Buenos Aires

Day 1: As the continuation of my Gate 1 tour of Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, we flew via Lan Chile Airlines early in the afternoon from Iguazu, Argentina, to Buenos Aires. We arrived in time for dinner. We would have only Silve for a tour guide as she is from Argentina. Photo: The 12–lane Avenida 9 de Julio in the early evening.

Changing money to Argentine pesos: You do this on what is called the black market or sometimes as the blue market, which is that you pay for items in American dollars or other currency and you get back pesos as change. Almost all merchants will accept foreign currency, though there are still some that will want you to pay in pesos and then you need to use an ATM. The exchange rate of Argentine pesos to U.S. currency is about 1 peso to 0.11 U.S. cents, so 10 pesos to U.S. $1.11, an easy rate to remember if you keep it at 10 pesos to U.S. $1.00.

Buenos Aires

Day 2: The street that our hotel, the Novotel Buenos Aires, was on, with The Obelisk at the end of street on Avenida 9 de Julio.

La Cathedral Metropolitana

Our first stop of the day was at the Plaza de Mayo, the main plaza in central Buenos Aires, where the La Cathedral Metropolitana is located. It is the mother church of the archdiocese of Buenos Aires, consecrated in 1836. This was Archbishop Jorge Bario Bergoglio’s church before he became Pope Francis.s

La Cathedral Metropolitana–MOVIE

Inside La Cathedral Metropolitana. The movie is a bit shaky as I was walking while taking it.

Plaza de Mayo

Since 1977, this has been the park of the Mothers of the Plaza Mayo, an association of Argentine mothers whose children disappeared during the Dirty War of the military dictatorship between 1976 and 1983. Many protest banners are put up here and many of the banners are memorials to the soldiers who died during the Falkans War between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982.

Plaza de Mayo

In the background, the Casa Rosada, also called the Pink House. It is the executive mansion and office of the President of Argentina, now Christiana Fernandez de Kirchner. In the foreground, is the Piramide de Mayo.

I have put my photos of Plaza de Mayo on a slideshow. Go to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/buenos–aires–plaza–de–mayo/

(Slide Shows, South America, Argentina, “Buenos Aires: Plaza de Mayo”).

La Boca

Our next stop was at La Boca, a delightful whimsical tourist place with colorful buildings, many statues, murals, and souvenir shops.

La Boca

Many artists display their work for sale here.

I have put my photos of La Boca on a slideshow. Go to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/buenos–aires–la–boca/

(Slide Shows, South America, Argentina, “Buenos Aires: La Boca”).

La Recoleta Cemetery

Our third stop was at La Recoleta Cemetery where Argentina’s elite are buried. There are over 6,400 tombs here and they are placed on “streets.”

Duarte Family Tomb

The tomb that most people come to the cemetery to see is that of the Duarte family in which Eva Peron is buried.

Eva Peron

One of a number of plaques to Eva Peron on the tomb.

I have put my photos of La Recoleta Cemetery on a slide show. Go to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/buenos–aires–la–recoleta–cemetery/

(Slide Shows, South America, Argentina, “Buenos Aires: La Recoleta Cemetery”).

Driving Around Buenos Aires

We saw a lot of Buenos Aires when driving from place to place and we also drove by places of interest. There are many old buildings in Buenos Aires, which gives the city an European flavor. Photo: This building is the Palace of the Argentine National Congress, constructed between 1898 and 1906.

Driving Around Buenos Aires

A modern sculpture, the Floralis Generica, 2002, made of steel and aluminum to resemble a flower.

Driving Around Buenos Aires

There were whimsical street sculptures such as this one.

Driving Around Buenos Aires

Also, more serious ones such as the Monumento a Eva Peron, 1999.

I have put my photos of our drive around Buenos Aires on a slide show. Go to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/driving–around–buenos–aires/

(Slide Shows, South America, Argentina, “Buenos Aires: Driving Around”).

Tango Lesson

A tango lesson was offered at our hotel this afternoon to my tour group. They are practicing basic steps in this photo.

Tango Lesson

Here they are standing at attention with one of the instructors in the front.

Tango Lesson–MOVIE

A movie of our group doing the tango. They were asked to change partners, so husbands and wives, etc., had new partners.

Tango Instructors–MOVIE

The instructors showing how the tango is danced.

Buenos Aires at Night

After the tango lesson, there was an optional dinner and tango show. It was dark when we left our hotel.

Buenos Aires at Night

Another night scene on our way to the tango show.

Tango Restaurant

The restaurant where we would both eat dinner and watch a tango show.

Tango Restaurant

On the wall was a picture of tango legend Carlos Gardel.

Tango Restaurant

Stained glass tango dancers.

Tango Restaurant

I had an Argentine steak for dinner but it was only so–so, and the reason for that could be that it came from a cow that was not fed a strictly grass diet. In 2006, the Argentine government wanted to reduce the cost of beef for domestic eaters, so they banned beef exports for 180 days and also imposed a 15% tax on exported beef. The domestic price did go down but the farmers and ranchers started cutting down on their herds and replacing the fields of grass that the cows feasted on with soybeans, a more profitable venture. Also, they were letting only young cows feast on grass and then they were fed from feed lots. Very little Argentine beef is now exported.

Tango Dancers

Photo taken during the tango show.

Tango Dancers

Also taken during the tango show.

Tango Dancers-1–MOVIE

A movie of the tango dancers in the show.

Tango Dancers-2–MOVIE

Another movie of the tango dancers in the show.

Tango Dancers-3–MOVIE

One more.

Rain

It was raining heavily when we exited the tango restaurant.

Rain

The colorful rain.