BUENOS AIRES , ARGENTINA

Day 6, Tuesday Dec. 30/09 68F. All aboard 8:30pm

BUENOS AIRES part 1

Argentina...wow, who'd a thought I'd ever be here!! Woke this morning and Tom has decided the wheel chair had better again become his mode of transportation as he was feeling quite more pain by walking around.

So, he gave me his talk about being careful, keep my eyes on my surroundings, being careful who was around me and be safe, alone in my travels into Buenos Aires and off I went.

We are 1/2 mile from town, however our ship is in very busy port area, and we are only safe being bused out of the port, through the check out and onto another bus. This time a shuttle from a jewelery store called, "Sterns". A very reputable place and even told by the ship if we needed help or information, go to Sterns as they would go out of their way to help.

Coming into Buenos Aires, with red and green buoys as the primary guide, the water was very shallow and muddy looking At times we had only 10 feet of clearence under our keel. The river is 200 miles long and 60 miles long. Lots of ship traffic and one ship (picture above) came astonishing close to us, as Tom and I stood at the rail. It seem to appear out of nowhere and was gone.The pilot boat guiding us in to the port. They remind me of little mosquitoes as they seem to scoot here and there very quickly.

The I.Stern bus, took us through some pretty shabby area's but we are in the port area which is never the best area of any big city. When they let us off, we where right across from this lovely park called Plaza San Martin. Argentina flock to the park on their lunch hour and sun themselves amid the plaza's flowering jacaranda trees. A monument of Gen. Jose de San Martin towers over the scene. We where pointed in the direction of Calle Florida and off I went!

Calle Florida is a pedestrian walk, with about 600 shops line the commercial showcase. There are little streets that go off the main street, but I never ventured down there, just kept on walking, found Toms hearing aid batteries and took many pictures of the handsome looking buildings with lavish decorations and so many statues everywhere. I was really enjoying myself, so I just kept walking and feeling very safe. However, when I returned to the ship, I heard that two people from the ship had been assulted and had their money stolen on that same steet, I was on!! YIKES!!
A nice clean street, with many people heading off to work and hurrying about their business.I walked and walked, looking like and probably standing out like a tourist, but I couldn't help taking my camera out or just stand and gawking about. Traffic is crazy!! There are street lights, but hardly anyone seems to pay attention to them. You just go when there is a break in the busy traffic.
I just kept on walking and walking

Many beautiful statues

Woops, I think I took this picture from the top of the ship.


Pretty!
Beautiful buildings. I found out later, I could have gone in, some where museums.

Then I came to this lovely busy park, with some police standing around, and lots of people, so I crossed the road and took some pictures.

Plaza de Mayo

Statue is the Casa Rosado is of General Belgrano

Heart of the city, surrounded by major public buildings, including the famous PINK CASA ROSADA

The decision to pain the seat of the government resulted from President Sarmiento's desire to symbolize the national unity by blending the colour of the rival fractions which had fought each other for much of 19th century.

The Federalist (red) and the Unitarians (white). The colour itself was orginally derived from a mixture of whitewash and cow's blood to render the surface impermeable.

From it's balcony, Peron appeared before the masses gathered in the Plaza also again when angry crowds gathered in the Plaza when the economy crumbled in 2001 Since 1970, "Mother's of the Paza de Mayo" have marched in silent rememberance of their children who disappeared during "the dirty war" at 2:30pm in a anti-clockwise around the central monument with photo's of their disappeared love ones, pinned to their chest.

Argentina's president now works in the PINK house It is from a balcony of this mansion that Eva Peron addressed her adoring crowds of Argentine workers. Madonna was allowed to use it when making the 1996 movie Elvita.

Then I kept walking and walking and came across this very lovely Nativity Scene.

This is it for part one of Buenos Aires. I like it here! Lot's more tomorrow and where I found myself lost!!!


Note: You will have to scroll down for last posting. Sometimes hard to get the photos to line up correctly

Keep Scolling down..