Buzzing around Buenos Aires

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C writes ...

Yesterday we spent about 6 hours footslogging round BA, following various walking tours which happened to take in Florida - a pedestrianised street that is famous for its leather shops, other nice shops, and an astonishng amount of tourist tat. However, all to good effect - Steve finally found the perfect pair of "dress boots" (as he calls them (for wearing under jeans(, and the inevitable CDs. I was awfuly good and bought nothing. We finished off in the hotel's sauna - actually a steam room. Dear gods, I've never been so hot in my life! but felt so good afterwards - could actually stand up without creaking despite all the walking. I really, really do miss yoga ...

Last night we went out in search of a restaurant specialising in a traditional cuisine which I believe is actually more Brazilian - cooking great hunks of red meat on swords or large skewers, which are then carried around all the tables in the restaurant so that diners can have some if they wish. Only we couldn't find it, and had to make do with a parillo - meat cooked over a gargantuan wood BBQ - instead. These Argentinians apparently believe a meal is not complete unless cow meat is involved. (I can relate to this up to a point}. Excellent meal, though, and the wine is just great! The exchange rate is realy working in our favour in S America - helps to make up for the sky high costs in Oz. {S I met several Austrailans from Perth who confirmed that a) Perth is a boom town driven my mineral expoitation with all that involved and b) that they were having a great time riding the benefits of the strong Ozzie Dollar .... GRRR.

But today we've been off doing our own thing. We went out to a Sunday handicrafts fair first, then Steve took off for a footie match he'd bought a ticket for yesterday - Boca Juniors against team unknown. (I gather Boca are Maradonna's team ... or were, I don't keep up with this stuff. But I do know who Maradonna is - hand of god and all that. I know - you're amazed at my erudition aren't ya?) This is apparently a Very Good Thing To Do in Argentina. Mind you, they're clearly footba' crazy here, just as they were in Santiago. Every flippin' bar AND restaurant has non-stop sport - I've got used to Steve's eyes kinda glazing over at key points. Anyhoo, having sent him n his merry way with a sweetly forgiving smile (because he just KNOWS he'll have to make it up to me - hee hee!(, I trotted off to the local flea market (I do enjoy a good rummage round(. But I must have lost my mojo, because I couldn't be bothered to buy anything ... not that I saw much to yearn for. Sigh ... If only those wood carvings in Perth hadn't been so expensive! { The trip to the footbul was VERY interesting. It was Boca Juniors - famous the world over ... think Carlos Tevez... awaty to River Plate their arch rivals... (Think Rangers vs Celtic). It deresrves a blog on it's own but can't do it now as I'm just recovering..... Just seen the game on TV and there I am in the packed crowed clearly visibile because I am the only one in the ground with SILVER (not grey) hair.... Frankly it was a memorable but scary experience...but all's well and I look at games , espeically from South America in a new light in future. Having visited the Argies war memorial for the 600 plus dead in the Malvinas conlfict yesterdat , I was not too vocal today. Being an obvious brit in a crowd on 20,000 Argies going mental and all high as kites did not stike me as a good idea. Silenceon the other hand , did......

Also today , that Cathy forgot to mention.... we visited a famous cemetary this morning.... and found by accident rather than design the mausoleum of Eva Peron still seen in these parts a a cult figure. She's the most famous dead person in Argentina!!

Tomorrow we're planning a trip on the local hop on/off bus tour, which will enable us to pick off some key areas we haven't got to as yet. Then it's on to Iguazu falls the following day. The aforementioned Aussies were raving about that today so we are looking forwad to it

We've loads of pics we want to load up - but the machine in this hotel loggs us out after 20 minutes, and it's rather slow so getting them loaded is proving to be a bit of a problem. But we will persevere!

That's it for now... pix tomorrow , honest...
Boots 'n' Cathy...

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Comments

[Joanne Rolfe-Cogger]

I really, really envy you!!
Hi Cathy It all sounds so amazing. Keep up the fun and let me know if and when you can Skype. Thinking of you. Joanne