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Published: February 1st 2007
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3 days after arriving in Buenos Aires my gorgeous girlfriend Katie, apparently with a better offer, left for Mexico. The previous days had been spent easing into BA and enjoying the cheap luxuries available. We checked out a few of the different
Barrios (neighbourhoods), San Telmo the ¨tango¨ district with its its cobbled streets and tango bars, El Centro which could be easily mistaken for a dozen different European cities and Recoleta, the home of the rich and the final resting place of the Eva ¨Evita¨ Peron, but mostly we just relaxed enjoying the remaining time we had together. It had suprised me (quite pleasently of course) exactly how effortlessly we had travelled together. On the way back from the airport after saying goodbye I realised I would seriously need to readjust to travelling alone, even though it had been little more than a week. This gave me a sudden desire to get out of BA, so I headed north to Rosario.
Rosario is a proud little town (with a couple of million people it is small compared to BA) on the banks of the Rio Paraña. Founded at the time of the Andan Silver boom, a couple of hundred
years ago, this deep river port was built with opulence to rival that of Buenos Aires, who probably could have rivaled Paris or London in its day. No longer a major port city, today it is better known as a university town with a strong political legacy. Boasting among others, the birth place of Ernesto ¨Che¨ Guevara. Rosario still appears to be a place where many political movements find there roots. Highly political stencil graffiti is prolific around town and it was also a mayor site of the massive civil demonstrations that occured during the 2001 national economic collapse.
The once industrial river front has now been turned into a 5 odd kilometer long parkland. The old industrial compounds and structures, dotting the banks, have been converted to cafes, restaurantes, muesums as well as fishing and social clubs. Seriously every city should have an river front like this, free and accessable to all people. Strolling along the river numerous families and couple could be seen picnicing, while countless games of football were underway. I checked out the Museum of Contempary Art, housed in a colourfully painted old grain silo before having dinner at one of the fishing clubs at
Stencil Graffti in Rosario
Translation (I think): We demand of the national goverment the publication of the life of Julio Lopez dusk. In Katies absense though I had to be content with the characters of my book for company. I did of course, though, meet a whole bunch of people in the hostel. An Argentinan, a couple of brazilians and, typically, a shit loads of Australians. They were fun to hang out with though and later that night we headed out to this massive club, housed in an old shot tower. Although it was fun and we all danced to really bad music (although I think the others didn´t share that opinion with me) I remembered why I stopped going clubbing years ago. The next day I headed up to this beach the city had created on the northern banks of the river. I´m sure it seemed like a good idea at the time, just like the idea of going to a beach on the river seemed like a good idea to me at the time, but the place was just inherently wrong and seedy.
Back in BA now and staying in the ¨trendy¨ Barrio Palermo. It can be best described as what Richmond should be like. I also went to check out La Boca, the traditional workers barrio, famous
for its brightly coloured corrogated houses. Yet these were limited to one small grouping, which tourists get bused in and out of. After walking though most of the suburb and seeing the poor and decrepit state of most of the place i became increaingly uncomfortable with the idea of us tourists being amused by their ¨quaintness¨ and quickly left.
I´m now 3 days into my spanish cousre, which has helped unbelievably, and I´m starting to feel quite at home in this town. I have, even if only briefly, joined the morning commute on the Metro on the way into El Centro . But for backpackers BA and Argentina from what I have seen is really easy. Although many places are much cheaper, for what you get for your money it is unbeatable. Hostels are well run and numerous, beer $1 AUD for a litre bottle, awesome nightlife, long distance buses with seats that fold flat and to top it all off if you feel like a splurge you can get a great coffee, wine, steak and salad in a very nice restaurant for $10 AUD. It really is champagne backpacking. Yet without doing anything else I think you could
MACRO
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Rosario become quite lazy here and i´m starting to feel a bit soft. I don´t really feel like I´m travelling yet. I´m longing for a little bit of raw and roughness, to do it a bit tough for a while and get a bit dirty!
With all that said however, a few things do quite concern me. Around most big banks and government buildings riot barricades are permittantly erected with a few partitions moved to one side for everyday traffic. Police in full riot gear, helmuts and shields stored in the near by police carriers, are positioned throughout these areas ready to crush any protest of demostration at first sight. Also reading a leftist magazine I bought off a street vendor (in spanish I might add) it seems little had been done in the last 5 year in finding justice for those killed or disappeared in the economic collapse and political termoil that surrounded it.
In a couple of days though I will move on. I´m heading to Patagonia to check on a few glaciers and do a bit of hiking.
Love
Evan
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Katie
non-member comment
To sleepy
Very nice. I always knew he was a yuppie bear. If only I could get my USB cord working...I`ve got some awesome Sleepy related shots too...Good post, but how is the weather???!!!