Buenos Aires

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Geo: -34.6176, -58.3623

Our 90min LAN A320 flight landed at 1:30pm on Wed. From the air the city looked well laid out and prosperous, with lots of green space and attractive buildings and homes. Our hotel is in the rejuvenated Puerto Madero district, a 10min walk from Centro. After settling in we spent a few hours walking around the city and exploring the Galeria Pacifico shopping mall. Despite our initial good impressions, close up the city's several fine historic buildings were at odds with derelict sites, crumbled footpaths and graffiti. We have personal half day tours on Thu and Fri and will learn more.

My tip is, "if you come to Argentina, bring US cash". Confusingly, the official exchange rate is about 9.5 pesos to the USD, and that's what you'll get at a bank or if your credit card is in USD. But for US currency, you can easily get 13.5, or even 15 pesos to the dollar at shops or restaurants. Citizens cannot easily obtain US currency which is universally accepted in Sth America, so a black market exists that apparently is not in the least surreptitious.

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Photos

Hotel Madero, Room 505
The weather deteriorated during the day but it was a nice morning view.

Casa Rosada
The Presidential building. Eva Peron famously appeared at the balcony and addressed the crowds. Our Sat guide Luciana, with Robyn.

La Boca
This district was where the poor immigrants settled in the mid-19th© and they used whatever building materials they could find to build their homes. It now caters to local and overseas tourists and is a fun place to visit.

Tango lesson
I found the cobblestones a bit troublesome for my best moves...

Comments

[Jan Scott]

Looking good Sel lol

[Kerrie Lonn]

Caitlin quite liked the evening tour she did from Buenos Aires to a ranch for a BBQ Argentinian style (cowboys etc). ?Any good shopping Robyn. I've heard this city likened to Paris in layout and style....maybe that's just tourist promoti
on.

[Morag]

You did well to keep a straight face - looking good!

[Joellen Oslund]

my favorite picture so far.