Buenos Aires - Day 1

Wednesday, February 20

Weather: 94º, Sunny

I have a confession to make. Each night during this trip I faithfully wrote a blog post. Even when my eyelids were so heavy I struggled to see what I was writing, I recorded the days events along with my thoughts and feelings. That is...until this day. I hit the wall and not a word was recorded while we were in Buenos Aires. So for that...I'm sorry.

I have a folder full of photos that can help jog my memory, but it isn't the same as writing it down while things are fresh in my mind. So now six weeks later as I write...here is our day in Buenos Aires...and mostly in photos.

The four of us were joining eight others from Cruise Critic for an all day city tour of Buenos Aires with Patagonia Shorex. Our group met in the Ocean Bar and then left the ship together. Once outside there was a bit of chaos. Much construction was going on around the port which made things very congested for vehicles to get in and out but eventually our minibus arrived and we were off.

The majority of the day was spent driving with our wonderful guide (whose name I can't remember 😕) pointing out landmarks and sharing an incredible amount of facts. I don't think I've ever had a tour guide that provided so much information. A few times during the day we would stop and have time to explore an area on foot.

Floralis Generica is a steel and aluminum sculpture that was created in 2002. The petals of the flower are designed to open each morning and close each day at sunset. Our stop here was brief...just long enough to snap a couple of photos.

All during our visit in South America people were commenting on how unusually hot the weather was. Here is one guy's solution to the heat!

A stop at the Rose Garden (Paseo El Rosedal) gave us a chance to walk the paths among the beautiful flowers. Over 1,000 different species of roses are in the garden.

The guide mentioned something about a legend that said walking across the bridge backwards would bring you love. We didn't hear the explanation totally, but our friend, Linda from Australia, decided she would give it a try.

Professional dog walkers were seen frequently on our tour.

This monument to Eva Peron (Evita) sits on the location of her former home. 

This large banyan tree sits in a park near the Recoleta Cemetary.

Many of the branches are supported by poles, but the strength of Atlas was needed for this limb!

Next to the park was the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, the 2nd oldest church in Buenos Aires.

Inside the Basilica

Entrance to Recoleta Cemetary...our next stop.

A very old grave. The wife of General San Martin.

Looking through the door of one of the mausoleums. Some were very ornate with marble and gold, others more humble.

Eva Peron's burial site...with her family.

Many memorials had been left on the door to the mausoleum.

The graves here were much more elaborate than those we had seen at the cemetery in Castro at the beginning of our trip.

Located in the Recoleta neighborhood is the El Ateneo bookstore. Not your usual bookstore, this one is inside a 100 year old theater. The theater was converted to the bookstore in 2000 and just this year was named the "most beautiful bookstore in the world" by National Geographic. 

The stage of the theater is now a restaurant.

Close up details.

Painted ceiling.

Traffic in the city was crazy. I was glad I wasn't driving.

Not wanting to spend a lot of time eating, our group had requested a quick stop for lunch. We were dropped off at this shopping center and had an hour to eat or shop.

The four of us went to the food court where we had a choice of several eating establishments. Bob and I chose an empenada stand and we each got their special...three empenadas and a drink for $140 Argentina pesos. Our credit card charge was $7.13. With so many choices, it was hard to choose which kind of empenadas to order!

The empenadas were stamped with a brand to identify which type it was.

The Ministry of Health Building with a 10-story image of Evita. The building sits in the middle of the world's widest boulevard (Avenida Nueve de Julio) because it was too large to demolish when the avenue was widened in the 1960's. Eva Peron (known as Evita) was the wife of President Juan Peron. Evita was one of the most controversial and influential women in the Western world...loved by many and hated by others. She died from cancer at the age of 33, but her presence is still felt in Buenos Aires and all over the country of Argentina.

The Colon Theater (Teatro Colon) is on of the most prestigious opera houses in the world

Our next stop on the tour was the Plaza de Mayo. The white obelisk, the May Pyramid, commemorates the first anniversary of the country's independence from Spain. The plaza is surrounded by many notable buildings, including Casa Rosada in the background which is the executive mansion and office of the President of Argentina.

Every Thursday afternoon since 1977, women wearing white headscarves have come to the plaza to demonstrate against the disappearance of their children during Argentina’s dictatorship years. The white scarves on the sidewalk depict those worn by the "Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo" and symbolize the diapers worn by their lost and "disappeared" children.

Casa Rosada...the executive mansion and office of the president of Argentina.

This is the balcony where Evita made her famous speech.

On one side of the plaza was the Buenos Aires Cabildo. Formerly it was the seat of the town council during the colonial era...today the building is used as a museum.

A homeless family living in the entryway of the previous building.

On the north side of the plaza is the Metropolitan Cathedral.

Inside the cathedral.

Mosaic floor in the cathedral.

The remains of General Jose de San Martin are in a mausoleum inside the cathedral. The mausoleum also has the remains of generals Juan Gregorio de las Heras and Tomas Guido, and those of the Unknown Soldier of Independence.

Two military guards stand watch at the entrance of the mausoleum.

I was in awe of these guards. It was so incredibly hot inside the church and yet they stood at attention in their heavy uniforms...complete with gloves! 

The door to the cathedral.

Our last stop of the tour was at the La Boca neighborhood, best known among sport fans as the home of the soccer team, Boca Juniors.

La Boca is a popular tourist destination with its colorful houses and pedestrian street, the Caminito. 

It was hard to enjoy our time in La Boca due to the heat until we stopped and bought strawberry frozen fruit bars. I don't think I've ever had anything that tasted so good! 

This couple was dancing the tango at one of the outdoor cafes.

Back on the ship, it was time to say goodbye to our wonderful room steward, Deni. 

We didn't make it to dinner in the dining room, but we took time to stop by later in the evening to say goodbye and give tips to our waiters, Bambang and Zulfin.

Cruise director, Bruce, introducing the last show of the cruise...Pampas Devils Gauchos. The traditional South American gaucho show included Argentinean tango, bolas and tap dancing. 

The Zaandam was staying in port overnight and we would be disembarking in the morning. Also docked in Buenos Aires that day were two MSC ships...the Poesia and the Orchestra. We found out later that these two ships had collided during the day!

Goodnight Buenos Aires.