FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18 - Buenos Aires, Argentina Day 1

Opening the curtains reveals dark skies that are threatening rain. We look out into a very active commercial port and we are docked next to several huge cranes that are loading a big container ship next to us. We can see the stacks of a cruise ship on the next pier over, but can’t see the name. Fortunately, our all day tour does not leave until 8:50AM so we have time for a quiet breakfast. By the time we board our bus, it has started to sprinkle.

We have been to Buenos Aires twice before so we haven’t planned much for the three day stay. We are only doing one true tour and it is today, "The Best of Buenos Aires." While a generally pretty city, the tour leaves us with a bad taste in our mouth. The guide is openly critical of the Argentine culture (corrupt) and the government (even more corrupt). He does admit that the government of a country generally reflects its society which he describes as corrupt from top to bottom; from the cop on the street and the guy issuing your driver’s license to the Mayor of Buenos Aires and the President of the country. Every thing takes a bribe to get it done. He is also open as to the crime level (very high) and the wide disparity between the haves and the have-nots. He cautions several people displaying flashy jewelry to take it off and put it in their pockets as street thugs are quite active in the public venues.

We stop downtown at the Plaza de Mayo for a look at the Cathedral, started in 1732. The outside isn’t very impressive, but it is pretty inside.

As with so many South American cities, there are beggars at the doors of the churches. Dick absolutely hates this situation as his inclination (heart) tells him to give and to help but his mind tells him to ignore them and move on. No matter which he does, he is always torn by the feeling that he made the wrong choice. For him it is better to avoid this type of situation but that means not traveling to most places in the world!

After the cathedral and a few pictures of yet one more ornate Catholic Church, in the midst of want and need, and some pictures of the square (old 1800's town hall)  

from the protection of the churches covered walkway, as it is now pouring rain, we move on to La Recoleta Cemetery.

The guide gave us free time in the church, but he is going to guide us for a 40 minute walk around the Cemetery in the pouring rain so we don’t get lost...I don’t think so! We have been here twice before so we break from the group and go back to a couple of our favorite spots for a picture or two then go back to the bus...even so we get soaking wet!

The next stop is the suburb of San Isidro. It is now raining fairly hard, but in waves, and, if you time it right, you can get out of the bus and stay dry; OR NOT! San Isidro is a very up scale area and reminds us of River Oaks in Houston but with hills. We stop at a very nice shopping mall to use the restrooms and for a bit of shopping since the rain has stopped for now.

Here Dick finds a nice Mate cup and Carolyn finds some leather billfolds. We continue by bus to Tigre Pier Terminal where we leave the bus and board an enclosed boat

 for the trip out into the islands of the Tigre River Delta for lunch at Gato Blanco (White Cat) restaurant.

The delta is a warren of streams and river channels cut through the sedimentary islands of the delta. This is a popular area for summer homes and the area actually has a permanent population of some 3,000 people.

On our hour long ride to the restaurant, we see the trash boat,

the grocery boat

and the bus boat.

There are no roads and everything comes and goes by water.

The place is crawling with vintage, lapstrake, wooden boats. The water is a milk chocolate brown but we are assured that it is not polluted but just silty. In fact, we see many people fishing and a few swimming but it is raining so not too conducive to swimming.

Gato Blanco is a very nice, open air restaurant on one of the islands. Here we are served a heavy lunch consisting of your choice of beef or trout, a hearts-of-palm appetizer, a salad, tons of wonderful french fries, your choice of beer, wine or water and dessert.

Dick goes for the grilled trout and it is good but a little over done. Carolyn goes for the beef and has a one pound steak delivered after a long wait. Her steak is under done and she sends it back for a few more minutes on the fire. It is a huge piece of meat but she does serious damage to it with some help from Dick.

We pack up and board the boat(s) about 3:30PM for an hour plus ride back to the vicinity of the ship at the docks in Buenos Aires.

We have to get on the bus to transfer from the tour boat to the cruise terminal and then we go through the usual X-Ray and package searches before being allowed on the shuttle bus which takes us to the ship.

It is nearly 5:30PM and we have been touring since 9AM. We are pooped. We stop at the bar and get double shots of Crown Royal with lime and head to the room. With cocktails mixed, Dick starts two loads of laundry, just ahead of several old ladies who are not happy that all the washers are full. You snooze, you loose!!

Instead of going to the dining room, we order a pizza and Caesar salad and work on our Crown Royal, which we never actually finish. Laundry done, room service tray removed and well fed we draw the curtains and go to bed about 10PM.