San Telmo - In the Here and Now

We are staying in a boutique hotel in an area of Buenos Aires known as San Telmo, which is just to the south of the centre of the city.  Su chose it as it sounded a little different from the rest of the city - lots of old buildings and known for its antique shops and tango bars.

San Telmo has an interesting history.  It was the home of the rich when Argentina was one of the richest countries in the world in the second half of the 19th century, but when yellow fever began to spread from the poverty of nearby Boca the rich suddenly left, abandoning their mansions never to return.

The mansions were then used by groups of poorer families and, as Argentina went into steady financial decline, there was never the money to restore them.  More recently however, drawn by the bohemian reputation of the area, restoration has begun. On sundays the entire area goes into fiesta mode as the main square becomes the antique market and the surrounding streets become spontaneous open air concert venues. Small groups of musicians play samba, tango, Spanish guitar music and many other varieties and as evening draws on the market stalls are removed and the locals (plus some suitably trained tourists) start to dance the tango.

San Telmo is now a real draw for tourists and locals and the renovation is gathering pace such that the area can forget its sad past and look forward to a brighter future.  As it celebrates the bicentenary of its independence this year, Argentina more generally will be looking forward to greater prosperity and stability than it experienced over the course of the last century.

However on a sunny sunday afternoon watching the tango and dancing to the samba band it is not time to dwell on the past or think of the future, for San Telmo lives in the here and now.  In that spirit we too are simply savouring the moment.