BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA. Arriving in a city of 13 million inhabitants at 5 a.m. will certainly give you a false impression. The streets were deserted, even the grey sky was not typical for the South American capital. At 8 a.m. only a few panaderías (bakeries) and cafeterías (self-explanatory) where serving the first media lunas (literally, “half moons” meaning croissants) in the Recoleta neighborhood.

"Ciudado Autos" (careful, cars) sign in Buenos Aires.

“Ciudado Autos” (careful, cars) sign in Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires rises late, but it certainly rises. Walking down Avenida Santa Fe, the respectless traffic begins at around 10 a.m. and permeates the city until late at night. In Buenos Aires, the car chaos is taken to a whole other level.

But that is not to say that walking is impossible; in fact, a walking tour is the best way to get an initial overview of the metropolis. A plethora of operators offer tours throughout the various neighborhoods. The BA Free Tour offers two different recorridos, one at 11 a.m. and the other at 5 p.m. Maca, our tour guide, traversed the most significant avenues with us, and her knowledge of the local monuments was impressive.

Here are some of the visual highlights:

Argentina's "kilometer zero"; where all the roads across the country originate

Argentina’s “kilometer zero”; where all the roads across the country originate

Looking towards BA's phallic monument: the obelisk on Avenida 9 de Julio

Looking towards BA’s phallic monument: the obelisk on Avenida 9 de Julio

Where President Kirchner "works": the Casa Rosada

Where President Kirchner “works”: the Casa Rosada