Tigre and the latte delta

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Good afternoon bloggers from a sunny and hot Buenos Aires. I know it sounds like it is always sunny and hot but by coincidence, it seems to be!! The weekend went by quickly as the days all are doing lately and today the city went back to work (did I mention I love retirement)!!

I have started to make plans for a couple of trips outside of the city and will be leaving on Wednesday morning on the ferry to go to Uruguay and specifically to Colonia del Sacremento across the river from BA about an hours voyage. My trip to Iguasu should be finalized tomorrow but looks like 3 days at the end of the month. I have started to make arrangements with my land lady to meet and do the last rent business etc and get my deposit back, the departure horizon is fast approaching and the trip back north.

Yesterday was a trip to Tigre with Debbie and Chris, two class mates of mine from the USA. Tigre is about 35 km north of Buenos Aires on the delta. To get there we chose the train, which meant a walk to the Retiro station across from Plaza de San Martin. The station is as you would expect an old railroad station to be,grand on the outside but faded and worn and inside, what was once bright and awesome is now dirty and old. There was a long line up of people going to Tigre at the ticket booth. A woman sat by the window with a small baby begging and an old man had the other window covered hoping for small change as the tickets were purchased. The trip to Tigre was made in two parts with the first one being the Mitre Line to the its end and then change to the Tren de la Costa to go along the shore to Tigre. We found a seat and were off in about five minutes.I was warned by a fellow passenger to be careful with my camera but was already holding it close to me and very much aware of the risk in a station, a notorious place for petty theft. The trip to the transfer point was about 30 minutes and took us through some nice areas of BA with some obviously well off neighbourhoods. Tree lined streets and large houses,some large shopping areas and a very large Mosque. We changed trains at the end of the line and walked across a covered foot bridge filled with antique and furniture vendors.If you like antiques, BA is the place to be, with Sunday being antique day everywhere it seems.

The Tren de la Costa was waiting for us and we just got on before it silently (electric) slipped from the station. A short ride past lovely stations with terraces on the platforms filled with people enjoying the day and some coffee,malbec or whatever. Tigre was about a half hour away and we arrived to find it bustling with people at the station. Porteno's like to get out of town on a hot summer weekend and Tigre and the delta is where they go. Sunday is busiest with the market crowded with people and all the restaurants and bars filled. The river port was filled with small logging ships but was quiet on a sunday. The tourist trade was in full swing however and we made our way to the docks to get a boat for a tour of the river and delta. I asked a security guard about the two types of boats avaiable and was told the catamaran was the one to take so off we went. 75 pesos gets you a 90 minute trip and we boarded and made our way to the upper deck.

Now the delta is actually a number of rivers coming together and the trip took us along the Sarmiento, San Antonio,Rio Lujan and the Vinculacion canal. Everywhere along the banks were happy Argentinians enjoying the river,beaches,houses,resorts. Boats,kayaks,canoes, and racing sculls shared the narrow waterway with our vessel and there was little room for mistake or right of way but no one seemed too concerned. The water of the rivers is the colour of a latte,sort of a light chocolate milk colour. I am told it is rich with sediment and minerals from the jungles and rivers that feed into it,which I am sure is true, but it would make me think twice about diving in!

The sun shone down on our vessel and a nice breeze followed us along and made for a very pleasant time as we passed a lot of pleasure boats. There is money here for sure with lots of big boats and some pretty nice homes. One interesting home was Sarmientos river home, literally encased in glass at the rivers edge. The old adage of living in glass houses and not throwing stones immediately came to mind. Domingo Faustino Sarmiento was an educator and journalist who became President in the late 1800's and is revered for being a forward thinking President,and his promotion of education. Everything Sarmiento is preserved,his childhood home and here his country place I suppose.

Back to Tigre,hot and ready for rehydration. A lovely restaurant/bar that sat across the street from the catamaran dock called and we could not resist. The waiter asked where I was from and when I said Canada immediately launched into a rant about Justin Bieber and how much he hates him!! It seems he has a young daughter and the "Bieb" is always on and not appreciated. Turns out our music critic is a head banger liking AC/DC and Metallica and would gladly float the Bieb out to sea on the chocolate waters.

Once we had all established our music credentials he settled down and we had a very pleasant conversation about a number of things,Todo en espanol!!

The trains back were full but on time and connections effortless as they had been all day and I was back home in Recoleta before I knew it. Another pleasant South American day. Be well all,Happy Valentines day!!

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