Puerto Madryn to La Plata to Buenos Aires, Argentina 9 - 12 March 2006

Dancing tango in the streets

Later we came across a couple dancing tango in the Florida pedestrian street as we walked towards Galerías Pacífico – an impressive shopping centre with murals by famous artists. We had arranged for a ‘remise’ (long distance taxi) to pick us up at a hotel near the Galerías Pacífico for the return trip to San Fernando. We were lucky that the remise turned up as the hotel had changed names since our guide book had been published. We got stuck in Friday night traffic on our way out of the city and it was getting late by the time we got to the Horseys’ house. They were keen to hear about our adventures since we had last seen them at Sven von Appen’s house in Chile a month ago. Vast quantities of good Argentinean wine were consumed over dinner while we told our tales and we all felt a little the worse for wear the morning after!

11 March. We spent the afternoon and early evening in La Boca, the most colourful barrio of Buenos Aires. They played tango music at the bars in the streets of La Boca and Angela got to try out her dancing skills with the local talent, of varying ages. It was fun until, due to some bad timing, she and her young partner ended up kicking each other in the leg! After that it was a relief to watch the professionals at the best tango show in town: ‘Señor Tango’.

12 March. Storm gave us a tour of San Isidro in the morning and, after lunch with the Horseys at a local restaurant, we took a remise into barrio Recoleta. We visited the Museu Nacional de Bellas Artes and then hopped over the road to the Sunday crafts fair on Plaza Intendente Alvear. We rounded up our sightseeing for the day at Recoleta Cemetery. This is the final resting place of the wealthy and powerful porteños, and Evita Duarte had the honour of being buried there.
By coincidence, our Argentinean friend Carlos Hojvat who lives in Chicago happened to be visiting Buenos Aires and had just arrived that afternoon at his hotel in Recoleta. We joined him for a drink before heading back to San Isidro to spend our last evening with Storm and William.

Thanks:

Carlos and Hilda CHRISTIANSEN

William and Storm HORSEY