Pub Crawl on 19/09/08 by Evan Kubitschek

Buenos Aires Pub Crawl

 

 

Ever been stuck in a hostel on your travels where you’re not sure what to do with yourself? We’ve all been there. You arrive late at night and all the other backpackers have already gone out - you grabbed a nap and everyone disappeared. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were an easy way to meet people without the hassle of going out alone? If you’re a student traveler that doesn’t mind a spot of drinking, I might know just the ticket…

Buenos Aires travelers, look no further than the Buenos Aires Pub Crawl. An idea hatched by Dustin Walsh during a college trip to Buenos Aires, the groundwork was laid back in the United States to start the business as soon as graduation rolled around. Armed with a detailed business plan after a year of tinkering and a strong work ethic, Dustin and his two friends Roger Trueba and Jeremy Bara put their plans into motion as soon as they received their diplomas - high tailing it out of the states barely three weeks after finishing their college careers. While the crawl went through early growing pains since they started during the Argentine winter, it picked up quickly once summer and study abroad students arrived. Dustin told me that the key to having a successful business in Buenos Aires is knowing good people – those that are willing to show you the ins and outs of navigating the bureaucracy – and working as hard as you can to succeed. This city offers unique challenges when starting a business that requires a special blend of perseverance and patience, and many new businesses fail quickly. Another element of the Pub Crawl’s success here was having a thorough business plan going in, very few, if any start-ups are able to wing it and do well.

Starting out with one night a week in San Telmo, the Pub Crawl quickly grew in popularity and now offers three nights a week in San Telmo (Monday, Friday, Saturday) and one night in Palermo (Thursday). For only $60 pesos you get free beer, wine, pizza, and empanadas during registration (9-10pm). Complimentary shots waiting at each of bars you visit throughout the night as well as drink specials, and free entry to a club at the end of the night await you on any pub crawl. But enough of the details, you probably want to hear from someone that’s gone firsthand, right? Being the intrepid staff writer that I am, I bravely attended the Halloween Pub Crawl that took place in Palermo this year.

Dressed appropriately as a disco warrior, I got to Plaza Armenia a bit early to witness the registration and interview the staff. Dustin and his crew were a whirlwind of energy during the process, while I sat and watched them work their magic. People were signed in, given wristbands, and directed to the beer and wine in short order. The Pub Crawl male staff were all dressed up as Mexican “cholos,” complete with fake tattoos and polo shirts only buttoned at the top. The female staff costumes ranged from a German beer wench to other suitably risqué occupations appropriate (only!) for Halloween. The people that showed up for the crawl were made up of Americans, Argentines, and lots of internationals, all of whom couldn’t pass up a chance to throw on a costume. Most people that I spoke to were in Buenos Aires passing through on a backpacking trip and wanted a night out on the town to meet people.

My favorite costume of the evening was a coked up Maradona, worn by an American guy with a jerry-curl wig and flour smudging half of his face. Surprisingly, none of the Argentines objected. We set off for our first bar a little after 10pm with a raucous crowd of over 100 pub-crawlers. All of us swept up in the madness of a huge drinking procession and garnering all sorts of strange looks from the portenos eating their dinners nearby. The first bar we encountered on the crawl was Como Te Extrana Clara, where the staff had our shooters waiting for us as promised and marked the beginning of our very long Halloween evening.

The pub crawl offers a soothingly American experience from the Argentine norm, as it was a refreshing reminder of the scene I encountered most nights of the week back at UNC: big bars full of young folks, all having a good time. By the time we made it to the second bar at Limbo Club my newfound friend Jeff (dressed in a full-body cow suit) was reintroducing me to the wonders of tequila shots. A phenomenon I thought I had left behind on a certain spring break bar two years ago (don’t ask). Through no fault of our own we ran into some cross dressers who took a liking to Jeff, who may have been oblivious to their charms. The third bar, Tazz Soho, is a haze of dancing and exclamations of, “awesome costume!” or “what are youuu supposed to be?” The club I can’t comment on, because I’m still struggling with the concept of beginning dancing at about 4am. It was bedtime for this tired soul.

Anyone looking for a good time with good people can’t go wrong with the Buenos Aires Pub Crawl. It’s a fun night run by fun people, who all work hard to make sure that you’re enjoying yourself. They’re also looking to expand in the near future, so be on the lookout for other drinking festivities soon!

Brought to you by Evan Kubitschek, your intrepid MiniHostels staff writer.