The best reason to visit La Boca…read more
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La Boca is a colorful neighborhood in southeast Buenos Aires,
Right on the harbor just before the industrial yuck and the slums start.
It is known for its beautiful painted buildings made out of corrugated steel containers and painted every bright wonderful color in the universe.
Benito Quinquela Martin was a famous artist who lived in La Boca and painted La Boca.
His paintings are just as wonderful as the beautiful houses.
His own house is right in La Boca and has been turned into a museum.
He was active in the artistic life of the city.
The museum not only shows his work - but the work of the painters and sculptors who were his friends.
His friends do wonderful stuff.
Plus, Martin decorated his house in the style of La Boca.
His home decoration is something to see.
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That said ....
None of these are the real reason you want to go to Benito Quinquela Martin's house.
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People are funny when they are tourists and they go to see faraway places.
They have two modes.
"Beach Mode" and "Important Cultural Place" mode.
Beach Mode is
"I am on vacation.
I am here to get drunk.
I am here to have fun.
Bring on the massive rum drinks and I ain't moving."
Important Cultural Place Mode is
"This place is very important.
Everyone tells me it is wonderful.
I have to see all of it.
Right now".
If the Louvre has 122 rooms of art, your job supposedly is to walk through all 122 rooms, and especially past very famous paintings like the Mona Lisa.
Seeing "All" of a museum generally means seeing NONE of it,
Because you are too busy to actually look at the paintings for more than four seconds each.
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What you should do at Museu Benito Quinquela Martin
Is you go into "Beach" mode, while you are in a beautiful cultural place.
Martin was an artist.
He actually lived in that house.
Live in that house the way he would have.
In particular, the house has a terrace on the roof.
The roof is where people go in the summer in Buenos Aires to relax.
Before air conditioning, it is where they went to get cool.
If they were grilling meat for a party, they would have done this outside on the roof.
If it was morning and they were drinking their mate,
Or night and they were drinking their Malbec,
They would have done it on the roof,
Just sitting and relaxing.
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Go up on the terrace, find a nice bench and sit down.
They have sculptures there.
It doesn't matter if you look at the sculptures or not.
Just sit, and let the cool winds of the harbor blow through your hair.
Look at what you see around you.
If you get so comfortable, you drop off for a nap,
That's okay too.
You are in a safe place.
Things will still be nice when you wake up.
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The terrace on top of Benito Martin's house is magical.
He designed it that way.
He lived in it that way.
You can enjoy it that way.
Enjoy life the way Benito Martin enjoyed life.
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It will be the happiest part of your visit to Argentina.