Don't Cry for me Argentina....

Ok, so I had to. We are in Buenos Aires, a city of abut 13 million people. It is reminiscent of Paris and is commonly reffered to as The Paris of the South.

 We stayed a week and walked all over the city. There is a ton of things to see and do and we did it. Walking in Buenos Aires is much like the old video game, Frogger. Even if you have the light you still have to dodge cars without getting splatted by them! At least they honk the horn before running the red light.  What would a trip to BA be without a stop to see its most revered woman, even 40 years after her death. A walk to the Recoleta cemetary which is full of ornate mausoleums would not be complete without visiting the family crypt of the Duartes. Though not as fancy as some of the others, this is by far the most visited.

Eva Perion was brought back to Argentina after being interred in a French cemetary for 16 years and then was a dining room display piece of her former husband (the dictator Mr Peron, you know Evitas husband) and his third wife for a few years before being brought back. Part of the deal to bring her back was that she was to be put into her families crypt without any fanfare.

We simply followed the crowds and found her without a problem. This cemetary is very exclusive and the saying goes that it costs more to die in Argentina than to live. After a stop at the church next door to the cemetary, that was built in 1722 we kept walking.

We went to a sculpture of a huge flower whose petals open during the day and close at night.
We also walked along the old port area. This was refurbished about 25 years ago. It was a rundown area full of empty warehouses. It now houses a university, condos and a large selection of excellent restaurants.

Our further walking took us to the Plaza de Mayo, the Oblesk, the church where the hero of Argentina is buried, San Martin, and a union strike that blocked traffic (no kidding, check out the SWAT

vehicles) and to the Teatro Colon. We did not think we would be able to get into the Teatro for a tour, but we lucked out. This theater built in the 1800's has been refurbished to its former glory. The workmanship in its marble staircases,

 the mosaic floors and the perfect acoustics in the main auditorium are brilliant. Mr. Pavarotti complained that he could not make an error while singing there as everyone would know.

We wandered into the area called La Boca. An incredibly colorful area (literally, check out the colors) that is full of arts, crafts, tango dancers and tour buses.

This city tour would not be complete without a classic Argentine BBQ,  Our hotel recommended a place down the street and we wandered there at 9PM for a late night feed.  We managed to order an amount NOT enough to feed an army so were full but did not need to purge.
For those people who are living vicariously through the blog hang on.  We are off to hike in the mountains of Patagonia for a week or so.  Then we are off to Antarctica, eat your hearts out!  So we may be out of contact for sometime which means the blog won't be updated.  So enjoy BA and the sights we saw.