Buenos
Aires, Argentina
I arrived in Argentina yesterday and it has been a delightful couple of days. The second largest country in South America and the eighth largest in the world, Argentina has much to offer the wanderlust traveler that I am, and my few days in Buenos Aires is just a tiny taste...enough to pull me back for more. This capital city is found on the banks of the Rio de la Plata, the world's widest river, and has a cosmopolitan European flavor to it. Since many of its residents are of Italian origin and the similarities between Spanish and Italian are plentiful, I have been able to understand bits and pieces of dialogue when spoken to and felt right at home this afternoon sipping a strong espresso and watching shoppers go by.
The weather could not have been more welcoming today and seeing the sights under a blue sky and sunshine made the outing all that more agreeable. The main street of the city (AV. 9 DE JULIO) is a very wide boulevard...spacious and impressive to look at, but requiring vigilance when crossing as the drivers here very much resemble their Italian counterparts...that is to say...when is a red light really red?? One can see the French and Italian influence in the architectural design of the major buildings; the Opera House, for example, one of the most splendid buildings in the city, was designed by an Italian. And of course, one must mention la Casa Rosada (the “Pink Palace”), equivalent to the American White House, where the current president travels to daily by helicopter, and where Evita delivered her famous speech standing on the balcony. (One might also recall seeing Madonna sing “Don't Cry for Me Argentina” while standing on the very same balcony; the only part of the movie filmed in Buenos Aires as there was a bit of controversy here over her playing the part of such a beloved and, yes, also hated, woman in Argentinian history.
Like
any big city, Buenos Aires has had its share of social, political,
and economic upheavals, but wherever one is in the city, one feels a
pulse..whether in the squalor of the shantytown, the urban
sophistication of the port area (Puerto Madero), or the quiet
elegance of the Recoleta where the international embassies are found.
One
cannot visit Buenos Aires without going to see “Tango” performed
by professionals. Tonight's show was thrilling- the turns, the
twists, the kicks, the speed, and the costumes– sensual, sexy,
sometimes mind-boggling, and oozing with Latin passion...a great way
to warm the blood. Picture-taking was not allowed so let your
imagination create your photo.
The Famous Balcony
La Casa Rosada
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