DAY 23

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Today we started our morning looking for Retiro bus stop to purchase tickets to Puerto Iuazu for the 28th. After getting lost in the train station nearby, we finally managed to find the bus stop and the correct booth (there were over 100) to purchase our tickets from. What a mission, must have taken us a good two hours. We then did some research and found a place to book plane tickets from Foz do Iguaçu to Rio de Janeiro. Things were looking good.

Next we visited Plaza de Mayo. An appropriate place to begin a tour of Buenos Aires is at the Plaza de Mayo. It has been the center of political upheaval, vehement protests, and national celebrations over the years. On one side of the Plaza is the Catedral Metropolitana (Metropolitan Cathedral), which was built on the site of the original colonial church. This massive cathedral, with 12 pillars for the 12 apostles, is not only an important religious landmark. General Jose de San Martin, Argentina's most popular and revered hero, is buried in the Metropolitan Cathedral. Uniformed guards continually watch over the tomb.
On the east side of Plaza de Mayo is the Casa Rosada, the Pink House of Buenos Aires. This presidential palace dates back to President Sarmiento's time. The pink salmon color is said to have come from Sarmiento's attempt to bring peace between the Federalists and the Unitarists parties in his 1868-1876 term. The Federalists were the "red" party and the Unitarists were the "white" party. Another more interesting theory is that the Casa Rosada is pink from the use of bovine blood as a coloring agent. Whichever story is true, the building is certainly pink! Eva Peron (Evita) rallied the Argentine people from the balcony of the Casa Rosada, as did her husband Juan Peron and many other politicians who have convened throngs of Argentines in the Plaza de Mayo over the decades. If you see the movie, "Evita", the Plaza de Mayo was the setting for many of the key scenes.

Spent the rest of the day walking the and found the city to be so beautiful, lively and busy. The architecture seemed so European, we also stumbled into a mall quite by chance - the frescos on the ceiling were so amazing. I loved the Buenos Aires. We also came cross the statue of one of my favourite characters - "The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha".

In the evening we were again shopping for food and wine. Enjoying the magnificent views of the city by night from our balcony. After dinner another walk to digest our food and thenit was bedtime yet agin.

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Photos

Fine architecture
in BA.

Clock tower
outside Retiro train station.

Totem pole
outside Retiro train station.

Lookout tower
perhaps.

Fresco
on mall ceiling.

Birds of a feather
flock together =)

Casa Rosada
in Plaza de Mayo.

Catedral Metropolitana
in Plaza de Mayo.

Catedral Metropolitana
the twelve poles representing the twelve apostles.

Momument
at Plaza de Mayo.

Another view
of towers.

Statue
the expression of the face is worth noting.

Secret tunnels
used during Spanish invasion.

Don Quixote
statue.