Buenos Aires Argentina

Changing of the guard at the Cathedral - Buenos Aires

The founding fathers set out to create a city with the grandeur of a Paris or London showing that even in this far flung corner of the world ( far flung only in the sense that it is a hell of a long way from Europe ) there was culture and sophistication to rival anything back in the old countries. I think they certainly achieved this goal and more.

The parks are endless with sculptures and memorials at every turn

A modest home - now a government building

Rodin's  "The Thinker"

A copy of this famous sculpture was purchased from Rodin and made from the original cast.

Another hero of a forgotten conflict

A memorial to the Malvinas / Falklands war

Casa Rosada -- Presidential Palace

It was from the balcony of this building that Evita Peron made her last speech to adoring masses before dying of uterine cancer at the age of only 33

Protest is alive and well

Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo. These woman still actively protest about their children and family members who were "disappeared" during the military dictatorship of the years 1976 to 1983

This city loves its dogs

 The city might love it's dogs but alas the owners must be distracted whenever their little pooches leave a steaming pile on the sidewalk because I have had to be very nimble of foot to keep my shoes poop - free.

The colorful neighborhoods such as La Boca tell their own stories of newly arrived immigrants and the toils of making a new life in a country so unlike the motherland

La Boca neighborhood

This incredible mural painted in just 3 days

Painting by native son Benito Quinquela Martín

San Telmo - my neighborhood

San Telmo

Local characters

The wealthy families buried their dead in grand style in the La Recoleta cemetery

Recoleta Cemetery

Evita is found here 

Just outside the city is the very fun town of Tigre with it’s waterways jammed with pleasure craft and enthusiastic rowers, all taking in the sights of this colorful part of the Parana River delta.

All wood launches

Rowing boats

Grand style of a bygone era

I have loved my time here in Buenos Aires and the little Hotel Bolivar is a place where I have met many fellow travelers and made great friends from all over the world. I sometimes forget that most of these people are more that 25 years younger than me but still I have been included in so many fun activities ( like beer drinking) - thank you Julio and Fagner for being so welcoming.

A week without touching my motorbike so I am looking forward to getting back on the road headed west towards Cordoba.