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Published: November 13th 2013
Thursday 7
th November
We decided on a lazy day today. Weather forecast gives storms tonight and it’s already looking rather overcast. We walked down to see the ARA Presidente Sarmiento, a slightly larger ship than the one we saw yesterday. Ellie flat out refused to go up a couple of the ladders though.
Just as we were leaving the ship, a school group came aboard. It was like getting lost in a sea of children – I’ve no idea where they all came from! Who knew children were so short? They were all wearing little uniforms and staring at us – you have to love the lack of inhibitions in children.
And then, of course, it started to rain. Just a few drops to start with and we thought we might just ignore it a keep going, but then it got a little heavier, and the sky a little darker, and our feet turned back toward the hotel. Ellie and I had both left our jackets behind and a cold was not really how we wanted to start
our trip. The rain itself was not cold, but the wind certainly was!
We met a couple of people from our trip today and 5 of us went out to a pizza place around the corner to get some dinner. It was only just around 2100, so a lot of places were still closed. They eat quite late here, just like in Spain. I discovered here that they serve the beer in 1L bottles. So we met Hannah, Joanna and Eamon. That means I actually have a chance of remembering a few names, if I meet them one at a time.
People watching makes for an interesting pastime when you have no idea at all what everyone around you is saying. I keep trying to pick up a few words in Spanish, but they talk faster than I can listen…
Friday 8
th November
I really wanted to do a walking tour while we are in Buenos Aires, so this morning Ellie and I left the hotel
Gomero Tree
These things are HUGE. at 0945, along with Le and Tee (a couple from Perth who are on our trip as well, whom Ellie met at breakfast) and walked down to the Teatro Colon (Colon Theatre) where the tour started. Just as well we allowed 45 minutes to get there, as we only just made it on time!
We then met our guide, Mariano, and enjoyed a 3+ hour walk around Buenos Aires, taking in the Plaza Lavelle with the ‘Palace of the Supreme Court of Justice’, a synagogue built in 1890, Cervantes public theatre, Av. 9 de Julio the ‘widest avenue in the world’, a monument to Columbus, Plaza San Martin, the Torre Monument, the memorial site of the former Israeli embassy, plaza Cataluna and ending at the Recoleta cemetery.
It was really interesting walking through some of the streets, seeing the diversity of building styles. It was even more striking here than what we saw the other day. Mariano mentioned the reason there is a black market currency exchange (which gives more than 150% of the official rate)
Av. 9 de Julio
The widest avenue in the world, as every Porteno here will tell you... is that inflation in Argentina is about 25% per annum. Everyone wants foreign currency (particularly US dollars) because it is much more stable.
Recoleta cemetery was a place I looked forward to seeing, so of course my camera battery died just as we got to the gate!! Just my luck. Fortunately Ellie had plenty of battery left in hers, so I’m going to steal them when we get back.
The cemetery is very interesting. It is like a miniature city of mausoleums. Some are very elaborate and others quite simple. They all seem to have stairs going quite a way underground and others are built upward. You can tell the families that still have relatives living in the area, as their mausoleums are kept in very good repair. Some, unfortunately, have been left untended and are falling to ruin. It would be fascinating to read some of the plaques, but of course if my spoken Spanish is anything to go by, then it goes without saying (in English!!) that my ability to
Plaza San Martin
Everyone loves General San Martin. read Spanish is completely non-existent.
We did manage to find the right mausoleum for Evita. Without a doubt the most famous in the cemetery.
By the time we were done in the cemetery, it was about 1500 and definitely time for lunch. We headed back to the main road to find somewhere to eat on our way back to the hotel. We couldn’t decide on what to eat though and every time we saw somewhere suitable, we would point it out just after walking past it and then it was too late. We had somehow decided not to backtrack even a few steps, which goes to show how tired we were, if this actually made sense to us!
In the end we stopped at a supermarket about 20 minutes from our hotel and bought some salads and drinks, waiting until we got back to the hotel to eat. The supermarket was interesting, I had to interpret some sign language there. Apparently, instead of security checking your bag as you leave the shop, you place your bag into a locked
Recoleta Cemetery
The end of our walking tour security bag when you go in and carry this around with you through the store. On leaving they simply unlock the bag, and you take your stuff from it. Bizarre, but it seemed to work well. That is, except for the lady who forgot to get hers unlocked and walked out of the shop with it still on, setting all the alarms off!!
We did make it back to the hotel before 1700, having walked the whole way. Made for a nice long day and hopefully, we will sleep well tonight!
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