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Part 13: Back to Buenos
Aires
25th November 2003
The trip back from Iguazu to Buenos Aires was quite comfortable in Cama
Suite sleeping seats. Arrived in Buenos Aires around 9 am. First thing, I
bought a 8:00pm bus ticket for Puerto Madryn, near Peninsula Valdes
for the next day. Then straight way I headed for the Hostel
Inn Tango where I had advance
booking for two days.
In the early afternoon, after a short nap and lunch, I took a local bus to
upmarket Recolleta district of Buenos Aires not to do any
upmarket shopping or lazing around, but to see the most upmarket cemetery
of Argentina, every guidebook lists it as a must see.
Argentinas most famous and rich are buried here under spectacular tombs,
often in vulgar competition with each other vain human vanity. As I walked
through the lanes between the tombs in that high walled cemetery I could
not help to see the age old quest of man to seek immortality somehow, at
least symbolically although, here it is at a much much smaller scale than
Taj Mahal or or other grand tombs underlying motivation is all the same.
After taking few photographs, I got bored with this vulgar display of human
vanity and walked out of the cemetery.
Where to go now, I had no other plan for this afternoon decided to take a
long leisurely walk along Avenue Del Libertador towards Retiro watching
passing daily life in Buenos Aires actually, it is my favourite past time
anywhere occasionally trying to spot most extraordinary in the midst of
ordinary daily life.
It was a good walk, did not notice anything extraordinary though or may
have missed it, or may have seen it but did not recognise - I reached the
Plaza De San Martin near the center, as I was walking through the park I saw
four soldiers led by a lieutenant, dressed in ceremonial red tunic of
Spanish colonial uniforms marching down the stairs of the park they
were coming from the nearby Army headquarters. I followed them, sensing a
photo opportunity they led me to a memorial for soldiers fallen in
Falklands war, located at the side of the park it is a simple memorial with names of
the fallen soldiers inscribed on a marble wall and had an eternal flame and
flag post. The soldiers were there to lower the Argentine flag at sunset. I
took few photographs of the flag lowering, and the marching soldiers.
I strolled on to the Florida pedestrian mall, the fashionable main shopping
district in Buenos Aires. Soon I came across a street Tango show. Buenos
Aires is the birthplace of Tango dance, more precisely the San Telmo area,
where my hostel is located. A Tango show is a must see for anybody visiting
Buenos Aires. I am yet to go to any show, but luckily I just came across a
free street show. I joined the crowd to watch the show with my camera in
ready.
Tango is a fast moving erotic dance with lot of jerky movements and
entangled limbs there was a lady and her two male partners, each taking turn
to dance with her. One of them was an old elegant looking gentleman, he is a
very elegant dancer too holding the lady and moving so gracefully as if
she is a very fragile thing. I put my camera in multiple shot mode to
capture the delicate movements I am not sure how good the photos will
come, it was already dark and my built in flash is not that powerful.
Soon a smiling man appeared in front of me with an upturned hat stretched
towards me. He was blocking my view so I tried to
move to a side to continue taking pictures he moved too, blocking my view
again
after a few more futile attempts, I got the message I must pay some
PROPINA (tips) for
taking the photographs after all these guys are making a living.
As the show wound down, I went to check my emails and later had my dinner in
a Carbon Parilla restaurant (charcoal grill) and returned to my hostel.
26th November 2003
Did not do much today visited the Argentine Congresso (parliament)
building and the adjacent Plaza del Congresso and took few photographs.
Later developed some films, checked email, wrote some diary, took a haircut
and had lunch before returning to the hostel for a nap.
Took the 8:00pm bus for Puerto Madrin another 14-15 hour bus trip, this
time in a Semi Cama bus lets see how it goes, how well I sleep.
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