Buenos Aires, Argentina 16 January 2013

Wednesday, 16 January 2013

I had some trouble with the internet and had to request that the router be recycled.  I still did not have very good connectivity, but when I saw that I had no e-mail from either Marla or Herman, I went down for breakfast.  I wound up eating with the folks from South Africa transplanted to Texas.  I waited in the lobby for the bus for the Tigres tour.  It didn’t arrive until close to 10:00, but I have to remember that we are in Argentina and 9:30 does not mean 9:30, but in that vicinity.  There were probably 15 people from my tour on the bus.  People who were not willing to go on the tour for $63 were interested in going when told the price was $30, which on the bus turned out to be $29. 

 

We went to San Isidor first, which is effectively a bedroom community to Buenos Aires. 

This is a residential area with mostly private houses unlike most of Buenos Aires where people live in apartments.  Some of the houses were exquisite and some were just nice.  We stopped in a shopping arcade where they had craft shops.  I found a sweater for Hermie and two sweaters for my twins.  I also found a chotchky for my shelf.  We loaded back on the bus and headed for the delta.  These are islands formed by the mud brought down by a river.  It is probably like Breezy Point in that it started out as summer colony and people decided to live there full time.  There is a train station which will transport one to downtown Buenos Aires.  They have a boat supermarket, which charges about 15% more than stores on land.  There are police boats and ambulance boats.  Rowing is a big thing and there are several clubs that compete.  There are two hospitals in the delta for people who can’t quickly be taken to hospitals on land.  The delta is formed by Rio Capitan.  

Craft Market in San Isidro

Craft Market in San Isidro

Spire of Cathedral in San Isidro

San Isidro

Housing In San Isidro

More upscale Housing in San Isidro

Club in Tigres

Pier in Tigres Delta

Housing in the Delta

Rowing on the river

Tigres Delta

Housing in Tigres Delta

On the Ship

Housing in the Delta

Upscale housing in the Delta

Housing in the Delta

Supermarket Ship

Description

Original Housing in the Delta

Enjoying the water

Garbage Collection

Leaving the Delta, there is a playground

The Delta Police

The ship and people getting off

A municpal building in Tigres

I asked to be dropped at Avenida Santa Fe which enabled me to leave my purchases in my room before heading out to the Jewish Museum.  I headed over, but had to return to the hotel as they would not let me in without my passport.  They showed the start of a video tape about the first Jewish settlers who arrived in 1889.  They were supposed to be farmers and some probably were.  Most were anxious to escape the pograms in Russia and Poland.  Sephardic Jews from Morrocco and other Middle Eastern countries followed.  There are still Sephardic synagogues in Buenos Aires.  I was given various estimates of the Jewish population.  The highest was 300,000 and the lowest was 180,000.  At the synagogue, I got an estimate of about 250,000.  Apparently there is a high intermarriage rate.  Chabad has arrived! I took some pictures of the interior of the synagogue.  I walked back to my hotel to return my passport to the safe.  After resting a while, I headed over to the pedestrian mall on Florida.  I was hoping to find the wallet I saw at the ranch, but none of the stores had it.  I then walked back to the hotel, rested a while and then headed to the same restaurant.  I decided to have ice cream and Malbeck wine.  The South African group came in and later Susan and Delores joined me at my table.  We gossiped for a while and then I headed back to the hotel.  My stomach is acting up.  It is time for another immodium. 

 Isreali Temple

Ark in Isreali Temple

Memorial Placks

Looking to the back of the Synagogue

Stained glass windows

Stained glass windows



Avenido 9 del Julio

 Florida - A Shopping area

Along Avendia 9 de Julio

I put in a wake-up call for 5:00 am and now am going to sleep!

Buenos Aires, Argentina 15 January 2013

Tuesday, 15 January 2013

Because I was so tired last night, I had to upload my pictures this morning.  When I went to check my e-mail, I discovered that I didn’t have the internet connection.  I called the desk and asked them to recycle the router and all worked.  I then went down to breakfast.  There was no rush since we were leaving at 10:00 am for Estancia Santa Susanna.  The drive was about an hour and half as advertised, but we did stop midway at a gas station that had a shop.  I was hoping to find something for Hermie, but no luck.  I did see a poncho, that I liked but it had orange and I don’t buy things with orange.  We arrived at the ranch and we were served empanadas with wine or juice.  I stuck with the wine.  I took the carriage ride which wasn’t very exciting, but I did enjoy it.  I had elected not to go horseback riding.  I then went to see the original ranch house which was interesting.  I had Victorian era type furniture and decorations.  Next I hit the gift shop, but their prices were ridiculous.  They wanted $20 for some books.  I probably would have bought one or two at $10.  I saw a wallet that I would have liked, but NOT $80 worth.  There was nothing there that I could buy for Hermie, which was disappointing.  If all else fails, I’ll probably buy him some t shirts in Brazil.  

Estancia Santa Susana

Carriage Ride

Horses on the Pampas

Note coins on the belt - This is how gauchos used to store their money

People off for horeseback ride

Tango Dancing

Folk Dancing

 Horses

Trying for the silver ring

Trying for the silver ring

Trying for the silver ring

Riders who tried to get the rings

 Avenida 9 July - Widest bouelvard in the world - 10 lanes in each direction

Lunch was served.  There was a lot, but I was not impressed with the quality.  There were some salads, beef sausage, blood sausage (which I didn’t touch), steak and a pastry for desert.  You could have all the wine, beer or water that you wanted.  Lunch was followed by a show.  They did a tango demonstration followed by a folk demonstration with singing in between.  While I would not try to put the show on Broadway, it was very pleasant and I enjoyed it.  Next we went out to see a demonstration with the horses.  There was some demo indicating that the horses always followed their leader, but so much dust was raised that I couldn’t figure out what was going on.  Then the gauchos rode at full gallop towards a stick with a ring hanging off of it.  They were carrying a stick and the idea was to get their stick into the ring.  If they succeeded, they would select a woman from the audience and give her the ring in exchange for a kiss.  It was interesting.  Then two of the gauchos had woman ride behind them on their horses.  Obviously I wasn’t one of them. 

At about 4:00 pm, Alex signaled up that it was time to go.  A lot of us fell asleep on the bus.  I had asked Carla, our local guide, to find a Jewish book store for me.  I wanted to purchase a Spanish/Hebrew Siddur.  She gave me the addresses of two book stores that she had found.  As soon as we pulled up to the hotel, I hopped in a cab and had Carla tell the driver where I wanted to go.  He got me there before 6:00 pm and I was able to purchase the Siddur.  I think that it is a Spanish version of the Art Scroll Siddur.  The shop owner asked me which hotel I was at and how I planned to get back.  When I told him cab, he insisted on telephoning for a cab for me.  We had to wait a while, but I was in no rush since my mission had been accomplished.  It was interesting, his cab driver ran up a fare of about 25 pesos while the other driver ran up a fare of about 35 pesos.

After I got back and rested a while, I decided that I wanted to get a picture of the Avenida 9 July.  I ran into Margaret in the lobby.  Mark, her friend, wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want to go out; consequently we went out together.  I got my picture of the street which is the widest street in the world and then we went for dinner at 1234 Santa Fe, where had eaten the other night.  

I came back to my room, uploaded pictures, wrote my blog and then collapsed.

Buenos Aires, Argentina 14 January 2013

Monday, 14 January 2013

We are due downstairs at 9:00 am.   I got up at 7:00 and made it down to breakfast by 8:00 am.  While I was drinking my second cup of coffee, my stomach started acting up. I went up to my room and I broke out my immodium and took one pill.  So far so good.  I was in the lobby at 9:00 am for our tour.  We were driven first to the central square, where among other buildings is the present’s office.  There was the square were the mothers and grandmothers marched about their missing children.  Apparently on Thursday afternoons, they still do.  They wear white scarves on their heads.  There are some men demonstrating about the Falkland war.  Apparently some men were supposed to be involved in the invasion, but they weren’t.  As a result, they did not receive veteran’s benefits, which they feel they should get.  The Buenos Aires Cathedral is also on that square.  San Martin, the hero of Argentinean independence, is buried in a crypt in that cathedral.  Our next stop was in an area call La Boca.  It is close to the original port where the original immigrants entered the country.  The small buildings are colored in bright colors.  We were dropped on this street with tourist shops.  I picked up another belt.  They had some interesting belts with zippers on the inside.  The leather was soft and supple, but the price was on the high side.  La Boca is on the south side of Buenos Aires.  Were then driven to Recoleta, which is where I had been yesterday at the Crafts Market.  We went into the cemetery which is the most famous cemetery in Buenos Aires and taken to the Mausoleum in which Eva Peron is buried.  After she died, Juan Peron was planning lavish Mausoleum for her, but he was thrown out of the country before that happened.  The army didn’t know what to do with her body and it was moved from place to place until it was sent out of the country with 11 other coffins.  Juan Peron living in Spain found it and when he returned to Argentina, he brought it back with him.  He was living with his new wife whom he had met in a bordello and the corpse of Eva!  Finally she was buried in the cemetery in a mausoleum owned by her brother-in-law.

After leaving the cemetery, we drove around the corner to a store that sold expensive sweathers and leather goods.  I found one suitable for Micah, but they didn’t carry anything suitable for Hermie.  I found an ice cream shop and enjoyed some ice cream before heading back to the hotel.  I was extremely tired; I don’t know why.  I lay down and fell asleep.

After checking my e-mail, I decided to walk over to see the “Israeli Temple”.  It was obviously locked up, but I noticed someone ringing a side door.  I went over and asked about buying a Spanish/Hebrew Siddur, but the man I spoke to did not know and suggested to I check the Once neighborhood.  Since it was after five, I didn’t think I had enough time especially since he didn’t give me a name of a store or an address.



In the Main Square - one of the heros of Argentinean History



Obelisque with the date of Argentinean independence



Main Square

Monument to Falklands War 

Inside Cathedral

Monument to San Martin, the libeator of Argentina

 Cathedral

Tomb of San Martin

La Boca District

 Street in La Boca District

Mausoleum in which Eva Peron is buried

 Plaque about Eva Peron

 Teatro Cervantes

Isreali Temple

Isreali Temple

Isreali Temple

Festive Dinner in Buenos Aires

Festive Dinner in Buenos Aires

Tango Show in El Veijo Almacen

Tango Show in El Veijo Almacen

We gathered in the lobby at 7:45 to head out for our big night in Buenos Aires.  We went to a steak house which has a theater associated with it – El Viejo Almacen.  The food was good and since there was unlimited wine, everyone was in a very good mood.  After dinner, we went down stairs and across the street to the theater.  Apparently the original tango while still seductive was more sedate than the way the tango is currently danced.  In addition they had a few dances that were associated with the original inhabitants of the area.  The show was quite good and we all enjoyed it.  When we got back to the hotel, I was so tired, I ripped my clothes off and fell into bed.