City Tour of Buenos Aires

Earlier today we took a half-day city tour of B.A. by bus. We started around 10:00 am near the hotel at the end of Florida St. (we´re staying at the Howard Johnson Plaza Florida).

The first place we passed by is referred to as the "Big Ben" Tower. This was given by England to Argentina in commemoration of their independence from Spain. Nearby is San Martin Square named after the famed Argentinian general.

The north area of the city is more spacious, green, and features more of the city's cultural sites. The two major districts are Palermo and Recoleta. Palermo is one of the more affluent areas of the city. We drove by Park Carlos Thays, a classical building in the Roman style that is part of U.B.A. (University of Buenos Aires), and a mechanical flower monument that is one of the largest in the world. Nearby is the museum in Palermo, the Japanese Gardens, Planetarium, Rose Garden, zoo, and Botanical Gardens.

Then we drove through the Recoleta where we passed by the church and cemetary. We stopped in the Recoleta. There are some large trees with twisted trunks (don't know what they're called). Diana and I walked through a small crafts fair near the Cultural Center. There are some photographic shots from there.

We then drove by some of the embassies. On the ride to the center of the city, our tour guide explained that B.A. was founded in 1536 by Mendoza. We drove down the widest avenue in the world: Julio Nueve. It's 144 meters wide.

Nearby is the Teatro Colon where we were last night for the opera. It was built in 1906 and houses about 3500 people. There's also the prominent La Bandera monument (the Obelisk) built in 1936. Nearby is Correntas Ave, where there are many theatres and restaurants.

June 9th is Argentina's independence day. As she was talking about this, we stopped in Plaza de Mayo. This is where there are government buildings, churches, etc. Very historical spot. The Pink House is where the president lives. This is where Evita Peron spoke to the people (from a low balcony). There´s also the Cathedral Metropolitana, a large church where General San Martin (the liberator of Chile and Peru) is buried. There was a Sunday mass going on inside.

Then, we drove passed San Telmo, Evita Peron square, and a Russian Orthodox church. Then we stopped at a Soccer Stadium. We paid 5 pesos each to go inside. Took some photos. A game was just getting under way.

The guide explained that San Telmo used to be where the high society lived until 1870 when there was a Yellow Fever epidemic. They then moved to Palermo.

Finally, we stopped in the La Boca district. This is the poorest area of the city, but certainly the liveliest and most colorful. All of these dwellings and shops, on Caminito Street, were painted in such bright colors. We drove around and saw some of the poverty in that area. While this was sad to see, Diana and I both thought La Boca was the most authentic area we had seen so far.

Enroute back to Florida Street, we passed by the river and the newest neighborhood of the city: Puerto Madero. This is where there are many fine shops and restaurants.

In the afternoon, we ate on a restaurant on Florida St. Then we returned to the hotel for our daily siesta! At night, we ate at the nearby Marriot Hotel. Had a nice buffet topped off with sumptious Torta de Manzana for dessert.

Well, so much for now. We head off to Punta del Este tomorrow. Hopefully will get a chance to blog from there. For now, good night.