Learning to Let Go, On the Go.
We spent our last full day in Buenos Aires at San Telmo market. Tango, arts and antiques have are what you find at San Telmo, the oldest barrio (neighborhood) in Buenos Aires. Cobblestone streets are lined with cafés, parillas, street performers and stunning colonial architecture. You could just feel the energy in the air. We found too many things that we wanted here.
As we headed out today, we were starting to feel like locals. Stopping to exchange dollars to pesos, stop at the bakery and 8 block walk to catch the subway and off we go…
We stopped at the local bakery to buy the most delicious croissant rolls on the way to the subway. Have I mentioned how scrumptious the croissants are here?
We walked around Casa Rosado, “The Pink House,” executive mansion and offices of the President of Argentina.
After a terrible lunch at TGIFridays(craving some food from home, but it just didn’t work out), we grabbed a taxi to the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, which is located between the city and Rio de La Plata. It started as a magnificent promenade where the people of BA could come to bathe. It lost favour as the water quality in the river deteriorated and swimming fell out of fashion. Landfill and reclamation separated the promenade from the riverbank and subsequent silting gave nature a chance to flourish. The area became a protected reserve in 1986. We had a great afternoon here. Kane loved climbing trees and Kat loved looking at the rocks on the beach.
We ended our day at a Tango Show at Cafe Tortoni(originally opened in 1858 by a French immigrant as a coffeehouse, moved to this location in 1880). This was in Kane’s Top 5 List for Buenos Aires.
You would think after 2 days of steaks, we would be ready for a change. Nope! Headed to our favorite lunch bargain, Parrilla al Carbon, followed by a visit to La Boca.
La Boca is right by the mouth of the river (Boca, in fact, means mouth) and the houses are vividly colored. Historically, the area has been a poorer pocket of BA, and the houses were colored with paint leftover from painting the hulls of the ships that docked here.
Kane was excited to buy a Argentine National Team Jersey in La Boca. We visited La Boca Futbol Stadium and grabbed a taxi to Puerto Madryn.
Walking along the river with the brick warehouse that have been converted into restaurants, stores and offices, made me feel like I was in another city. It is so beautiful!
That night we had dinner in Palermo at Siamo Forno after waiting outside for 15 minutes for it to open at 8pm(Our kids are used to going to bed at 8:30pm, so it is a little challenging having dinner at 8pm). Unfortunately, the pizza was not filling, so we ended up McDonalds for a snack on the way back to our B&B. 🙂
We started our Day 2 with an early lunch at Kentucky Pizza, followed by a visit to the Palermo Botanical Gardens. It was wonderful to walk around in a lush place full of trees, plants and flowers. Kat was so excited when we saw a Magnolia tree. We had one in our backyard in Clayton. We were so surprised to see so many cats wondering the gardens.
We caught a taxi to Recoleta Cementary. It is the famous cemetery in Buenos Aires where many Presidents, Politicians, Nobel Prize Winners, the granddaughter of Napoleon, Eva Peron and many other rich and famous people are buried. It is listed as one of top 10 most beautiful cemetaries in the world. Massive rows of stunning, ornate mausoleums that tower over you. Each mausoleum belongs to one family and multiple generations are buried there. Some of the mausoleums are unkempt and falling apart, some new. The place is a history lesson of Argentina in itself. Wish I would have known more history about Argentina.
After the cementary, we headed across the parking lot to a gigantic tree that Kane spotted and wanted to climb. It was an awesome climbing tree with its long branches. Our kids love to climb!
Followed by coffee and snacks at La Biel.
That night we had one the best steak dinners at Don Julio in Palermo. It was a favorite dinner spot for us. We had dinner here 2 more times.
Buenos Aires is more than we ever imagined! 5 days flew by for us(this is first night and Day 1). We left our apartment in Cusco at 6:30a.m. on Tuesday and arrived in Buenos Aires at 5pm(It is about 1600 miles if we would have drove it-took the easy, quick route and flew). We were blessed that Kat was feeling better. She got sick Saturday night after we got back from the Amazon(fever, nausea, and vomiting).
Took a $40(yes, that is US Dollars, were definitely not in Peru anymore) taxi ride to Palermo Viejo Bed and Breakfast(our new home for BA). We had no idea that during the work week days, the population of BA goes up to 12 million, but weekends it is 3 million. After, we got checked in, we found out that most restaurants don’t start serving dinner till 7:30 or 8pm(8-8:30pm is bedtime for our kids). We headed out around 7:30 and walked to Calden del Soho. This was the start of our 5 day steak fest! 🙂 Oh my goodness, the steak here is Incredible! We have to say, we think the steak in Argentina is some of the best steak we have ever eaten.
We started our first full day in Buenos Aires with a tour through Buenos Aires Local Tours(it is free, they work for tips). Our tour guide, Ceri, was knowledgeable and engaging. We started at Plaza Italia in Palermo, took the bus, learned where Tango started, rode the subway, visited Congressional Plaza, widest avenue in the world(9 de Julio Avenue which honors Argentina’s Independence Day-it has 14 lanes), Plaza de Mayo, Metropolitan Cathedral, Casa Rosada(presidential palace), then finished off tour at lunch at Parilla al Carbon(on Chacabuco) a $3.70 steak. Great way to get a feel for Buenos Aires! Kane and Kat both enjoyed the tour which was wonderful.
Throughout Argentina, you will find red shrines on the side of the road with red flags flying around them. These are shrines to Gaucho Gil. Although Gaucho Gil is not an official saint in the church, he is revered throughout the country of Argentina and is a “defacto saint”.
Although there are many unknowns about Gaucho, his full name was Antonio Mamerto Gil Nuñez. He is affectionately known as Gauchito Gil, and was born in the 1840’s. He died January 8, 1878.
Gaucho was a deserter of the military who evaded capture for quite some time. During that time, he was a sort of “Robin Hood” figure, robbing from the rich and giving to the poor.
When he was eventually captured and sentenced to death, he was hung upside down from a tree. As the executioner was preparing to behead him, Gaucho said, “Don’t kill me – my pardon is coming. If you do kill me, your son will be stricken with a deadly illness, and the only way to save him will be to give my body a proper burial.”
As expected, the executioner proceeded with his task and, when he arrived home, discovered that his son was deathly ill. He returned to the site of the execution and buried Gaucho’s body. His son was miraculously cured and a legend was born.
Now, Argentineans have built shrines throughout the country to venerate the memory of Gaucho Gil. They pray to Guacho Gill, to solve their problems and grant their prayers. We saw many of these driving to Aconcagua.
Kids by “The Thinker” statue, only the third of eight original casts.
Mausoleum of General San Martin. Guarded by 3 life size female figures representing Chile, Argentina, Chile and Peru. He led the movement to liberate these countries from Spain.
We ended our first day at Abasco Mall at Neverland. Neverland is a kids paradise and is a cross between Chucky Cheese and a small amusement park. Our kids had a blast!
Afterwards, we decided to have dessert before dinner. Freddos!
