I'm an American who took my first trip to Buenos Aires. Here are 9 things that surprised me about the Argentinian capital.

Jordan MautnerJun 7, 2023, 01:52 IST

I took my first trip to Argentina and spent two weeks in Buenos Aires, the capital city.Fabian Schmiedlechner/EyeEm/Getty Images

I'm an American who recently visited Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the first time.
I didn't expect to find such appealing vegetarian options in a country famous for its meat.

I'm from Los Angeles and I recently visited Argentina, my partner's home country, for the first time.

We spent two weeks in Buenos Aires before traveling to other parts of the South American country, and it was a truly spectacular experience.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the capital, but these were the most surprising things about my time there.

Even though the World Cup ended weeks before my visit, photos of the Argentina national football team were everywhere.

Lionel Messi, the team captain, was pictured on billboards and walls around the city.Jordan Mautner

My table here didn't have a pepper shaker on it when I arrived.Jordan Mautner

The white pizza had fainá, a chickpea pancake, on top of it.Jordan Mautner

Some of the empanadas had meatless fillings.Jordan Mautner

I rarely saw the option to order wine by the glass at restaurants.Jordan Mautner

Compared to many US cities I've visited, Buenos Aires felt very clean.Jordan Mautner

The parks were full of activity, making it entertaining to just sit and relax.Jordan Mautner

Alfajores have two cookies sandwiched together with dulce de leche in the middle.Shutterstock

The president's office is in the Casa Rosada, which translates to "pink house."Jordan Mautner