Day 31 – Buenos Aires

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We got a great night of sleep and were out and on the streets early today, as this is a BIG city and there is a LOT to see. While it is great to be back on land and walking again without a swaying gait, this place is SO hot and humid. Reminds us both a lot of San Antonio, Texas, which we both dislike for weather reasons. You walk about a half mile and your shirt is totally soaked through, and sweat is running down your arms and legs, and mixing with the sun block, which is just swell. The locals have it wired though. Stores open about 0930 – 1000 and then close again about 1200 for three hours, re-opening at 1500 until about 2000. Then everyone begins their “evening” about the time we usually go to bed and stays out until after Midnight! Carol found a free local walking tour that was three hours long and our tour guide (Sun – or Sol) was just a hoot.

We learned a ton about the local culture here, all of the political B.S. (her favorite word was bull shit), the dictatorships, and mothers of the “Disappeared,” and the angry veterans of the Las Malvinas (Falklands) War, who feel they have been abandoned by their government. Hit all of the highlights of the downtown areas, Congress, Presidential Palace, financial district, shopping mecca and major monuments by about 4 p.m. and were just bushed, so we hit the shower for round two of the day. Just SO much data to take in, but every day we are SO happy that we live in America. People here are happy in all respects as we meet and talk with them, but we are SO fortunate to live where we do. Fuel prices here are outrageous at almost $7.50 per gallon.

We have hit some shopping places and clothing and shoes are expensive, but food is reasonable. The BBQ (chorizo) Bife is to die for, and the portions are just huge. Serious highlight of the day, though, was the Tango show last night. One cannot come to Buenos Aires and not go to a high end Tango show. Our tour guide set us up for the best of the lot! Beautiful theater like on Broadway in New York, HUGE dinner and drinks, and a show that lasted almost three full hours with no breaks. We rolled in at 0100 (which is mid-evening for these people down here) and just crashed so we could get up at 0800 and begin again for our last day in Buenos Aires. We met some people whose cruise ship docked the day after ours (remember we wrote about the lightning and thunder and rain Friday night?) and who got seriously rocked by the same storm on the Rio de la Plata. China and bottles thrown all over the decks and a serious scare for all on-board. We feel really lucky!

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