Deja Vu

 One of the last things we did before leaving Buenos Aires and Argentina was to visit the Japanese Gardens almost one year after visiting the real thing.

Adios Argentina.

Resting with Roses

The Paseo del Rosedal (The Rose Garden) seems to be a place to have a quick kip.

La Biela Cafe Bar

The old Cafes of Buenos Aires are one of the interesting attractions.  At La Biela in Recoleta you can sit outside and pay more, which is what most tourists seem to do.  However, if you sit inside you are more likely to be taking your cortado with the locals.

These two were local, Jose Luis Borges and Adolfo Bioy Casares both born in Buenos Aires and became giants of literature.  Casares is still local as he is buried in El Cementario Recoleta.

These two below are modern day denizens of La Biela.

San Telmo - Bar Plaza Dorrego

Good Coffee in interesting Cafe Bar in San Telmo.

This guy made good coffee for 7 or 8 of us in double quick time.

La Boca

La Boca (meaning the mouth) is the heart of the old port and features in all the websites, brochures and guide books.  Usually the same picture of this one street, Caminito, and with just a couple doing the Tango.  If you pay someone enough you can find someone to do the Tango in front of the building but the likelihood is that there will be lots of tourists in the shot.  See below.

It is worth perhaps 20mins of your time and we got a warning not to go beyond this street or go back at night.

This is the reality behind the brochures.

The buildings are clad in corrugated iron in many cases and have been painted to brighten up the street.  The below is more typical of the less prominent buildings

This balcony is more typical of the more exuberant areas.

The street art is also unusual with this cartoon character called Mafalda firing grapes from a bazooka.

Lastly, this guy was playing tango music on an accordion while sitting in a furnished shipping container.

Ateneo Bookshop - Buenos Aires

The Ateneo Bookshop is a former theatre (Atheneum in English perhaps?), which has been turned into a bookshop.  The stage is a cafe and the auditorium is the bookshop, including the circle and grand circle.

Dog Walkers of Buenos Aires

There are many dog walkers in Buenos Aires, many with more charges than this guy.  I wonder how many plastic bags he carries!

one more of the Cathedral

Buenos Aires Metrpolitan Cathedral

This is is a poor shot but was shot on the hoof in a very busy Plaza, but it shows the front of the cathedral.  It has the look of classical Greco-Roman temples rather than the Neo-Colonial

 Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance styles seen more often, particularly in South America.

However the Neo-Classical 19th century facade hides a more traditional interior with much preserved  from early periods as the earliest cathedral on the spot goes back to the 15th century. 

Everyday the guard is changed at the tomb of General San Martin one of the driving forces of the liberation of Argentina from Spanish rule.

More Evita

No set of pictures of Buenos Aires would be complete without a picture of the balcony of the Casa Rosada from which Eva Peron made her famous speech.  This is the one immortalised in the musical Evita with the song Don't Cry for Me Argentina.

Floralis Genérica

Floralis Genérica is a giant metal sculpture outside the Faculty of Law building in Buenos Aires.

The below is a link to a time-lapse of it opening in the morning (not my work but the photo is).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AONFfXBycsk

Duarte Family Tomb

The Duarte family are generally of very little interest, except for one female member

She is Eva Duarte Peron or Evita, although she died nearly 67 years ago and was First Lady never President, her name still resonates in Argentina.  She is buried here rather than with Peron. 

Recoleta Cementario, Buenos Aires

The Recoleta Cemetery is one of the most famous sites in Buenos Aires.  More Italian than Spanish in influence it houses the mausoleums of the great and the good families, both current and former of BA.  Some have fallen into disrepair but there is some impressive statuary. 

How to get wet at Iguazu Falls

 Iguazu Falls is a place you can get wet, just walk far enough along many of the walkways and the spray will get you.  You may want to try out one of the boat trips as below which get close to the falls.

Some of us less hardy folks seeing the coming storm below retired to the Melia Hotel bar and sipped Mojitos or similar watching while, we presumed, others got wet.

However, we got our comeuppance as the only way out of the Argentinian side of the park is by the train.  So we had to walk back to the station and queue with all the other wet people.  When it rains there it sure does rain!

You can make your own mind up about the political correctness
 of the white ponchos.

Dance Moves

Back a few days to Cafayate where this couple interrupted their lunch to give an impromptu dance show. 

More Wildlife around the Falls - Don't ask about Species.

 The spider was difficult to get details.

 High up and far away - the best I could do.

The Iguazu River presenting a calm face before the falls.

Then all hell breaks loose.

Coati - cute No!!!!!

Coatis are a member of the Racoon family.  They look cute but beware.  They have become habituated because of the presence of food, human food.  They have large teeth and there are quite graphic pictures of injuries dotted around the Argentinian side of the Falls.

More from Iguazu Falls

The Falls are so big it is impossible to get them in one shot.

 Egret at the Falls

Not all shots were possible!!!

First Few from Iguazu Falls - Brazilian side

Everybody is trying to get a classic view with no-one in it!

Maybe something like this one.

This one is more a portent of things to come but more of that later.