia and now where you will learn about the origins of the famous San Telmo Sunday Street Fair

Parque Lezama










...next, we visit the beautiful Mansion Boero to see first-hand how the wealthy elites once lived a stop for a thirst quenching drink before heading on to Puerto Madero to visit replicas of some of the world's most famous statues such as Michelangelo's DAVID 
      

...exploring the ecological reserve and afterward lunching alongside the old river promenade... phew!








STAGE 3 CULTURE...
This may possibly be one of your most memorable sandwiches ever, lunch on lean shoulder pork cuts grilled with lemon juice (vegetarians may prefer the proveleta cheese option, which is pretty choice too), afterward you will saunter across into the Park of Argentine Women (parque de las mujeres).
Nec minute you are sampling top local craft brewed beers whilst reclining in the safety of your inflatable hammock and chilling to Argentine rock.
 Possibly this experience will be the most fun you will have in Buenos Aires with your pants on!Experience by you, made possible by biking Buenos Aires!

Here are a few things you most likely won't experience or see on this adventure:

CROP CIRCLES

DOGS RIDING BIKES

HAIRY BELLY BUTTONS

For more information or queries on when, how, what or why
Now mail your 100% kiwi in Buenos Aires  directly at
raymondelee@globaljet.me or  rayray@bikingbuenosaires.com

Friday, January 20, 2017

So the ORIGINAL original Buenos Aires graffiti bike tour, which was made in conjunction with GraffitiMundo no longer exists for some two years already. Now it's back on bikes and better than ever.



The NEW Hidden Graffiti and Urban Art Biking Buenos Aires Experience was launched by Biking Buenos Aires only a few months ago. Designed by the company's expert guides Luke Engleby and yours truley 100% kiwi in Buenos Aires (here are some old piks from street art Buenos Aires photo bucket files). This biking experience explores Buenos Aire's three Southernmost barrios during almost 5 hours, and yes it is definitely off-the-beaten-track. Many Porteños have never visited these neighbourhoods, the exception perhaps being the Sunday street fair in San Telmo.

City Emergergence Reloaded Festival of Arts in La Boca

La Boca: no sooner had the newest art experience on two wheels been launched, when the city's emergence festival kicked off and dozens of artists from all corners arrived to interviene the citys' public wall spaces. This was the first time public spaces were formally and legally intervened. Color BA had an impressive line-up of artists such as: Telmo Miel (pictured above), Camille Walala, Felipe Pantone, El Marian, Martin Ron, James Reka, Mart, Amor, Gordo Pelota, Milu Correch, Gualicho, Roma, Pedro Perelman y Chu (Doma collective), Pum Pum, Marina Zummi, Poeta, run don't walk to name a few, all of which can be found in and around Alsina Arte, also known as the Art Factory.

This is all indirectly thanks to an orphan named Benito Quinquela Martin, seen here in blurry efigy above en El Caminto. Quinquela became famous for his use of colour in paintings usually depicting the dock-workers of La Boca,and single-handly asserted this marginalised neighbourhood as the art district of Buenos Aires. He also founded 'The order of the screw' a selectorder with members as distinguished as the President of Japan and Charlie Chaplin, the order unfortunately ceased with the beginning of the last brutal dictatorship after the launch of 'Operation Condor'

What to expect . . . stictly NOT for namby pamby tourists! Seriously, we visit what we call here 'complicated areas', and whilst there haven't been any gun-totting bloods or crypts we aim to get out of the neighbourhood by 4:30 5pm.

• LOTS of amazing murals 
• - UNESCO sponsored urban art 
• - state-of-the-art design facility and even a hard to locate (in Buenos Aires at least), yogurt icecream!
• Parts of the city and history you won't get with anyone else except the expert guides at Biking Buenos Aires

Friday, January 20, 2017

This museum is a hidden gem in the south of Buenos Aires and is the oldest and most important of its type in Latin America.

Buenos Aires is famous for its eclectic architecture, however this museum of replicas boasts: the Indian Prajnaparamita, Egyptian Nefertiti, an Italian guy namd simply 'David' and the Queen of Uxmal, to name but a few of hundreds.
 Artist Ernesto de la Cárcova purchased a large collection of castings, some of which were 'first castings' from original busts which were on display in many of the world's best museums such as, Berlin's national museum, Louvre in Paris, L'Accademia in Florence. Many of these subsequently were displayed at an exhibition here in 1910. Ernesto was the  first President of the National School of Fine Arts in 1921 and later bequethed his collection.
The national school of fine arts purchased and refurbished the buildings in Puerto Madero that used to be known as the Lazareto Stables, which were the holding stables for imported horses entering Argentina.  Inaugurated in 1923 by the national commission of fine arts artist in the name of Ernesto de la Cárcova the museum includes more than 700 sculptures. The museum also maintains a library and an art print collection displaying works by artists trained at the institution. 1935 the museum recieved its largest donation of two hundred busts and sculptures of Egyptian and Mesopotamian figures.

Inside you will even meet Michaelangelo's David and the Venus de Milo! Puerto Madero has no public transport services that pass through (except the number#2), so aside from a taxi ride, the best way to get to the museum is via the soon to be released: Beer and Hammock Bike Tour or, book a private tour here http://bikingbuenosaires.com (Redeem your 100% Kiwi in BuenosAires voucher via booking code 'SALTA' )

 

HELLENIC ART

"Winged Victory of Samothrace"

INDIAN ART

 "Prajnaparamita" (relief of a figure in a lotus position, from Java), sculpture of "Nataraja" (Hindu god) 

Thursday, November 10, 2016

26th Oct. was another night of absynth at the Pulparía Quilapán.
 The last time for me was a good few years back for my now wife's 40th birthday. Andrea claims it didn't have too much of an effect on her, I'm personally a little dubious of this as my only vague recollection of the night is a vision of the little round white ocassional table covered in glassware all of which were glowing a soft green/blue from the absinth burning within. Woodworm I think was the name... anyhoo,  in San Telmo, almost beneath the 25 de Mayo autopista you can find the little neighbourhood jewel that is Pulparía Quilapán. As you enter you feel as if you are entering an authentic pulparía (quarterman's store, or for the Englishes, a convenience store). Of  course they have the usual malbecs but surprisingly, also a nice collection of craft beers which the waiting staff will happily help you pair with things from the menu. Back to the tasting, which is conducted with gusto from the creators of 'los tigres de le ira' as they shared the story of the creation and development of the liquid over the years and how its infamy grew as it began to appear, mentioned in the works of famous authors such as Oscar Wilde and the occultist Alistair Crowely. Over time it became synonymous with decadence. Should you be lucky to be visiting Buenos Aires on an Absenta tasting day at the Pulpará Quilipán, get there early as it is popular.

The pulparía is having to close or remodel the back part of the venue as part of the city's Macrification, but hopefully the space will  quickly become useable again. The back bar btw is worth a cheeky peek, a giant disco ball hangs juxtaposed next to a zebra skin and dozens of other items of quirk and interest adorn the place. Club Morocco, a clandestine joint where you can experience life as it was in the "Belle Epoch" with drinks served in glassware from the era and music from the 30's played by an automated piano
This is a lovely piece of classic chopped-up Argentine history sautéed in French style by Gregorian and Tatiana.

http://tigresdelaira.tumblr.com/post/74986478009

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Someone from the W​.​H​.​O told me...

D. Dolin - Museo del Bicentenario, Dominio público, Enlace​

​

 Someone from the W​.​H​.​O (world health organisation), once told me that HPV is transmitted via people from the African continent...and that's what Eva Peron indirectly died from...
Hmmm, not a great topic to write about. Let's try another.
 Considered the first founder Don Pedro de Mendoza of the city then known as nuestras Señora de Santa Maria de Buenos Aires, who landed on the muddy shores of what is now San Telmo in 1536. The Spaniards were greeted warmly by the local indigenous tribe living in the area (Guarandí), whom brought food and water to the Spaniards and honored the visitors with their women, and commenced to help with the building of basic adobe huts. Mendoza, happy that his new servants knew what to do, i.e. 'bring him stuff', gifted them with syphyllis. Naturally this relationship was going nowhere and so the indians moved further inland. Bed-ridden himself with syphyllis, Mendoza sent his men to seek out and kill the indians... hmmm I did it again. Ironic though that hundreds of years later they honor Mendoza with a big black statue...
Ok, how about this one. 

​​

Francis Felicitas. At one time the wealthiest woman in Argentina

​ and​ once referred to as the most beautiful woman in the republic. At the age of eighteen she was in love with Enrique Ocampos who was chased off by Felicita's father. Felicitas was married twice, once in an arranged marriage to the wealthy Álzagas, a man more than 30years her age who had a second family in another province and secondly to Gregorian Lezama (Lezama park). After the death of her two children to Yellow fever, Felicitas shortly thereafter died from a gunshot wound at the hand of a jealous Enrique Ocampos.

Seven years later in her memory, there was built in her memory, a beautiful non-denomination church in the neighbourhood of Barr​acas which​ stands to this day , it even has ​a replica of the virgin's grotto constructed off to one side.
Visit this church when you join Biking Buenos Aire's
  Barrios Historicos Bike Tour

Wednesday, October 12, 2016