Beunos Aires

Beunos Aires - my last stop in Argentina and South America. This city came very highly recommended by lots of people I had met on my travels so I tried not to expect too much as I didn`t want to end up disappointed. But it lived up to it`s reputation. A modern city but with lots of old buildings and great architecture I enjoyed spending more than a few hours just wandering about looking at the detail on the buildings and statues and people watching.

Changing of the guard at Casa Rosada - where the President works.

The anti riot van just outside the Casa Rosada......I think that is water cannons on the top!!

Personlised Mate mugs...

Everywhere you went there were buskers - some of the street bands were very good.

With 8 lanes in each direction this is one of the world`s widest roads - and everytime the cars stopped at the lights these guys jumped out with their advertising boards.

Plaza de Congreso - the building which houses both the senate and congress chambers. Though an old building with some interesting art work the chambers themselves (which you were not allowed to photograph for security reasons) had all modern facilities - plasma screens, weight sensitive seats to record who was present at any time, touch screen voting with fingerprint identification - seemingly the previous system with personal card identification for voting was often misused!!

Again the Plaza`s are always gathering areas with entertainment and lots of activity.

Puerto Madero - the 19th century docks which have been given a facelift.

The local fruit and veg market.

Dog walking seemed to be a popular occupation in BA.

Have a beer with Bart.....

The little city museum had an interesting display of old toys, furniture and old containers like these milk and beer bottles -sure some of you remember these!!

The Botanical gardens was full of cats and statues.

The Eva (Evita) Peron museum told the story of probably one of Argentina`s most famous woman - the singer/actress who went onto be the First Lady and did a lot of work for the poor setting up charitable organisations and supporting workers rights. Though during this time she became hated by the military leaders who claimed she was a socialite and spent government money on herself, in 1955 a few years after her death there was a military coup forcing her husband to flee the country and Eva`s body disappeared and was only returned to her family in 1971 when it was found to have been mutilated. Whilst the military coup had power no one in Argentina was allowed to say the name of either Peron.

Eventually Eva Peron`s body was laid to rest in her family plot in Recoleta Cemetery with many security precautions taken to ensure it remains there.

Recoleta cemetery is a main tourist attraction in Buenos Aires not only as the resting place of Evita but of other rich and famous Argentinians - with lots of detail and wealth displayed in the cemetery.

The Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pilar - the 18th century church next to the cemetery - the altar has pre-hispanic designs included in it such as the Inca sun and there is also a museum displaying old religous paintings etc.

Buenos Aires at night.

Palmerno market - one of the many weekend markets held in BA.

I met up with Alex and Uli who live in BA - I met them in New Zealand and when they saw on facebook I was coming to BA they took me out for pizza.

La Boca a neighbourhood in BA with a small port where a lot o Italian immigrants settled on arrival in Argentina.

Some turtles take a rest on the rubbish floating in the port!!

La Caminitio - a small colourful street in La Boca which was refurbished by a famous artist . it`s a bit touristy but was pretty and fun to walk around the small market and watch the tango dancers at the cafes.

I didn`t have to look at the label on this painting to know it was of Purmamarca - one of the small towns in the north I had stopped at a few weeks ago.

The first skateboarding lesson.....

Lots of interesting and curious antiques and junk on sale at San Telmo market.

And the street entertainers at the markets were fun to watch.

A one hour 50p train ride from Beunos Aires and I reached the river town of Tigre - a pretty little town which sits on a small island surrounded by streams.

From Tigre I jumped on the local ferry boat for a trip down the river networks of the Parana Delta which is a series of small islands many of which have been turned into weekend holiday resorts by Beunos Airians. I jumped off the boat at Tres Brocas and spent the afternoon walking around the island - which had quite a mixture of little houses as well as some non developed areas with lovely flowers and birds. It would have been nice to go a bit further out into the Delta t the non inhabited areas to see more wildlife but to hire a boat and driver on my own was too expensive...

The Galerias Pacifico is a modern shopping centre but it has beautiful frescoed roof paintings.

I met up with Uli again before I left and we went for a drink at Cafe Tortoni which is famous as one of the oldest runnint cafes in Buenos Aires and many local writers and poets have scribbled out there thoughts here.

My last night in Argentina and I went out with some people from the hostel for a steak - the steaks here are great and Feliz was impressed as they were almost as big as him!!

Though sad to be leaving South America Feliz was excited about his first trip on an aeroplane as we flew off to Mexico.


When I arrived in Buenos Aires and was making my way to the Metro station I was tailed by two pick pockets who made a very unsubtle attempt to see if I had anything in my pockets..... unlucky for them I had been warned that they hang around the bus station and what there techniques were - so when they tried for a second time when I was going down the stairs to the metro I quickly turned and bashed the girl with my very big bag almost sending her flying down the stairs before glaring at both of them - well those who know the ´mean look´I give will know why they quickly about turned and left!!

That said I loved Buenos Aires and could have easily stayed there longer as there was so much to do and see.....musuems, art galleries, street entertainers, shopping, cafes, nice steak houses, parks.......something for everyone.

5 weeks in Argentina and I loved it though I only saw a little bit of the country (relatively) what I did see was beautiful and some of the memories I take from here:-

• The most colourful hills I have ever seen and certainly some of the top scenery of my travels.
• Comfortable buses, police road stops and toll booths.
• Dogs everywhere - most friendly enough and of course the kamakaze one´s that like to attack the wheels of moving cars!!
• Friendly, welcoming, hospitable and helpful locals.
• Churches, churches and more churches.
• Every town and city no matter how small had at least one Plaza (most quite a few more) where late afternoon and evenings the locals would go to hang out and catch up with their friends.
  
• Going out for dinner before 9pm being unusual and in fact not uncommon not to go to a resteraunt till 10-11pm.
  
• Long, long very serious if not sacred afternoon siesta`s (the only place that didn`t do this was Buenos Aires) and late late nights.
• The Gaucho is alive and kicking in Argentina.
• Inca and Andean history and traditions mixed in with Spanish and colonial history.
• Museums and art galleries.
• Modern cities which still retain their historic feeling along with the cafe culture and small traditional towns and villages.
• Steaks - delicious and juicy :-)
• Street entertainers - particularly the guys who juggle at the traffic lights.

Goodbye to Argentina and hello to Mexico, but will tell you all about that next time I find an internet cafe that allows me to upload my photo`s!!

Bye for now

Jack xx