GA Days 30 & 31 (cruise day 14 & disembarkation) - it is January 6, and today is disembarkation day in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is with sadness that we have to leave the ship; for me, it has been a floating home and office for 30 days...and I could easily sail another 30 days on the Eclipse. The next sailing is to Antarctica - how cool would that have been to add to my bucket list? I am thinking that maybe my retirement assisted-living plan ought to be a cruise ship...private room, ocean view, room service, communal eating areas, shipboard activities, medical support, everchanging scenery. Hmmmmmm...🤔
Too early to think about golden years - we have this gem of South America to explore! Yesterday we went off the ship for an initial reconnaissance and it was love at first sight!
From the ship it looked like many port cities - modern towers, busy port traffic, and here we find ourselves once more in the midst of a container area. But, unlike the other container ports we docked in, this one is so organized and the movement of containers, vehicles, and people is very well choreographed - maybe an industrial version of the tango? Shuttling to the cruise terminal was a breeze - it was there that we got on the Yellow Hop-on/Hop-off bus (recommend one not get on this bus at the cruise terminal because they do not bring you back…more on that later).
The first thing that struck me was the contrast of buildings and general structures around the city. Colonial facades mixed with modern architecture almost everywhere you go. And within the colonial facades are variations between original structures of the 1800s and recent neo-colonial meant to preserve the historic flavor of the past. There were few city blocks where it was strictly newer buildings like you see in many Canadian cities. Famous and wealthy families, some from well-heeled British society, built huge mansions in exclusive barrios like the Recoleta. Buenos Aires. In addition to historically being a main port and railway hub, Buenos Aires has been the seat of government and place of many risings and revolutions. In fact, with the recent election of the “chainsaw” president, there were demonstrations and a huge police presence in the downtown core when we arrived.
Then there was the cleanliness and general good repair of the infrastructure that was truly impressive. I would say it surpassed all other places in South America so far and many European cities...even Rome! It seemed to convey a high sense of pride in Buenos Aires. Like many major cities there was evidence of homeless and people living on the streets but it was not as prevalent as Valparaiso or Lima that are of comparable size.
Another thing that stood out was the amount of green space in Buenos Aires - broad boulevards and plazas with trees and planters throughout the city and many huge sprawling parks with walking paths, benches, and attractions everywhere. From the Hop-on/Hop-off bus we were taking stock of the places we need to come back to over the next few days...clearly many places to re-visit at the ground level, And it is hot and humid here similar to what we experienced in Rome. 30C plus humidex yesterday.
Then there were statues, monuments, and installation art all over the place. They commemorate everything from revolutionary figures, to artists, to historical events (e.g., the war over the Malvinas), and, of course, Pope Francis. While it looks like the Pope is hosting an audience of the masses from his papal balcony in the picture to the right, he is actually cheering on his favourite soccer team in the main stadium across the street.
On the Hop-on/Hop-off bus we saw many museums and galleries scattered around the main downtown neighborhoods of Recoleta, Palermo, and La Boca. Some attractions that quite interest me include Frida Kallo, the military museum, the Eva Peron museum, and the main art gallery…I shall have to see if we can squeeze that into the schedule over the next few days along with sights like the Casa Rosada and Evita Peron’s mausoleum in Recoleta cemetery. You can blame Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical for my fascination with the history when the Peron’s were in power - not sure if it is accurate, but it seems to me that the struggle for the heart and soul of Argentina has really been about the clashes of class throughout its history. Rich elite (including high British society back in the day) and oligarchs versus the poor as in most other countries, but also the military elite, have all contributed to challenges of stable governance and economy. The election of the latest president, a Trump-wannabe right populist, is a clear contrast to the largely socialist fabric in the country - no doubt instability and clashes will continue as a cyclical pattern as the country already faces devaluing of its currency amidst the current global recession.
So about that Yellow Hop-on/Hop-off bus…just do not take it from the cruise ship terminal if you want to avoid a wait and wish to return where you started from. The other problem is that not all of the earbud plug-ins worked in order to receive the commentary and, even then, the recorded commentary and music was crackly and interrupted. But on the positive side, the Yellow Bus was a good value for a 2 1/2 hour circuit and hitting highlights of Buenos Aires and ticket is good for 48 hours.
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