Monday afternoon, 25 February 08, Hotel Emperador, Buenos Aires
BUENOS AIRES
We’ve seen the Plaza Mayor
And where poor folks live in squalor.
The tango was born in Boca.
It’s nothing like the polka.
We’ve learned what Evita stood for.
We’ve sampled Argentina’s beef
About which we have no beef.
Each other’s feet we’ve mangled
Trying to learn to tango.
A pickpocket is a source of grief..
In a souvenir store
With leather goods galore,
Helen got loose,
Bought a jacket made of moose
But nothing more.
The money, we think, was spent
On the world’s biggest rodent.
What can be the excuse
For calling a rat a moose?
The capivara to compliment?
Boating in the delta,
We saw houses built for shelter.
We’ve eaten tasty food.
The summer weather was good,
And we didn’t swelter.
We’ve visited the city of the dead,
All of whom were well fed.
We’ve learned about the disappeared
And how Evita poor folks endeared.
Our flight home we’ve now to dread.
In today’s excursion we bused about 45 minutes to the suburb of Tigre, making a pit stop along the way at the San Isidro train station.
Things learned from our guide, Leo, along the way, some known already: Argentine products area corn, wheat, beef, wine, fish, soy beans, leather and leather goods. Argentina has an open immigration policy (no limits on who can move in). Argentina has a polka style of music – Latin singing backed by a polka beat. The River Plate recedes 46 meters per year because of sediment deposition, causing islands to enlarge and new islands to emerge.
From Tigre, starting on the Parana river, we (two bus loads, maybe 60 people) had a boat ride of about two hours in the Parana River Delta, and we had lunch at a restaurant in the delta. The water is very brown from sediment. There are many houses, lived in by retirees and people who work in the delta. It’s serviced entirely by boats. There are no roads, no cars. People from the city go out there for weekends. Nobody lives there and works in the city; it’s not feasible. There are little schools and chapels out there. No grocery stores. Grocery store boats come by and service the houses. Likewise, garbage boats pick up the garbage. We asked our boat guide about real estate costs. He said you can maybe buy a house for $20,000. Most of them look to be rather small, simple houses. He said it’s better to rent and that 5 years ago for a short time he rented a house for $100 a month.
Tigre itself (not the little rivers of the delta), by the way, once was a major capital of competitive rowing (skulls and shells). (Eric knows all about that.) Rowing is still done (practice and races), but we didn’t see anyone rowing. There are many old rowing club buildings, including the splendid old Buenos Aires Rowing Club building.
It’s 4 PM. We’re waiting for our 5:45 PM bus ride to the airport for our journey home.
:-)
Bernie
BUENOS AIRES
We’ve seen the Plaza Mayor
And where poor folks live in squalor.
The tango was born in Boca.
It’s nothing like the polka.
We’ve learned what Evita stood for.
We’ve sampled Argentina’s beef
About which we have no beef.
Each other’s feet we’ve mangled
Trying to learn to tango.
A pickpocket is a source of grief..
In a souvenir store
With leather goods galore,
Helen got loose,
Bought a jacket made of moose
But nothing more.
The money, we think, was spent
On the world’s biggest rodent.
What can be the excuse
For calling a rat a moose?
The capivara to compliment?
Boating in the delta,
We saw houses built for shelter.
We’ve eaten tasty food.
The summer weather was good,
And we didn’t swelter.
We’ve visited the city of the dead,
All of whom were well fed.
We’ve learned about the disappeared
And how Evita poor folks endeared.
Our flight home we’ve now to dread.
In today’s excursion we bused about 45 minutes to the suburb of Tigre, making a pit stop along the way at the San Isidro train station.
Things learned from our guide, Leo, along the way, some known already: Argentine products area corn, wheat, beef, wine, fish, soy beans, leather and leather goods. Argentina has an open immigration policy (no limits on who can move in). Argentina has a polka style of music – Latin singing backed by a polka beat. The River Plate recedes 46 meters per year because of sediment deposition, causing islands to enlarge and new islands to emerge.
From Tigre, starting on the Parana river, we (two bus loads, maybe 60 people) had a boat ride of about two hours in the Parana River Delta, and we had lunch at a restaurant in the delta. The water is very brown from sediment. There are many houses, lived in by retirees and people who work in the delta. It’s serviced entirely by boats. There are no roads, no cars. People from the city go out there for weekends. Nobody lives there and works in the city; it’s not feasible. There are little schools and chapels out there. No grocery stores. Grocery store boats come by and service the houses. Likewise, garbage boats pick up the garbage. We asked our boat guide about real estate costs. He said you can maybe buy a house for $20,000. Most of them look to be rather small, simple houses. He said it’s better to rent and that 5 years ago for a short time he rented a house for $100 a month.
Tigre itself (not the little rivers of the delta), by the way, once was a major capital of competitive rowing (skulls and shells). (Eric knows all about that.) Rowing is still done (practice and races), but we didn’t see anyone rowing. There are many old rowing club buildings, including the splendid old Buenos Aires Rowing Club building.
It’s 4 PM. We’re waiting for our 5:45 PM bus ride to the airport for our journey home.
:-)
Bernie
1 comment:
Im moveing to Argentina for 5 months, so Im looking for furnished apartments in Buenos Aires, but i dont know where yet!! Do you recommend me Tigre to live, or just to go for a day or weekend???, becouse i dont wanna miss it!
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