Tango is synonymous with Buenos Aires, and the Tango Porteño dinner show is a fun way to enjoy this aspect of Argentine culture. Before arriving in Argentina, my exposure to tango had been minimal.

Medellin hosts an annual tango festival each year, and I attended a free dance performance in 2009 and an outdoor concert in the botanical gardens in 2011. But that was it.

As I was preparing to leave Peru, I was offered the chance to experience and review one of the Buenos Aires tours GetYourGuide offers. This online booking site covers destinations around the world.

I looked through the various activities in Buenos Aires and settled on Tango Porteño, highlighted as a bestseller. At $141.50 per person, the price is on par with Broadway tickets.

The Theater

Roundtrip transportation is included in the tour cost; however, the local operator doesn't pick up from private residences.

Instead, I was given the name of the hotel nearest my apartment and met the driver there.

We picked up a Brazilian couple before arriving at the Tango Porteño Theater, with a marquee to rival any seen on Broadway.

The theater describes itself as follows:

We have recreated the most important, unparalleled age of Tango history in our Tango Porteño. In this special place only a few steps from the famous Obelisk we have recovered the essence of a unique time and place. The setting is luxurious and is the embodiment of refined ambience; a treasured Metro Goldwyn Mayer movie theater from bygone years. The theater was restored down to te last detail in pure art-deco style and is complemented creations.

Tango Porteño theater

The door attendants and staff inside were dressed in period costumes to help set the mood from the beginning. It felt like we were about to return to the golden age of tango, and I was getting excited.

After presenting my voucher, I was led inside the theater and seated at a table in the back. I noticed another place setting for one at the table in front of me and four settings at the tables to my right. 

The tables were lined up in a communal style, so unless you go with a group of people, you'll be sitting next to strangers.

As additional people continued to arrive, I noticed many women had dressed up for the occasion.

I felt a tad self-conscious in my t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, but I didn't worry about it for long, given how dark it was in the theater.

The Food

It didn't take long for a server to come by and take my order. A 3-course meal, with drinks, is also included in the ticket price.

I chose the potato soup, chicken for the entree, and the chocolate mouse for dessert. For beverages, it's all you can drink wine, beer, soda, or mineral water; I went with red wine.

Aside from the dessert, the portions were all smaller than I expected, so if you have a big appetite, I'd recommend eating beforehand or planning to grab a bite afterward.

The chocolate mousse was excellent and arrived just as the house lights were turned off and the show started. After all, the dancing, not the food, brought us to Tango Porteño for the evening.

The Performance

The choreography, orchestra, costumes, and stage production were all excellent. In a hostel, I'd overheard one woman say that watching professional tango dancers was intimidating if you're starting yourself.

If anything, I found it inspiring. I wish the show had lasted longer than an hour and a half. The only thing that bothered me was the constant chatting of the women at the table behind me.

I thought it was disrespectful to the performers (who probably couldn't hear them) and the other people seated around them.

Now and then, I'd hear "shhhhhs" break out from other parts of the theater, so I knew it was happening elsewhere, too, and I wasn't the only one distracted by it.

I can only guess adding food and wine to the theater experience gave people the license to be so loud.

It wasn't until the show's last performance that I'd finally leave my table and walk down an aisle to get a video close-up.

Who Should Go?

I believe there are two ways to experience tango in Buenos Aires. The first way is to learn the tango by taking lessons and spending time in the local milongas.

The time, energy, and dedication required to do this will appeal to only a tiny percentage of visitors to the city. The second, more straightforward way is to take in a dinner show like Tango Porteño.

Sure, you can catch shows in other countries, but for a truly authentic experience, there's nothing like seeing one in the city where tango was born.

Check out GetYourGuide to book this Tango Porteño dinner show and other activities in Buenos Aires.

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I received a complimentary ticket to experience and write about this tour.

Spoiler Alert:  Skip this post if you intend to visit Viedma Glacier one day, and don't want to know the surprise endings that await groups who walk or climb on it.

[S]pending a day ice climbing on Viedma Glacier was a dream come true.

As our time on the glacier was coming to an end, Giselle, our lead guide, said she had two surprises for us.

We were then led off the glacier in the same way we arrived. Confused, I questioned out loud why we were leaving our crampons and the glacier behind so soon.

I'd been hoping our surprise would be some cool ice caves, like the one I saw on Franz Joseph Glacier in New Zealand, but now I started to feel a little disappointed.

Giselle lead us back onto the solid rock, and walked us down along the front edge of the glacier.

Eventually we arrived at a large cave-like entrance between the rock below us, and the glacier above.

Instead of a standing in an ice cave on top of the glacier, we were about to walk under the whole thing!

It seemed kinda crazy, walking under tons of solid ice, thousands of years old.

Ice that is shifting daily.

Ice that is melting under the warm Summer sun, right before our eyes.

But that's exactly what we did, and it was fascinating.

The first thing I noticed was how wet it was under there. Thankfully, we were still wearing all our water-resistant gear, because it felt like a steady rain of glacial melt was dripping on us.

Holes punctured in the ice above created waterfalls, allowing water melting from above to collect in pools on the solid rock below.

It was as if we were walking through a living, breathing organism.

Concerned about my camera getting wet, and the entire glacier collapsing on me, I didn't linger.

After hurriedly taking a dozen photos, I emerged from under the glacier.

Giselle was waiting for us at the exit, and once everyone had made it out, we were informed of our second and final surprise.

A bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream was opened, and we were each handed plastic cups with ice cubes chipped directly from the glacier.

Keenly aware of the declining state of the world's glaciers, I certainly felt strange trying to enjoy my cup of Bailey's and glacial ice.

I had to trust the company and guides wouldn't be doing this for the tourists if it were going to have a serious impact on the overall state of the glacier.

In the photo above, you can see the amount of ice taken from the glacier for drinks over the entire Summer season.

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Disclosure: This Patagonia tour is in partnership with G Adventures. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

The overnight Aerolineas Argentinas flight touched down just as the sun began to rise over a new day in Buenos Aires.

My knowledge of the Argentine capital could be boiled down to four things: soccer, steak, wine, and tango.

For better or worse, everything else would be a surprise.

I quickly cleared immigration and customs, gaining a 90-day stay in the process, and booked a taxi to Michael and Stephanie's apartment outside the baggage claim area.

Along the 50-minute drive downtown, thoughts tumbled around in my mind like clothes in a dryer.

Excitement. I'd be seeing Mike and Steph for the first time in almost two years. And the following day I'd be meeting my G Adventures tour group for Patagonia.

Anxiety. Another large city, with all the potential dangers one can expect (and even worse, the ones you don't expect).

If you're visiting Buenos Aires on vacation, I'd recommend single trip travel insurance to cover you in case something goes wrong.

For those visiting Argentina as part of an RTW trip, go with worldwide travel insurance instead.

Upon arriving at my friend's apartment, I rang the buzzer and Mike came down to let me in.

It's the norm for the doors to apartment buildings to be locked from the inside.

It sounds like a fire hazard to me, but that's the first thing that struck me as different from the US.

Upstairs, after dropping my bags, Mike unveiled a plate full of sticky, sweet pastries.

A norm of Argentine living is to start your day with the sweetest pastries your corner bakery has to offer.

Guiltlessly eating gooey, dulce de leche-laden pastries ran counter to everything I'd learned about eating healthy.

I delved in, like a true Argentine, but couldn't help but feel guilty as I licked my fingers.  

As if I was indulging in the one or two freshly baked Dunkin Donuts I'll have every year.

After catching a short nap, Mike took me to one of the main Movistar offices so I could pick up a micro-SIM card for my iPhone.

The office was a big, two-story affair with futuristic lighting, attentive staff, and a fully automated queueing system.

It was a few years ahead of any Tigo office I'd encountered in Medellin, though Peru's Movistar offices were also well organized.

After accomplishing our mission at the Movistar office, we walked into nearby El Ateneo; an old theater converted into a bookstore.  

It was theatrical, and certainly, unlike any bookstore I'd seen before. The cafe was situated on the old stage.

I made a mental note to return here if I was in the market for meeting smart girls.

Unfortunately, Steph mentioned that despite the bookstore's appeal, they stocked very few books in English, which is ironic considering it's now a tourist destination.

Closer to the apartment, we grabbed lunch. I must've been hungry, because I ordered meat, possibly pork, smothered in blue cheese, with a side of mashed potatoes.

This was my first encounter with the rather generous portion sizes in Argentina.

I purposefully left half the potatoes on the plate, and I took it as a warning sign of what I'd be facing in the meals ahead.

In the afternoon, Mike led us through Recoleta, an upscale part of town with tree-lined streets reminiscent of New York City.

Every cafe and restaurant we passed seemed to have WiFi.

Another similarity with New York City, and a degree of connection I've yet to see in any other South American city.

We ultimately made our way to La Recoleta Cemetery, where I battled tour groups to get a clear shot of Eva Peron's mausoleum.

It was anti-climactic at best, as the rest of the cemetery is just as impressive, if not more so, but a "must-do" for anyone visiting the city.

As we made our way back to the apartment, someone suggested gelato.

I'm a huge ice cream fan, and I'd heard Steph mention the ice cream here, but I wasn't prepared for how much better it was than the ice cream I'd gotten in Colombia, Ecuador, and most recently, Peru.

It was on par with gelato in a major US city, like New York, or dare I even say, Italy.

We shared a quarter kilo with three different flavors.

I'd later learn the dangerous fact that I could polish a quarter kilo off on my own.

Back at the apartment, Mike introduced me to mate -- the traditional tea Argentinians love to drink.

There are lots of unwritten rules related to drinking mate, and it's not unlike sharing shishah in the Middle East.

One person is responsible for preparing the mate, which includes adding the tea, positioning the metal straw, and filling it with hot water.

The cup is then handed to someone, who sips it all, and returns it to the person doing the preparation.

You should only say "thank you" if you do not want to receive a refill after everyone else has been offered a cup. Otherwise, the preparer will take it as a sign that you're finished.

It's a communal experience, where the sharing of saliva with family and friends, new or old, seems irrelevant.

In the evening, we went to La Cabrera in Palermo.

Argentinians eat late at night, say 9 or 10 pm, so restaurants like La Cabrera run discounted service earlier in the evening to bring in new business. And it works like a charm.

We arrived before the doors opened, and once they did, the restaurant filled up within minutes.

Mostly foreigners of course, but when you're getting 50 percent off everything on the menu, who can blame us?

Mike ordered three different kinds of steak for the table, along with a salad and a bottle of red wine.

The portions are so big, the waiter took it upon himself to halve our order. And it was still more than we could all consume.

Perhaps the best part of the meal was the price tag. We each paid $23 (tip included) for this belly-busting meal.

We took a short walk through the upscale Palermo neighborhood where the restaurant was located, before hopping a cab back to the apartment. Sleep came quickly that night.

What You Need to Know

Eva Peron is buried at La Recoleta Cemetery (Avenida Pueyrredón in Recoleta). All taxi drivers will know it. Admission is free.

Hours: Daily from 8 am - 6 pm.

Once you arrive, take your time wandering through the maze of crypts. Look for the tour groups to find Eva Peron's.

La Cabrera is located at JA Cabrera 5099 in Palermo Viejo. Tel: (011) 4831 7002.

Arrive before the doors open at 7:30 pm to take advantage of the 50 percent off discount (which applies to the whole menu).