Thought I had put the photos in before, but it is difficult, please enjoy a second time
Buenos Aires Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 January 2011
(Latitude: 34 20'South Longitude: 58 30’'West)
(Time -2 hrs GMT)
Next stop Falklands, sorry about posting the pictures.
Buenos Aires, always a delight to visit, the port is hopping as 6 cruise ships vie for position in this busy port and the air is balmy. These huge ships dipsy doodle around each other and alongside the dock to find a place. Containers are stacked high along the quay as 66 ton cranes lift containers high into the sky and either onto the waiting ships or the 18 wheelers.
We are here for two days and we decide not to do the things that we had done in 2004. The gaucho farm with the wonderful 50 ft long BBQ, the tricky horsemanship and the bolas; a visit to El Tigre, a boat ride down the canals in front of the rich and famous. But on the second day we do take a city tour that takes us to all the wonderful points of interest in this very Parisienne style city, the park called the 3 de Febrero on the Avenida del Libertador; Evita (Duarte) Peron’s tomb in Recoleta; a visit to La Boca just beyond San Telmo with the fabulous market, a ride down the 20 lane highway, Avenida 9th Julio (8 lanes north, 8 lanes south and two local lanes on either side) with the monument of the Plaza de la Republica; a drive along the revitalized Medero dock area, such a lovely city.
The first day we do some retail therapy with a walk down Florida Ave from the Marriot, a hustling bustling avenue without cars. Curiously, we pass the lifeless hulk of the Harrods store that we saw closed in 2004. I buy cashmere at a fraction of the cost elsewhere and Susan buys a sweater in readiness for our visit to the Falklands. In the evening we dress to go to a dinner and Tango show downtown. The service is brisk and we are presented with a steak the size of the plate all very delicious. The show is excellent with Tango dancers, and a gaucho performing an amazing act with a bola in each hand spinning in opposite directions that hit the ground to the precise timing of the gauchos’ heels clicking on the stage.
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| Avenida Florida Buenos Aires |
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| Choose a name, any name? |
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| Sue in La Boca |
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| the tomb of Evita Duarte Peron |
The city of Buenos Aires is home to 3.2 m inhabitants known as portenos, however, the metropolitan area has a population of 13 m, or more than one-third of the Argentina’s population. Buenos Aires, the capital city, is situated on the banks of the River Plate and is backed by the extensive grasslands of the Pampas. It is often likened to a European city (Paris) and the Spanish and Italian influence is a very strong one.
The Spanish from 1536 onwards tried several times to establish a permanent settlement in the area of Buenos Aires without success. In 1580 a fort was built on the site where the Casa Rosada now stands. For the next two centuries, Buenos Aires grew little but was strong enough to repel British invasions in 1806 and 1807. In 1810 the city declared independence from Spain on the 9th of July.
South America has a long history of dictators and military coups, and the Argentine in the second half of the 20th century was no exception. Considering the political, social and economic difficulties of the very recent past, Buenos Aires remains a shining beacon of hope in South America.
The Tango was invented in the bordellos at the end of the 19th century where the immigrant men danced with men while waiting in line for the use of the bordello, the men outnumbered the women by 50:1. The ladies of the night added the sensuality. The dance was banned in many European cities when the young men brought the Tango back to the cities where they went to college.
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