Our flight from Mendoza left at 9.30 and we arrived in Buenos Aires about 11am. The part of Argentina we flew over was very agricultural. From the air it looked like a patchwork quilt. Obviously it is very productive country. We came in over the northern, affluent suburbs of BA. Waterside housing estates, most houses had pools, sporting fields everywhere. When I mention to Juani that BA is not what I was expecting he asks what my expectations were. Having seen many Latin & South American cities I suppose I expected more of the same. But BA is very different. It is a relatively young city with most buildings being not more than 120-140 years old. Architecturally it has French, Dutch, Italian and Spanish influences. The streets are lined with imposing buildings. A definite European feel to it. And the atmosphere is different as well. Much more western, coffee shops, high end stores magnificent shopping arcades. We head through the San Telmo area and its bustling Sunday street market. It goes on for street after street and we don't actually make it to the end. Lunch is at a place called Des Nivel, a BA institution. People are queuing to get a table. Juani pulls some strings and we are soon seated. We soon find out why it is so popular. Food is very good and the atmosphere is very lively.
Monday morning we head to the La Boca neighbourhood. This is a famous and much photographed part of BA. Many of the buildings are painted in bright colours in a rather random way. It was originally a working class area and close to the docks. The homeowners used whatever paint was left over after ships were painted, hence the random colours. The tradition has carried on. It is now a very touristy area but nevertheless interesting to wander through. Another bus back into the heart of the city for lunch at a pizza restaurant that has been operating for 95 years. Not a bad record. And the pizzas are good.That afternoon a few of us join a walking tour of the city, starting at the Congress building, which is where the Argentine parliament sits. Another magnificent building overlooking a plaza dominated by statues. The original plan for BA was for it to be a rival to European cities. It sort of achieved it architecturally, but fell down in other areas. We thought the tour was heading towards the cemetery but realised it was heading in another direction. We bailed out and made our own way only to arrive 5 minutes past closing time. Not to be deterred we made tracks for the Japanese Garden. Alas we were 5 minutes late again. So off to our agreed meeting place with Juani. Dinner in a very nice Italian restaurant, We are quickly learning that dining in BA is not cheap, in comparison with other Sth American cities. A meal like this is about $55. Pricing is more like that of Australia. Argentina has an inflation rate of around 30%. Cost of living is grossly out of balance with average earnings.
Tuesday arrives and I decide to do my own thing. Back to the congress building for some photos, a visit to the Cathedral where I am lucky enough to see a changing og the guard that stands duty at the the final resting place of General San Martin, a key figure in the liberation of Peru, Chile and Argentina. And no surprises the cathedral is stunning inside. There are protests all through the city today. Workers are angry about labour reforms that the government is introducing. Police presence is heavy and riot barricades are erected around the perimeter of the National Palace. In the afternoon I join the others for a walking tour of BA street art. It is very prominent throughout many parts of the city and is actively encouraged. We are shown some very colourful and at times thought provoking examples. Our guide is heavily involved in the street scene and is able to give a detailed background to each painting and the artists involved. When we get back into the centre of the city the protests are over but left behind is a virtual sea of rubbish. Fortunately the cleaners are already on the job. It's our last night as a group and we celebrate it at a tango dinner & dance show. The dancing is unbelievable but the backing band is even better.
Wednesday arrives and the goodbyes begin. Two of the group fly out today. I head down to the docks area again. These have now been transformed into a restaurant, arts area, utilising the former wharf sheds. The old wharf cranes have been retained as a link to the past. It reminds me a little of Shanghai with the original buildings on one side of the water and the modern skyscrapers on the other side. A visit to the Centro Cultural Kirchner building is an eye opener. What was the former post office has now been converted into an art gallery and live performance centre. It is home to the Argentine symphony orchestra. Unfortunately I haven't allowed enough time to do it justice but the exhibits I do see are amazing. The building itself is a work of art.
Thursday is my last full day in BA and goodbyes to the last 3 of the group. And it begins with rain, the first I have seen since Mexico. Once it clears I make my way to the Bellas Artes building. This is BA's premiere art gallery. As well as many works by Argentine artists it is also home to many paintings by European masters such as Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Renoir and Monet among others. It is very impressive. And last but not least I head to BA's number 1 attraction - the Recoleta Cemetery. It's most famous "resident" is Eva Peron, but many of Argentinas military and political heroes are also buried here along with the wealthy. This is not a normal cemetery in that there are no graves as such. It is simply streets and streets of huge family mausoleums. In some respects it looks like a miniature city. You are able to see inside many of them and to look at coffins that are 100 plus years old is quite surreal. The mausoleums are not only huge above the ground but also have "cellars" where more coffins are stored. In some I counted up to 10 coffins. Eva's family mausoleum is quite modest but undoubtedly is the reason many people visit.
And so my time in Buenos Aires comes to an end. An amazing city and certainly one that surprised me. No doubt I have only scratched the surface but it does help me to understand why so many people who have visited regard it as one of the most fascinating cities in the world.
Next stop Iguassu Falls.