Because La Boca is famous to be a dangerous barrio. And still attractive one.
La Boca definitely has a special rebellious spirit built firstly by south-italian immigrants 200 hundred years ago and followed later by a mix of all people whose key features were being independent, free spirits, family lovers and in many cases extravagant and adventurous. At the beginning of the 20th century La Boca was in a huge mess, where the key idea was to become an independent Republic of La Boca. Independence would be obviously a key word for this barrio... Other key words are drugs,futbol, family, gangsters and a coast with the most contaminated river in the world.
I went to La Boca for the first time in january 2010 and for the second time i did so yesterday.
And as i always follow tourist guides rules, this time i did the same as usual - i left Caminito area and walked down to barrio chino, which is considered to be one of the most dangerous areas in Buenos Aires. Why did i look for adventures for my ass? Actually, i didnt. That day i visited my friend, an amazing artist who has been changing a city look from 90s till now...
As a real freak artist, fan of "pura vida" and life without the gadgets and consumption he decided to buy a house in that zone 4 years ago. His house and studio are really HUGE. And he enjoys his space and environment by all means. He knows everyone in his barrio and everyone knows him. Local people support and protect each other. Because they are a family. How weird does it sound to compare an artist with projects all around the world and people whose job is to rob and maybe kill? It IS weird. But they are neighbours. And they succeed in building this strong connection and friendly relations while seeing good sides in each other. My friend doesn't know about their business and he values them for who they are with him. Such an attitude made me think a lot and challenged in a quite direct way - how to live with people who you know are criminals? How to live among many of them? Is it possible and right to make friends with them? Are they human in the end, if they do unhuman things? And my current conclusion is quite reasonable i guess - and who am i to judge?...
My friend is happy to do arts installations and other works for his neighbours, paint their house walls upon endless requests. Lately, he's been working on a visual piece of art which is a tribute to one local guy´s death, that found place some time ago in a gangster´s fight. The guy was 16 years old...
But before
...We were walking down from Caminito and at one point i felt danger. just like animals feel it. In one minute an owner of one local shop looked at us and commanded: don´t walk here, you will get into troubles. choose a parallel street. so we did. 3 more blocks in a silent street almost trembling and barely breathing we met a guy, who looked like a classical chorro (dont know exact translation, but its like a very very bad guy) and instead of hiding eyes i approached him and asked how to get where we were supposed to get and calling him amigo all the time. The guy became a pure angel explaining and showing us the way and i felt the climate changed in the whole street...
Later on my friend stated 3 facts, that still sound unbelievable, but i dont have any other options:
1. everyone is informed about every movement in barrio chino. We were still kinda far away but everyone already knew who we were visiting. They watch you all the time.
2. La Boca is safe, because those who live there, do all their "bad things" in other barrios (like Palermo as he likes to say hehe). This sounds like "dont shit where you sleep". Anyways, the way we chose, was the dangerous one, cause it was the route of lost tourists :D
3. Woman is saint and untouchable in La Boca. And according to my friend, a woman can walk at 4 or 5 am alone there and nothing would happen to her, because everyone knows, that she either belongs to someone or is there for someone. Woman is a mother, a sister and a wife. So she is saint. Ok..
...Actually, that day Boca, a local and very beloved footbal team was playing in Bombonera, a stadium very close to my friend's house. Basically, noone even cared about 2 scared Russians visiting a freak artist, when such an important event was happening :)
P.S. this post was about Barrio Chino de La Boca. La Boca itself is way bigger and has many more usual inhabitants, completely different from my favourite Baires artist and his gangster friends :)))
P.S.S. will i go there for the 3d time? of course i will! now i am planning to paint few walls and stop being a stupid gringa shaking where it's expected to smile and talk.
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