For the second time on my travels I have found myself in the middle of a general election - last time was in Sarawak, Borneo; but in a big country with a very chequered political history, this one seems rather more significant. We didn't experience much more of it than the fireworks, loud cheers, car horns and a band of drummers slowly marching through the barrios, but we got the impression that Buenos Aires was happy with the landslide victory that brought a second term of office to Christina Kirchner.

Christina came to power by default when the last president (her husband) died a few years ago. This seems to be a common theme in Argentina, with a similar death in 1974 producing the world's first female president. This high expectation of the president's wife probably started in the 1940s with the popularity of Eva Perón, though I must admit to being slightly baffled by the phenomena of Evita.

I didn't realise this, but Argentina was very much part of the British Empire until the economic crash at the end of the 1920s. At that point in time it was the 7th wealthiest country in the world, rivalling the USA; but unlike the rest of the developed world it has never really recovered, which baffles the Argentineans to this day. Maybe it is hope that causes them to cling to their icons.

So with a political backdrop, we have spent a couple of days exploring this huge city, with its wide avenues and its cheerful cafe bars giving it a very European feel. There were things that we had to do. We had to find the tomb of Eva Perón; partly because Recoleta Cemetery is a fascinating place, and partly because the authorities are uneasy about her body being there, so without any signs or clues it becomes a personal challenge to actually locate it.

Of course we had also to attend an evening of dinner and tango. We tried to avoid the more touristy ones and find a show ourselves. This wasn't easy, but we were reasonably successful, and were very impressed by the standard of both the musicians and the dancers. The footwork was incredible. That's it. You probably won't hear me comment on dance moves ever again!