Across The Continent

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Across The Continent

The plane banks left as it climbs out of la Paz Airport. Out my window, the red roof houses disappear in the valley as the sun peeps over the White Mountains. An hour later we land in Santa Cruz. Flat, cleared, Amazon savannah. Booming beef country and quite the opposite to La Paz. A short stop over than on to the Atlantic coast.

Buenos Aries will amaze and surprise you. More grand architecture than Paris, greater piazza’s and sculptures than Rome and more passionate football fans than London. The people are very European, yet still possess that wild South American passion of life. They are aloof yet still extroverted;

expressed in their dance, their actions and their love of each other.

We tour the city, visit Evita’s Tomb ( inside the most amazing cemetery in the world), drink in sidewalk café’s, take a boat ride across the Rio Plato to Uruguay, walk the antique markets of San Telmo, eat large portions of red meat, drink the odd cerveza and red wine and attend a game of football.

Did I mention soccer because last night we attended the game between San Lorenzo and River Plateu. We wanted to go to a Boca game, the most famous club in town, but only members could go because as our receptionist at the hotel, Augustine, informed us “a few supporters were killed last week you know”. We don’t know. Guess who they played? San Lorenzo. Anyway the game was fantastic; the crowd sang and pounded the air with their fists to the tune of the songs, they laughed and cried and pleaded with the gods over every moment of the game. San Lorenzo won 1-0 and The River Plato fans did not complain; they were not allowed to attend. One end of the stadium was completely empty!

I have witnessed monks in Lao, Muslims in Cairo and Catholics in Rome but these poor fools pale into insignificance compared to Football fans in South America. They are more dedicated, more animated and ask less in return, except the comradeship that comes with sharing that moment of the round ball finding its resting place at the back of the net.

Tomorrow we are heading west driving ourselves across Argentina till we strike the Pacific. I think? Like those passionate souls we leave behind at the stadium, the future is unknown but the path is worth the walk.

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Comments

[Donna]

Sorry we missed you !!
A great blog, we loved Beunos Aires too! I have such similar photos!! No Tango dancing shots??