Buenos Aires

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Early Saturday morning, about five o'clock, the group and I left from Rosario on our way to Buenos Aires. The bus ride took about 4 and a half hours after a brief stop at a gas station for breakfast. Upon arriving in Buenos Aires, we stopped at a small little touristy area called "La Boca". Here we had about 30 minutes to explore on our own and buy something from one of the local shops if we wanted. I was really wanting to buy a goucho had that looks very similar to the Indiana Jones hat, but I didn't have enough money as I hadn't hit up an ATM yet, dang.

After leaving La Boca, we went to our hotel were we unpacked all of our things and had another 30 minutes to relax before having to head on out again, this time to the Recoleta Cemetery.
The Recoleta Cemetery had to be one of the oddest, biggest, creepiest places I have ever been in my life. This even surpassed the Tower of London I visited several years ago! Though I'm sure that the creepiness factor wasn't helped by the fact that the first mausoleum I looked into had an uncovered coffin with what was obviously a hip bone sticking out! Though this was also the first cemetery I had visited where there was virtually no grass. Apparently, to save on space, they built everything extremely close together and when they ran out of space that way, they began digging further into the ground. Some of the mausoleums in my pictures actually go down 4 or 5 more levels. This place was like a city within a city. A place that one could easily get lost in. And, surprisingly, a place that I would love to come back to and spend a night in just for the creepiness factor.

Our next stop was actually just outside the cemetery where there were literally 200 artisan booths set up for us to explore. Though I quickly lost interest when I found the same assortment of jewelry and mate gourds at every stand. But I did run into a group of people who were doing some tango on the street and was able to get some video of that. But this was the only real interesting thing, and it ended right after I got there. So I ended up playing hackey sack with some of the other kids in my group until it was time to leave.

Afterwards, we had some more time at another artisan fair followed by some time to rest back at the hotel before we went to the tango performance.

I would just like to say that the tango performance had to be the most incredible experience that I have had yet here in Argentina. The food was excellent, the staff was great, and the dancing was FANTASTIC. How the performers are able to memorize every step, every beat of the music and rhythmically work their way up and down the stage was mind boggling.

After the tango dance, we went back to the hotel to rest up for the next day as it was midnight by the time we got back.

The next day we went on a walking tour of Buenos Aires. Seeing mostly things that I had wished I had been alone to see. We were lucky enough to hit every church or cathedral right at Sunday worship so it was quite impossible to go inside with a group (though Buenos Aires' main cathedral was big enough for both Sunday worship and us). Not to mention our guide thought it was necessary for every person to see the thinest apartment in Buenos Aires, which was nearly a mile off our course. Needless to say, I don't like walking tours.

Afterwards, more shopping and then we got back onto the bus to return to Rosario. Our wallets considerably lighter.

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Photos

Recoleta Cemetery
Looking down one of the many alleys in the cemetery.

Recoleta Cemetery
One of the thousands of mausoleums

Recoleta Cemetery
One of the thousands of mausoleums

Recoleta Cemetery
One of the largest mausoleums

Recoleta Cemetery
Another Alley

Recoleta Cemetery
Stained glass one of the mausoleum walls

Recoleta Cemetery
Very skinny alley

Buenos Aires Cathedral
Looking down the main chapel

Buenos Aires Cathedral
Outside the Buenos Aires Cathedral

Presidential Palace
The President's "in"

Street Vendor
Actually some of the best "fast food" I've ever had.

Food from the street vendor
Yum