With more than 14 million souls moving through the metropolitan area alone (if we include the province, it is more than 17 million), Argentina’s capital is a set of hectic routes. They are the commuters of Buenos Aires, those who move every day – summer included – within a pattern predefined by the necessities of modern life. Buenos Aires is by far the largest city in Argentina and one of the most populated metropolises on the South American continent.
Life in the bustling capital extends far beyond the boundaries of the city centre and, as happens in all the world’s metropolises, streams of people move from smaller towns in the countryside to their places of work or study in the capital. Commuting here has become a way of life. Sometimes, reaching Buenos Aires from the province takes several hours. And these are put to good use by reading, chatting, or simply taking time for oneself in the do-nothing, waiting to arrive at one’s destination.
In summer, all these comings and goings are much mitigated. The commuter world takes on that somewhat muffled air, almost anticipating the start of the new season, in which thousands of people will flock back to the local trains every day. The repetitive daily commute, a lifestyle shared by many of those who live near the great metropolises of the planet, but which takes on, in different countries, the connotations of the different cultures that coexist in our world.
