A Walkabout

We hit the ground running as 1) this is a quick trip with lots to see and 2) we had to go and find one of the free walking tours. After a quick trip on the Supta (subway), which was a first for Todd we found the group and got to walking; small world because Todd had had the same guide on a previous walking your in the city.

First stop: the Congresso a.k.a. Congress. For a quick and dirty of their political history click here.

As we wandered down the park we did take pictures to price we were there, but sadly they are being held captive on Todd's camera (something we are trying to rectify). BA is home to one of the original Thinker statues.

From there we continued to wander down the road until we hit 9 de Julio Ave, the second widest avenue in the world; it has its own obelisk and everything.

The tour continued on and we ended up at the Pink House aka their White House. Because there are are so many protests throughout the year the police keep most of the park fenced with the roads on either side open. If things start to get crazy they can pull the remaining parts of the fence out to prevent protesters from getting in. When you look closely you will notice that the building is not symmetrical because it is really made up of two buildings which were eventually combined. It is believed that the pink color comes from the need to waterproof the building which could only be done with a combination of cow's fat and blood (app any no waterproof paint at that point).

We stopped at a couple more hot spots in the area before we concluded our tour at the obelisk and from there we were left to our own devices. Feeling in a historic mood we headed off to San Telmo, the oldest barrio in the city. We decided to keep with the old world feeling and head off to Bar El Federal, which has been in business since 1874 and probably one of the oldest bars in the city.

All in all lots of walking, but I still don't see why the city is called the Paris of South America ... Maybe that will come after some more walking around.

 

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