Beautiful Buenos
After Andrea and I moved from “Hostel Hell” into a more manageable location, the question became, “What’s not to like about Buenos ******* Aires?” (If you’ve been there you’ve seen the t-shirt and can fill in the blank.)
Buenos Aires really is a great city, filled with landmarks, great food, and nightlife. There was a little experience of culture shock, coming from the distances of Tierra del Fuego, but venturing out into the urban-scape was easy cure.
BA is a perfect city for walking, in sections. Having moved from the Palermo district to Monserrat, we were in easy walking distance of several city icons. Walking down Avenue 9 de Julio you can’t miss the defining obelisk in the center of this grand boulevard.
Walking east, towards the waterfront, the city cathedral looks like it belongs in Greece instead of Plaza de Mayo.
Kitty-corner to the cathedral is Cabildo building.
The brevity of description should be a first clue, that despite the design and unique pink stone of the government building, ...
... after a year and a half of travel, "landmark burnout" is in affect.
Only a few blocks away from the Plaza de Mayo lies the historic waterfront, which served as port to the city for centuries.
The distinctive Puente de la Mujer, in the middle of Dique 3, marks the middle of the passage way.
I'm not sure if this bridge is a physical testament to the persistent protests of mothers searching for their abducted sons and husbands during the darker government era of the past, but it is a beautiful addition to the city and serves as a gateway to the burgeoning Puerto Madera district.
Again, I'm not sure what this statue has to to with Holland or its proximity to the Puente de Mujer ...
... but don't you think she needs a hug?
The city of Buenos Aires has done an awesome job in renovating the docks into a very pleasant tourist walk, filled with accompanying restaurants and the much frequented Helado Tienda.
For the brave of heart and wallet, Calle Florida is five major blocks West of the Northern most dock. This is a fun place to watch "street tango" shows and do some U.S. price equivalent shopping, but watch your purse and wallets, as Calle Florida is the "pick pocket capital" of Buenos.
However, it is home to the best named shop in B.A.
If you walk the length of Calle Florida you will dead-end into Plaza San Martin, with its monument tower, ...
... random cool bird sightings, ...
... and flowering trees. (Just beware of where you sit and look as parks are famous public urination places and you may want to be careful on both counts.)
If you are not ready to watch the evening migrate into an 11:00 pm "early dinner"...
... and staying out till four in the morning, then Buenos Aires may not be your town.
Janne, Lipika, Linda, (Navimag travel buddies) and I met up for a few nights of fun, including Tango lessons, show, and dancing to live music. I now understand why Dan and Julie are big Tango fans. If you haven't been to a local Tango Hall to watch the locals amble around the floor in a web of twisted arms and legs, then the soul of Buenos has been missed.
The other evening activity that is a must is to try some of the great restaurants and bars in the Palermo District. Our hostess and B.A. native for the last year, Janne, proved that vegetarians can have a great spread as well. Later she introduced us to Frenet and Coke... somehow the rest of the evening is a blurr with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
Sorry for the "food shot" but there is an important "beef lesson" to be had in Argentina. Do not order an unspecified "steak" or you will receive a massive portion of vaca, which will only be about 30% edible. So, make sure to order "lomo" and then you will receive a tasty fillet cut that will blow your mind with flavor. Absolutely no steak sauce is required when the proper cut of beef arrives... yum!
With the potential for fundamentally delicious main courses in Argentina, the bread can be a polar opposite. The bread can be literally so bad that pigeons refuse to ingest the bland commodity. We watched pigeons literally land to "check out" the sidewalk bread and then turn their beaks up and fly away without a second peck.
Buenos Aires is known for several other things including their arts and cemetery scenes, both most famously located in the Recoleta District. Along Avenue del Libertador lies the Fine Arts Museum, Malba Modern Art Museum, ...
... and the Floralis Generica Monument. The Floralis Generica Monument is a photo sensitive Titanic stainless steel flower that opens and closes depending on the presence of sunlight.
(It also serves as a pretty good group "photo op" location.)
About a kilometer away and just behind the Buenos Aires Design Center...
... is the Recoleta Cemetery. Even for those who usually get "freaked out" by the cemetery scene, this was a stop well worth an hour or so.
Recoleta is the final resting place of Eva Peron (not pictured) and hundreds of the city's elite.
A stroll through the grounds is an architectural study stretching from turn of the century, through Deco, and beyond.
Even if you are not too keen on the stonework, there are always the very happy cats to pet along the way.
Buenos Aires is not without its interesting oddities, as well. Andrea has enlightened me to the world of "screening", which is basically a single color paper screen negative spray painted on buildings and walls throughout the city. I especially liked this one for its world wide message appeal of "locals only" pride.
The other visual oddity was this Mr. Spock or Mork from Ork meets the Star of David mosaic on a temple wall. Did the Raliens merge with Judaism? Does anyone have a clue on this one?
Of course I had barely touched the city in five days and it would be well worth a return visit to check out the colorful La Boca district, along with catching a Boca Juniors football match. For true Buenos fans, I'm sure there are a million great opportunities missed in this entry, so feel free to send an e-mail with suggestions or post a "must see" comment.
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