The value of the peso plummeted in late 2001. Because of this the formerly prohibitive cost of a vacation in Buenos Aires now falls within reach of tourists with a modest budget. This economic crisis, ironically, led to a cultural revival. No longer able to shoulder the costs of importing food from overseas or traveling to Miami to buy fashions, Argentineans returned to creating cuisine from native foods, and patronizing the shops of talented Argentinean fashion designers. Tourists benefit from this resurgence of native Argentinean culture in that they now gain a more authentic experience of all that is unique about this beautiful city. This birthplace of the Tango has reclaimed its national dance, with a boom in the business of milongas, tango salons where young and old gather to indulge in this most sensual of dances.
Visitors will want to witness for themselves the Casa Rosada, the Presidential Palace where Evita Peron addressed adoring throngs from the northern balcony. Museums and parks are in abundance, many located within the Palermo Park system. Outdoor markets tempt shoppers with antiques, crafts and souvenirs.
That bit on developing native foods as a means to countering the economic crisis in some measure is fascinating. Buenos Aires is a place with a character and it is good to see it reclaim its originality.