SATURDAY, 30 JANUARY 2016

A TEMPLE & A TASTE OF CARNAVALE

There is no question about it…we are cheap. Whenever we travel, if there is an LDS temple in the area we try to see it. There is one in Buenos Aires. It is about 19 Km from where we are staying. Yann, our B&B host, told us it would cost around $25 one way to take a cab. $25/20 minute ride vs .25 (that's 25 cents) for each of us one way. What we didn't know is this…it would take 1 hour 45 minutes to get there! However, we drove through some interesting neighborhoods getting there. And the good news? There was a bus stop right in front of the temple.

We got off the bus on the square near the Congress building.We're going to return tomorrow morning for pictures since the sun was right behind the building. As we were walking back to the B&B we saw several small groups of people dressed up in Carnavale costumes, and 4 costumed drummers beating away on their drums. We decided to return in a few hours to see what was up…boy were we ever in for a treat!

FRIDAY, 29 JANUARY 2016

A BIG CITY!

We hired a guide today to take us on a city tour. His name is John & he's from Great Britain, so he speaks English well.

He first drove us to a large green space area with several parks, including a rose garden.

Buenos Aires is the city of monuments.
This one slowly opens & shuts everyday.

John then took us to a memorial park honoring the victims of the "Dirty War." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_War
The wall contains the name of the "disappeared"…victims who were kidnapped, never to be seen again. It broke my heart. 

As you walk by the face "disappears"

Dog walkers are popular. This guy was walking 9 dogs!

Next stop-La Recoleta Cemetery.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Recoleta_Cemetery

Eva Peron's final resting place.

Tragic story--they used to bury bodies the same day they died, which is what was
done with this young woman. When her family returned a few days later they noticed
the casket had been moved. They opened it & found scratch marks inside. Thus the
door with no handle to escape. The rule was changed after that, and no one could be
buried until 2 days after death.

Another tragic story…this young woman was killed in an avalanche while on her
honeymoon in Austria. Her dog died the same day of a broken heart.

The square containing the building where Eva Peron gave her speeches was next. There just happened to be a demonstration going on.

Every Thursday the surviving mothers of the "disappeared" walk 4 times
around this square wearing their white scarves. When one of them dies they
are cremated & their ashes are scattered in the circle.

Eva Peron gave her speeches from the balcony on the left.

Caminito la Boca was a fun little neighborhood. 

We had dinner at Siga la Vaca, an Argentinian grill. It was an all you an eat sort of place with a salad bar and lots of meat. Beef is huge here, beans and rice are not.

The restaurant is located on the riverfront which is very beautiful, so we decided to take a walk along it before returning to the B&B.

By the end of the day my exercise app said we had walked 11 miles/25,000 steps! It was a good day in Buenos Aires.