Day 2 in Buenos Aires

After sleeping for almost ten hours, Kenny and I awoke to another bright & sun-shiny day.  The temperature outside was in the 70s and the high would hit the 80s.

As our feet hit the carpet, we knew that today would be filled with more discoveries in this beautiful city.

It is New Years Eve and it is very quiet outside.  We have learned that the surrounding banks and businesses are closed due to the long weekend holiday.

There was a steady wind blowing which made the temperature delightful.  We walked along the dock to discover there were two ships that are now museums.  One of the ships was the Fragata Presidents Sarmiento.  It was built in 1890 and was used as a training ship for the Argentine navy.

The other ship was the Uruguay, which was built in 1874.  It served as a gunboat, school ship, as well as an Antarctica rescue ship.  It was nice to learn the history of these two historic ships.

As we continued our walk, we came to the Taxi Monument.  It is the first of its kind, thanks to a grant from the Union of Laborers to acknowledge taxi drivers.  The monument opened in 2012.

We visited other neighborhoods, such as La Boca.  It is a working class area which has steakhouses and street artists.  It has a strong European flair, with many of its early settlers coming from the Italian city of Genoa.  Boca is also well known for its football club, Boca Juniors.  Colorful houses surround the entire area.  

As we walked along the streets, there were several couples dancing the Argentina Tango.  It was interesting to learn about the history of the tango.  The story of the tango actually began as a dance between men as they fought each other with knives.  It was similar to a duel and was eventually banned.  Afterwards the tango became popular among prostitutes as they enticed their customers.  And once again, the tango was banned in Argentina.  In the early 1900s, the tango became popular in Paris and then was eventually brought back to Argentina.

Today, this popular dance is very well known.  The Argentina tango has been shown in many movies, such as "Last Tango in Paris"; "Never Say Never Again"; "True Lies"; Evita"; "Scent of a Woman" and many others.

It was interesting walking a round the Plaza de Mayo.  This is where Evita Peron spoke from the balcony of the Casa Rosada  (office of the President) in the late 1940s.  Evita assisted Argentina women with the right to vote.

The Plaza is also an area where the people demonstrate and protest.  One of the groups of demonstrators is "The Madres de la Mayo".  In 1977, they demanded information about their missing children during Argentina's last military dictatorship.  The mothers protested the 30,000 people who disappeared (kidnapped/killed) during the 1970s.

Driving to the La Recoleta Cemetry, we came across a unique sculpture, Floralis Generica.  It is a sculpture made of steel and aluminum.  It is placed above a reflected pool and it is the "synthesis of all flowers".  As the flower opens in the mornings, it represents hope reborn.  The petals close at night.

As we got to the La Recoleta Cemetry, there were people coming and going.  This cemetery contains 4,691 vaults, which are all above ground.  It contains elaborate marble mausoleums that are decorated with statues.  Between 1880 and 1930, the materials of tomb construction were imported from Paris and Milan.  Evita Peron is buried in this cemetery, as well as other presidents and well-known people.

An unique tomb was the "Tomb of Liliana Crociati de Szaszak".  This young lady was twenty-six when she died in Austria.  She was on her honeymoon, when the hotel was struck by an avalanche.  The monument is of Liliana in her wedding dress with her dog.  Her dog had died on the same day in Buenos Aires.

The day ended with Kenny and I watching fireworks from the Puente de la Mujer footbridge.