City Sightseeing

This has been a pretty laid back trip so far.  We haven't been rushed.  We haven't had to keep up with a group (Jenesa and I have been flying solo so far!).  And, we haven't been mugged yet!  We're doing a lot of sightseeing and soaking up the culture in these Latin American countries.

This morning we toured the city with our local guide.  We started in the "colorful" La Boca district, site of the city's first port.  Artists, outdoor cafes, and souvenir shops populate this unique area of the city.

Buenos Aires is a bookworm's city: cozy cafe's for snuggling up with a novel on every corner and many bargain bookshops around town.  The city is also home to one of the most beautiful (and unique) bookstores in the world!  We visited El Ateneo Grand Splendid - one of the biggest bookstores in South America and certainly the most luxurious. Located in the ritzy Recoleta neighborhood, El Ateneo originally housed the theater Teatro Grand Splendid in 1919.  The stage is now a cafe, and the box seats are reserved for anyone wishing to spend some time delving into books.

 

The Recoleta Cemetery is most famous for being the burial ground of Evita Peron, but it actually holds many famous military leaders, presidents, scientists, poets and other important or wealthy Argentineans.  The cemetery is laid out like a well planned city.  Neat city blocks with 90 degree corners are well kept and covered in stone and concrete.  There are street names on every corner, and even a town center which contains most of the plant life of the cemetery.  Each (above ground) mausoleum represents a different style of architecture from Greek temples and pyramids to fairy tale like castles.

At the Plaza de mayo, we saw La Casa Rosada (the President's pink house).  In the 1996 movie, Evita, starring Madonna as Eva Peron...they received permission to use the balcony of this executive mansion to film the scene where Evita and her husband great the public for the first time after winning the election.  You can see the balcony to the left of the white monument in the picture above.  

And, finally.....a tricked-out, chrome Argentine school bus!  Several were parked around the Plaza dropping students off for a visit to the park and museums.