Gringo for a week

(Heyo, this blog was originally going to go up last Sunday, October 29th, but I wasn't able to upload all the pictures.  I have a new blog about life in Cholila I will post tomorrow...ish).

The past week (my last week) in Buenos Aires I had been busy doing tons of touristy things that I have been putting off.  It was a really great time and my trips to Tigre and the ecological reserve really gave me a nice breath of fresh air from this bustling city. Although I usually cringe when I'm surrounded by tourists and doing tourist things, I decided that since I was in Buenos Aires, I might as well see some of the commons sights, as well as a few places a bit off the tourist trail.  Enjoy.


On Monday I attempted to go to Tigre, a small distant suburb of Buenos Aires with a developed and touristy waterfront and history with rowing clubs.  The fastest and cheapest way to get there is by train, which I attempted to do.  I failed miserably.  All in all, I took one taxi, two trains, two buses and one subway.  After all this, I found myself in tourist central with my camera so I got to work. 

As I came out of the subway, an incoming protest had cleared the streets for this shot.

Casa Rosada (Equivalent to the White House)

Plaza De Mayo, a place with some historical significance pertaining to Argentina's independence and the frustratingly unsymmetrical workplace of the president

"Always with the mothers." 

                                               Puerto Madero, a place where the locals and tourists can stroll along                                                the water away from the sounds and smells of nearby downtown.

Tourist trap boats

Some point in time, England decided to give Argentina a clock tower.  The locals call it Big Ben.

A uninteresting picture of the widest avenue in the world....not a fun street to cross.

The following Tuesday I took a trip to Buenos Aires' very own ecological reserve. In the middle of the 20th century,  there was a island of trash built up as part of some massive public works undertaking. Years after years of political turmoil, native species began to spring up and take over this pile of trash.  Recently it was designated a protected park of the city closed to motorized traffic. 

The city's newer skyscrapers end abruptly at one end of the reserve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A half finished hut I found to study Spanish in.

The view of grasslands

The whole place was peaceful, quiet and deserted

The entire coastline was frustratingly covered in this stuff

Although  impossible to photograph, there were flocks of these amazing colorful birds

 I did eventurally make it to Tigre on Thursday in the afternoon.  Normally I would be volunteering a good portion of the day at my community center, but I put in an extra 5 hours the day prior to get some time off.  I managed to spend only 15 pesos (~4 dollars) on the entire trip, quite a feat for an area prone to tourist prices.  With my frugality I still managed a museum and a little food on top of the train to and fro.

One of the still functioning rowing clubs (the boats in the water are from a separate tourist operation)

The walkway by the river on a perfect sunny day!

The maritime museum.  A mix of enormous and intricate models of ships of times past and antique treasures and gear salvaged from wrecks and the like

Anyone up for a little rowing? Dad?

In warehouse-style ad on there were an array of mines, submarines torpedo and much more.   Nothing seemed to be organized in a particular way, but almost everything had a small little. 

Well, my week of tourist stuff in Buenos Aires.  Although it was only a week and a half ago, Buenos Aires already feels a month away as I'm writing this.  Life is tranquil and relaxed here in the country and expect another blog post within a day or two!