Buenos Aires: A Subte-rranean Experience

One way to learn about the Argentine experience, the pride of the Porteños, their glorious and troubled past, and current troubles yet future hope, is to get on the Buenos Aires Metro, which locals call the Subte.   Most of the city’s landmarks and business centers are accessible by the Subte—and getting there can give you a lesson on culture paired with any big city’s government inefficiencies.

What I love about BA’s metro is that on some lines, you are stepping back in time.  The system opened in 1913, and was the first subway constructed in Latin America.  On some of the older lines, you feel you are back in 1913.  The seats are wood, the trains boxy and quaint . . . and on a hot day, the air can be absolutely stifling.

Similar to subway systems in the old Soviet bloc nations, some of the Subte stations display grandiose and iconographic art, emblematic of the Juan and Evita Perón years.  Just waiting for the train to arrive can be a feast for the eyes, so whether you are an architect or an artist, you should see enough around you to inspire those creative juices within.

As for the trains themselves, they are an eclectic bunch.  Siemens manufactured most of them, but on Line D, some of the trains used to run in Nagoya, Japan.  Unlike systems in other megacities (metropolitan BA is home to about 13 million people), I find the interior not suited for  rush hour traffic.  The seats are not laid out in the most effective way, making a morning commute a test of your choice in deodorant.

Buying a ticket is an exercise in thrift and frustration.  Tickets are currently 1.10 pesos, a huge bargain for the foreign visitor.  Buying a ticket, however, can be a challenge.  Kiosks often do not work, there may be only one station open at a huge terminus or busy transfer point, and if you don’t swipe that multiple fare correctly, that bargain fare may soon seem like Euros or US dollars to your wallet.

Finally, if you visiting family or friends, the Subte may not be very convenient.  BA’s metro lines are a hub and spoke system:  most lines go from the center to the suburbs to the west, making a trip, say, from north to south a long commute.  Considering Buenos Aires’ air quality and traffic, however, this may still be the most timely option:  taxis are cheap but streets notoriously clogged . . . and the grade of transportation fuel so low that you can feel the air particulates on a hot summer day.  That destination of yours may be several blocks away, so wear good shoes . . . and watch where you walk, since all that doggie poop is one reason they say BA is the Paris of South America.

Overall, the system can save you time when navigating through Argentina’s capital and largest city . . . and time saved from commuting means you have more time to devour all that Argentine beef, ice cream, Italian food, and coffee, while gasping at the architecture in Recoleta and Palermo!