So you know how I said yesterday that I loved airports. That wasn’t smart. That was sort of tempting fate, and of course as fate would have it they couldn’t find a cleaning crew for our plane. So a 7 hour layover turned into an almost 9 hour layover. I think around hour 8 I stopped loving airports.
The flight itself was easy. Just over 10 hours and I watched a couple of movies and dozed for about 5 hours. Pretty non-descript aside from being quite tired at the end. Which made the fact that there was a person from Lindblad waiting with a sign and a bus. I’m so used to getting off of planes in foreign counties and having to fend for myself that it was a huge treat to not have to think or translate using a half functioning brain. So I just sat back and enjoyed the heat, all 30degrees of it!
Once we arrived at the hotel I had all of 30 minutes to make myself presentable before boarding our bus for the afternoon tour. The 4 hour bus/walking tour took us to three main areas around Buenos Aires.
First stop was the Casa Rosada, current home of the prime minister when she’s in town, but better known for Eva Peron and her famous balcony speech. For those of you that don’t remember Andrew Lloyd Webber’s play Evita, or Madonna's movie version of it, Eva Peron was an Argentinian women who came from a lower socio-economic background and married a man who became the president allowing her to become a voice for the people… however politically complicated that became. Oh and the building is not painted pink because a women is currently the president… I actually found out that it’s because houses in the country are painted with animal blood and then white washed, which ultimately gives it that pink color. I didn’t find out the why to the animal blood, just that it was animal’s blood.
The flight itself was easy. Just over 10 hours and I watched a couple of movies and dozed for about 5 hours. Pretty non-descript aside from being quite tired at the end. Which made the fact that there was a person from Lindblad waiting with a sign and a bus. I’m so used to getting off of planes in foreign counties and having to fend for myself that it was a huge treat to not have to think or translate using a half functioning brain. So I just sat back and enjoyed the heat, all 30degrees of it!
Once we arrived at the hotel I had all of 30 minutes to make myself presentable before boarding our bus for the afternoon tour. The 4 hour bus/walking tour took us to three main areas around Buenos Aires.
First stop was the Casa Rosada, current home of the prime minister when she’s in town, but better known for Eva Peron and her famous balcony speech. For those of you that don’t remember Andrew Lloyd Webber’s play Evita, or Madonna's movie version of it, Eva Peron was an Argentinian women who came from a lower socio-economic background and married a man who became the president allowing her to become a voice for the people… however politically complicated that became. Oh and the building is not painted pink because a women is currently the president… I actually found out that it’s because houses in the country are painted with animal blood and then white washed, which ultimately gives it that pink color. I didn’t find out the why to the animal blood, just that it was animal’s blood.
May Square in the foreground and Casa Rosada in the background
Eva Peron on the side of a building
Stop two wasn’t nearly long enough! La Boca district was this quirky, colorful, energetic area with a definite Bohemian flair. I could have spent a full afternoon sitting at one of the sidewalk cafes watching the tango dancers and the tourist wandering their way down the carless streets.
La Boca District
Our final stop of the day was at a cemetery, which was actually quite fascinating. Without being creepy, the architecture in the old crypts was actually quite impressive and again I found myself wanting more time to explore.
After a reception hosted by Lindblad and announcements about our plans for tomorrow, Nichole, Miriam, Nina and I had just enough energy to go out for the first of many spectacular meals that are going to be my reality for the next couple of weeks. I’m not sure if my eyelids are heavy right now because I’m in a food coma or because I haven’t had a solid nights sleep in a couple of days. Regardless…it’s time for me to go to bed… I have a 4:30am alarm tomorrow (and it’s 10:45pm right now).
Random fact for the day: Buenos Ares has the second largest Jewish population after NYC and thus has a Kosher McDonald’s!
Random fact for the day: Buenos Ares has the second largest Jewish population after NYC and thus has a Kosher McDonald’s!
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