Larry and I made a list of things to do before arriving
in Buenos Aries. At the top of our list was El Tigre, a riverfront town and the
starting point of the Parana Delta.
El Tigre is a relaxing recreational area on the outskirts of Buenos Aires that
locals like to visit. We were told not to go there on the weekend because of the huge
summer crowds. Early in the morning we
hopped on bus 152, two blocks from our apartment.
We rode it for about 20
minutes to the train station…luckily we met a young woman who spoke English and
pointed out our stop. We hopped off the bus and went inside the terminal to
board Train Number 1 to El Tigre, about an hour ride to the suburbs of Buenos
Aires.
We enjoyed the sights of the city, passing many high rises, a horse race
track, and our hotel that we had stayed in before heading to Antarctica.
We arrived an hour later and found our way to
the McDonald’s…from Maria’s directions….she had told us that we would find the
ticket booth down the Tigre River
behind the McDonald’s.
Our vintage mahogany commuter boat took us through a web of
inter-connecting rivers and streams as well as by countless marinas, humble
dwellings and elegant mansions.
Boat storage
Rowing on the River
Being summer, many people were relaxing on their decks and swimming in the muddy
murky water. Wonder how healthy that was?
Coming back into the town, our boat passed by a water park.
Boating was the only way to
get to these homes. What a get away!
Hugh fresh water canisters sat on top of boat taxis for the home owners
to bring water with them. Anyway, it was a relaxing day. We returned to the dock and had a
quick sandwich before heading back to the train station.
It was the high 80’s today and riding back to our apartment
in an air conditioned train was refreshing; we noticed that many trains did not
have A/C , people were hanging out of windows. Our train looked brand new;
however, it broke down about a half mile out of the station. It took forever to de-board all the
passengers and guide them back to the station safely. Climbing down a single little
narrow ladder to the ground was hard for the elderly and disabled.
Anyway we walked to the train station by jumping railway
tracks and going where most passengers never go and boarded Bus 152 back to our
apartment. Ooooppsy! We got on the bus going in the wrong direction. It took us
to the other side of Buenos Aires called Palermo. Boy, did we get an unexpected
2 hour view of the city for about a buck sixty. Millions of apartments and
businesses lined the streets with tons of traffic. It is amazing that we never
saw an accident once, but there sure was a heck of a lot of horn blowing. We finally
got turned around and headed back in the right direction getting home around
6:15PM. Whew! Never had that happen and will be very wise to ask before we
board a bus next time!
What a day! To say the least, home looked so good! We
cooked burgers and had some delicious watermelon and fell asleep to Sean Penn
splaining his situation.
One evening we walked about the San Telmo neighborhood. It is interesting how the evening lights make a difference in brightening up the old structures.
Something has been taken down...very modern for San Telmo
One morning we enjoyed a brisk walk to Puerto Madero. It took us about a
half an hour to find the port. We passed these two ladies who were touristy travelers. Art like this appears all over the city.
Along the way we enjoyed this nice workout area....tried everything out. What fun!
What a gorgeous area! A walkway along
the old waterway was restored into trendy restaurants and bars. Gorgeous ships
were moored at a private dock.
Modern bridge that swings to the side to let pleasure boats through
The old storage warehouses of brick had been refurbished beautifully while on the other side of the dock, sleek modern high rises for business and apartments reached to the sky. It appears to be an exclusive area to live. Residents were jogging, biking, roller blading and rowing boats. Larry and I would enjoy living here.
Along the way we enjoyed this nice workout area....tried everything out. What fun!
The old storage warehouses of brick had been refurbished beautifully while on the other side of the dock, sleek modern high rises for business and apartments reached to the sky. It appears to be an exclusive area to live. Residents were jogging, biking, roller blading and rowing boats. Larry and I would enjoy living here.
Puerto Madero served as the main port of Buenos Aires during
the late 19th century, but larger cargo ships soon made it obsolete.
The port fell into decay until 1989 when the aging warehouses were turned into
the grand structures of today. It really is a pleasant place to spend a
day….away from the hustle bustle of the city that is just a few blocks away.
Huge cranes that unloaded cargo from ships long ago are still present along the walkways.
Two older ships graced the docks for tourist to enjoy……The
Uruguay was used 1874-1922 becoming a historical monument in 1954. The Fragata
Presidente Sacramento was used 1897 -1938 becoming a historical monument in
1962. Both of these were still real beauties.
More city art...the kids that pass by sure like it!
This bridge is just like the one in Dublin....it swing to the side.
Love locks on the bridge
These Navy guards were so friendly. It was fun to chat with them....in Spanish.
Another day we walked to Plaza de Mayo, the focal point of the political life in Argentina.
We had spent some time here two years ago so we ventured on to catch the Buenos Aires City Tour Bus…a three and half hour tour of the city….if you stayed put on the bus. We stayed on it passing the Argentina Legislative Capitol
National Congress
our apartment building,
and lots of apartments and businesses. Buenos Aires is the home to 8 million people. That’s a lot of people!
Casa Rosada, the pink government house
We had spent some time here two years ago so we ventured on to catch the Buenos Aires City Tour Bus…a three and half hour tour of the city….if you stayed put on the bus. We stayed on it passing the Argentina Legislative Capitol
our apartment building,
and lots of apartments and businesses. Buenos Aires is the home to 8 million people. That’s a lot of people!
We hopped off at
Caminito (little street) in La Boca.
It is noted for being the artist district….many had their wares displayed for the public to purchase. It is a lively area with tango dancing. The area became known for its colorful painted houses. It is also home of the old soccer stadium, CABS.
It is noted for being the artist district….many had their wares displayed for the public to purchase. It is a lively area with tango dancing. The area became known for its colorful painted houses. It is also home of the old soccer stadium, CABS.
What a colorful neighborhood!
On we rode past Puerto Madero through the busiest part of
town.
We jumped off the bus at Floralis Gnerica….the giant stainless solar steel tulip.
We walk about a mile through a park to Recoleta Cemetery…the BBC called it one of the best cemeteries in the world.
It’s where the elite of Buenos Aires and Argentina are buried, including the country’s former presidents, Eva Peron and Napoleon’s granddaughters.
Established in 1822, it contains more than 4,500 above ground vaults…94 have been declared national historical monuments. Fantastic marble mausoleums and grand sculpted statues are in every direction.
We jumped off the bus at Floralis Gnerica….the giant stainless solar steel tulip.
We walk about a mile through a park to Recoleta Cemetery…the BBC called it one of the best cemeteries in the world.
It’s where the elite of Buenos Aires and Argentina are buried, including the country’s former presidents, Eva Peron and Napoleon’s granddaughters.
Established in 1822, it contains more than 4,500 above ground vaults…94 have been declared national historical monuments. Fantastic marble mausoleums and grand sculpted statues are in every direction.
We hopped off the bus to visit the Teatro Colon, Buenos
Aires grand opera theater, that opened in 1908. It was the world’s largest
opera theater until 1973 when the Sydney Opera House was completed. Today this
massive historical building seats 2,500 people and has standing room for 1000.
Teatro Colon
The bus dropped us off about a block from our apartment….It
looked MIGHTY fine…… What a day!
The next day we jumped onto the bus and rode to Palermo, a trendy upscale neighborhood with many restaurants and bars.
Men were out power washing the sidewalks.
A little piece of Russia in Buenos Aires
We passed by EL Carlos Thays Botanical Garden and El Paseo de Rosedel (Rose Garden) as well as the zoo. The “youthful” Buenos Aires age groups tend to live in the area. Also we passed the Hippodrome Argentino (Horse Racing Track) as well as a Planetarium. There is so many things to do in this big city.
National Art Museum
As the bus headed back to the east, we drove down the Corrientes Avenue said to be the widest street in the world….I counted 24 lanes. We passed the “Little Washington Monument” called El Obelisco which stands 223 feet high over the city….the skyscrapers are much higher.
It was built in 1936 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of this city, naming the city as the national capital and as the site where the first Argentinean flag flew. They actually demolished the church where the flag first flew to build the Obelisk.
Adios Buenos Aires!
Tomorrow we are headed to Iguazu Falls in northern Argentina and southern Brazil.
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