But before you do that, don’t forget to relive the World Cup moments which made fans all over the world fall in love with football even more.

Next step? Get your own World Cup jersey. And by the way: if your lady friend is a major football fan, you can buy her a lovely women’s jersey as well.

Now it’s time to start planning your vacation. Argentina’s matches take place in Johannesburg (June 12 and 17) and Polokwane (June 22). Getting to Johannesburg by plane from Buenos Aires is not very hard but it surely is pricey. A round trip flight starts at $2833USD per person so it’s time to keep the eyes on the deals available out there. Lufthansa, Air France and South African Airways are just some of the airlines flying between the two cities. As for the domestic flight (Johannesburg to Polokwane) plan to spend at least $400USD round trip.

Make sure to book your hotel in advance as well. Typically, for such events the hotels book up very quickly and the cheaper the place, the faster it will fill up. On some websites it’s impossible to find any room left already. And when you do manage to find hotels in Johannesburg, room rates start at $92USD per night (3-star). Hostels are cheaper but many of them are already fully booked. If you do find openings, expect to pay at least $66USD for a bed in a private room. So, be prepared to pay slightly more or have a back plan, such as packing your sleeping bag and choose to camp instead of staying in a hotel. Plus you can always go on day trips between the matches.

In case you aren’t able to travel to the World Cup in South Africa to watch the matches live, you should keep an eye on the Argentina World Cup news.

Imagine spending your days strolling arm and arm beneath the ornate facades of buildings like the Teatro Colon or wandering through the largest Japanese Garden outside of Japan. Shop for sexy tango shoes in the Palermo neighborhood, or browse antiques at the San Temlo Sunday market. At night, feast on heaping platters of tender beef and glasses of Argentine wine, all for a fraction of what you would pay elsewhere, and then spend your nights tango dancing at a local milonga.

Thanks to a very favorable exchange rate, Argentina is a cheap destination for travelers from North America and Europe. Airfare to Buenos Aires can be on the expensive side (about $800-$1000 from most places in the US) but the savings you’ll experience once you arrive will offset the extra cost of airfare. You’ll find no shortage of cheap hotels in Buenos Aires as well, with even the most lavish, luxurios properties charging less than what you would pay in other parts of the world.

And once you’ve seen the city, there are plenty of places to get away to – taste wine in Mendoza, take a short boat ride to the charming small town of Colonial de Sacremento in Urugauy or head up to Rio de Janeiro to relax on the beach.

Photo by Natalia Romay

Although popular among tourists, Cafayate is definitely one of the South America highlights , especially if you are looking to taste the traditional wines of Argentina. Most wines in Argentina are red but the white wine produced only from the grapes grown in this region will give you a unique taste of the country.

The best way to explore the area is to rent a bike for a day and tour the wineries on your own (of course, skip the bike when you are tipsy, you really don’t need accidents to happen during your vacation, do you?). Keep in mind that summer is the best time to visit the city.

The city is about 3.5 hours south of Salta. Flying into Salta is the easiest way to get so when you look for airfare to Argentina , check the fares directly into Saltra or into the capital and then look for a domestic flight into Salta. It’s not a bad idea to spend several days here exploring the impressive buildings dating back to the 18th and 19th and early 20th centuries.

Cheap hotels in Argentina are not hard to find especially if you visit cities such as Cafayate. It is filled with affordable places to stay and some of them even have a pool. There are many excellent restaurants clustered around the main square. There are luxury hotels in the city as well and they can be an excellent choice for a romantic holiday (prices start at $250 per night and include breakfast daily and champagne upon arrival).

Photo credit

The Spanish you learned at school helps some but what would you do if you don’t speak any word? No problem, learn it while in Argentina! There are literally hundreds of schools which offer classes. Thanks to so many classes available, the prices are affordable and the quality is high.

Also, nowadays, many young travelers want to learn a new language by spending time and studying in the country where the language is spoken. That insures a very easy way to grasp at least the basic knowledge. Plus, nothing can beat the sightseeing you get to do while in Argentina.

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular Spanish classes you can attend while in Argentina.

University of Buenos Aires

The University offers both regular and intensity classes, for students who haven’t studied Spanish before and for those who already have some Spanish knowledge. The standard is high and the prices are low but the courses are better suited for those who will spend a longer period in Argentina.

>>website
>>price:1039 Argentine peso (US$328) , 1 month, 15 hours per week for new students

Cultural Exchange Group of Argentina

The group offers intensive Spanish courses in Buenos Aires, Patagonia and Mendoza. Some of the courses are in partnership with universities (including the above mentioned UBA). A good choice for those who need a flexible schedule is the intensity course which starts each week in Buenos Aires. The prices always include accommodation, a free cell phone, airport pickup and cultural activities.

>>website
>>price: US$660, 2 weeks, 4 hrs per day Monday to Friday, homestay

American British Institute

The institute is located in Buenos Aires and offers two levels of courses: basic and advanced. They can also help with finding accommodation. The general course include 20 lessons per week and the groups are small (4 to 6) which insures a high level of education.

>>website
>>price: N/A (email for details)

Academia Buenos Aires

They offer several types of courses for all skill levels. All classes are in Spanish and are specially designed for foreign students. There is some flexibility as you can choose the length of the course and the level. Also, specially customized classes are available.

>>website
>>price: US$380, 2 weeks (email for details)

ABLE Spanish

The school is located in Cordoba and courses begin every Monday and are designed on 6 levels. The groups are small (5) which allows for a high level of education. You can choose the type of course and basically customize it according to your needs. If you need to grasp just the basic knowledge, the Spanish for Travelers course (US$13 per hour) is highly recommended. They can also help with accommodation and meals.

>>website
>>price: US$290, 2 weeks (email for details)

Legend

Legend has it that a god planned to marry a beautiful native girl but she fled with her mortal lover in a canoe. Furious, the god sliced the river, hence creating the waterfall.

How to get to the falls from the Argentine side

The waterfall can be access via two roads, on both sides. If you want to visit it from the Argentine side, the town near Iguazu Falls is Puerto Iguazú, in the province of Misiones. The falls are part of the Iguazú National Park, shared between Argentina and Brazil.

Puerto Iguazú has an airport which receives daily flights from Buenos Aires. Buses also connect the city to other important Argentine cities.

To get to the falls there are buses leaving every 45 minutes from Puerto Iguazú.

Tickets

On the Argentine side, you can buy the tickets at the Visitor Center. A ticket costs about US$10 and includes two train and a boat ride that crosses over to the San Martin Island.

What to do

Water sports and rock climbing are the main activities which can be done here.

There are plenty of tours available, from luxury to budget and everything in between. The best time to visit the falls is between August and November. You can see the fall from lower altitudes but nothing compares to see it in full splendor after a short hike up.

The Brazilian side of the falls offers only the panoramic view of them but the Argentine side allows the tourists to get closer and hike on longer trails.

Once inside the park from the Argentine side, you can take the train at the Central Station or walk the Sendero Verde (green trail) to Cataratas Station. This is the starting point of the Upper Circuit which is a long and quite easy walk inside the jungle. The views of the falls are magnificent so make sure to bring enough memory cards for your camera.

The Lower Circuit is a bit harder to tackle but if you take it slow there shouldn’t be any problems. It goes all the way down to the river where the boat crosses to the island.

Many courageous tourists take a boat ride which takes them to the base of the Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s throat fall), right below the waterfall.

Also starting at the Cataratas Station you can take the train ride to the Garganta del Diablo.

If you are at the falls for a day-trip, explore the Upper and Lower Circuit first, then take a lunch break and explore the other side in the afternoon.

Where to stay

There are plenty of cheap places to stay in Puerto Iguazú, and you can find them under the name of hostels . A bed can cost as little as US$9 per night.

How to get to Martial Glacier

Follow the national route 3 about 7 km out of the town of Ushuaia. The road is paved and signaled. Once arrived at the base of the mountain, there’s a ski slope. Take the ski lift up the slope and now you can see the glacier on one side and the Beagle Channel on the other. If you want to get closer to the glacier, you need to hike for another 2 km.

Gear and fitness

During the summer, the entire mountain is ideal for hiking long or small distances. You can either hike up or take the ski lift, but make sure to take the decision based on your fitness level. There’s no point in trying the impossible if you know you cannot hike in such conditions. And remember, you do need good trekking boots if you want to hike the trail.

If you want to climb up on the glacier you need both the gear for ice climbing and the experience to do so. However, the walk on ice is quite easy. The steepest part is at the bottom of the trail. During spring and winter you should be extra careful as the ice bridges are at their weakest.

In case you don’t have ice climbing gear, you can climb the Black Canyon on the wide valley which is to the right of the ski lift.

Panorama

If you can get to the highest point you can see a lovely panorama of the mountains on Hoste island, with its glaciers and the Beagle Channel.

Before starting the climb up the glacier, make sure to watch the lovely panorama which unfolds under your eyes: the valley of Andorra, mount Vinciguerra and Vinciguerra glacier.

Skiing

During the winter, the mountain turns into a ski resort, although with only one ski slope.

Other hiking trails

The Martial Glacier is not the only lovely track near Ushuaia. Here is a list of them:

• Pampa Alta Track is of medium difficulty and is 9 km long. Once at the top you can see lovely views of the Beagle Channel.
• Coastal Track is another medium track, 6.5 km long (one way), which follows the edge of the Ensenada and Lapataia bays.
• Guanaco Peak Track is a high difficulty trail of only 4 km and leads up to the Guanaco peak.
• Island Walk is one of the easiest tracks and is only 3 km round trip along the banks of Lapataia and Ovando rivers. This is the ideal track for bird watching.

Origin and history

The beginnings of Argentine Tango can be traced to the working class port neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. For this reason, tango is also referred to as the music of the immigrants to Argentina. One of the most popular “origin stories” has it that tango came from the Niger Congo languages of Africa.

The dance itself derives from the Spanish habanera, the Uruguayan milonga and candombe and also contains elements from the African dances practiced by the community in Buenos Aires. The music is a fusion of styles from Europe.

Understanding the dance

Essentially, tango means to walk with the partner and music. It relies heavily on improvisation, although certain movements have been codified by instructors in order to instruct dancers. There isn’t a “basic step”. One of the constants in all Argentine tango styles is that the follower will usually be led to alternate feet. Also, the follower (the lady) rarely has her weight on both feet at the same time.

Argentine tango is danced counterclockwise around the outside of the dance floor. Generally, you won’t see experienced dancers in the center of the floor but you’ll see there either those you are not good at navigating the floor or those who perform “showy” patterns which need more space.

As opposed to ballroom tango, Argentine tango is constantly evolving. While in ballroom tango, the partners arch their upper bodies away from each other, in Argentine tango is exactly the opposite: the dancers’ chests are closer to each other than are their hips.

Steps

Although an improvised dance, there are several steps which the dancers combine in a spontaneous manner, as determined by the lead. Those who start to learn the Argentine tango will have to understand the basics of it, such as:

• Caminadas (walks, which are the basic steps)
• Baldoso (tile)
• Salida (beginning or exit)
• Resolución

To obtain a figure, the dancers have to combine: salida, basic steps and resolución, in that order. Of course, there are other basic steps than caminadas, which are learned as the dancer gains experience.

Similar dances

Tango dancers will also like vals (waltz; but not Viennese waltz) and milonga. The major difference between tango and waltz is that the music for waltz is in ¾ time.

Tango and movies

Besides the many Argentine movies which feature tango dances, tango has been featured or referred to in many Hollywood movies. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921) might be the first American movie in which tango was featured. Recent movies include: Moulin Rouge (2001), The Tuxedo (2002), Shall We Dance? (2004) and Mr.and Mrs.Smith (2005).

Learning tango in Argentina

Many clubs in Argentina cater for those who want to learn how to dance the tango. There are also many companies which offer both tango and Spanish classes as part of a special vacation package.

For example, if you want to learn tango in Buenos Aires and choose to stay at a family there, expect to pay US$850 for a month, including the tango lessons (and other very useful things like a cellular phone).