Livin' La Vida Boca

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Ask any of the locals in Buenos Aires which is area one must be wary of, and they all seem to name, La Boca. Really? Well, everyone knows how I rise to that challenge...tell me that a place is a little sketchy and I definitely want to check it out!!!

La Boca is the home of the famous football team (known as soccer in Canada), Boca Juniors. The stadium, affectionaly known as "La Bombonera", the Chocolate Box, as it is shaped like a rectangle. The stadium gives off a major energy vibe. Even though a game wasn't on, you could feel the Boca Junior aura. Across the street from the stadium, tango dancers stand on the street corners, waiting for tourists to gather and watch their moves.

Brightly colored, the neighborhood displays houses painted in blue, yellow, red, orange and green. It is an artist's canvas.

We never felt unsafe, though there are police strategically positioned at each intersection, guarding their posts and advising tourists to put away their fancy cameras. La Boca is an area full of character, and you can sense that the people are proud. Proud of their heritage and culture, proud of the soccer team.

Galib & I stumbled upon a tiny bakery on one of the side streets. We couldn't help ourselves, the fresh smell of empanadas filled the air. Made of beef, egg and red peppers, Galib loved the simple flaky goodness so much that we returned for more and the owner kindly through in an extra. We gobbled those babies down in a few seconds.

La Boca is an area like no other. Of course we were visiting this charming neighborhood during the daytime, so consider the advice of others and avoid this area at night.

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