COSTA RICA

Costa Rica is the second smallest country in Central America; it is also one of the most democratic. Bounded on the North by Nicaragua and on the Southeast by Panama, with the Caribbean Sea on the East and the Pacific Ocean on the West, it has a varied topography that includes high tablelands, windswept mountain ranges and hot, tropical coastal plains

More than half of Costa Rica is covered by forests, making for a highly varied plant and animal life.  Over 134 families of trees, embracing some 1,315 species, have been identified in the tropical forests.  Forest products include rubber, chicle, medicinal plants, and hard and soft woods.  Wildlife is overabundant and includes jaguar, deer, puma, caimans and crocodiles, and monkeys.  At least 725 species of birds and 130 species of snakes and frogs have been observed. This exuberant flora and fauna is the reason why the nation sustains a dynamic policy of conservation of national parks and wildlife refuges.   

                                                                                                                               

We found the people very friendly and with a high degree of education.  English is taught at every school from first grade.  There are many American enterprises there, besides the expansive tourist industry, were the English language is essential. 

ITINERARY: We visited Costa Rica in March of 2006.  The tour bus from CARAVAN took us all around Costa Rica.  From the capital to the Caribbean side;  then to the North, to the border with Nicaragua and then to the Pacific side and as South as the Manuel Antonio National Park, probably the most beautiful and visited park of the country.

We saw toucans, lots of other birds, butterflies, reptiles, monkeys, sloths, and a myriad of exotic flowers.  The weather was perfect, never raining during the day but only at night.  And, despite the brochure instructions, never had to use the mosquito repellent.

After lunch on our first day, we took our bus to visit the Poás volcano which, according to the brochures, is almost always covered with clouds.  We were extremely lucky, according to our guide, because it was a blue sky day and the volcano was a fantastic sight.  In a few minutes, however, the strong wind started to bring some clouds in.  Whoever arrived one hour after us could not have seen it.

Aerial tram above the canopy. We had an early breakfast on our second day and, at 7:00 AM, were already boarding the bus for the long ride to the eastern side of Costa Rica.  We drove it through the Braulio Carrillo National Park, a typical rainforest where we joined a group of six people to glide through the jungle canopy on the world famous rainforest aerial tram, rated one of Costa Rica’s top tourist attractions.  Some of the trees were a first sight for us, like the rattan vines and the heart of palm tree, which grows about 40 feet high and have many aerial roots on the bottom to stabilize the height.

Next stop was at the mouth of the Parismina River, where we abandoned our bus and boarded a boat for the one and a half hour ride to the Tortuguero National Park, a 47,000 acre site crisscrossed with many rivers and canals.  

It rained a lot that night (they say it rains almost every day) and I was afraid that it would be muddy, but since the soil is very sandy, our shoes never got dirty. After breakfast, we took an open boat ride through one of the many canals around our lodge.  We saw herons, egrets, toucans, snakes, turtles, iguanas, lizards and many other birds and exotic flowers, all from the boat.   

After two nights there, we took our ride back to the place where the bus was waiting for us.  Our next stop was at a banana plantation and then to

 the Selva Verde National Park, a rain cloud forest.
 In the afternoon, we arrived at the town of Fortuna, on the verge of the Arenal volcano. 

On Friday, we headed north after breakfast, passing through sugar, teak and orange plantations.

The bus stopped in the middle of a bridge, so we could see more than a dozen crocodiles in the Targolis River, where it is estimated that more than 3,000 crocodiles live.

Our destination this morning is the Caño Negro Wildlife Refugee, on the border with Nicaragua.  We took a ride on a boat through the Rio Frio, where we saw more caimans, lizards, birds and very exotic flowers.  According to our new guide, we were very lucky, because we had the chance to see a very rare animal.  It was a blond female howler monkey.  The National Geographic Magazine had visited the Rio Frio before and had taken photographs of this monkey, which they nicknamed “Blondie” and stated that it was the only one of its kind in the world.

Back to Fortuna and then to the Baldi Thermal Springs for a bath in a hot pool, which is naturally heated by the underground magma of the volcano.   

 On Saturday afternoon, we arrived at Jacó, a small beach town, which not much to do but enjoy the all-inclusive hotel with the bar by the pool.   

Next morning, we had an early breakfast at 6:30, so we could arrive at the Manuel Antonio National Park before the multitude that is expected today.  It is Sunday and a lot of natives, especially from the capital, like to come to this park on the weekends.  It is the most beautiful and most visited of all the parks in Costa Rica.   

The sand here is light and the water very calm, perfect for swimming.  I took a photograph of a big bird called the great potoo posing on a branch.  It took me some time to find the three-toed sloth which was sleeping on a tree branch about forty stories high.  Bruni decided to stay at the beach while I walked about four miles to a lookout.  Half way there I saw a group of people acting very excited.  There were four or five white-throated capuchin monkeys jumping from branch to branch and sometimes posing for the cameras very close to us.   

On the morning returning trip to San Jose we stopped at Sarchí, known for the famous painted ox carts and other colorful handicrafts.   

Next, we stopped at Grecia, to see its metallic cathedral.  Grecia is also considered one of the cleanest towns in Central America.  It is also the only picturesque town that we saw in the whole trip.

Our tour ended after breakfast on Tuesday and we were taken to the airport for our return trip home.

NOVA SCOTIA

NOVA SCOTIA is one of the four Atlantic provinces of Canada.  It is bounded on the north by the Northumberland, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and Cabot Strait; on the south and southeast by the Atlantic Ocean; and on the west and northwest by the Bay of Fundy and New Brunswick.  The province consists of two principal parts, the mainland peninsula and Cape Breton Island, separated by the narrow Strait of Canso.  The capital is Halifax, a city of more than 350,000 people.

What induced us to vacation in Nova Scotia? We had seen on our flights to Europe the monitors that keep the passengers informed of the flight progress, always mentioning Nova Scotia and Halifax.   Out of curiosity, we started to investigate about the place, and we found that it could be an interesting area to explore.

It proved to be one of the most charming and amazing sites that we had visited.  The scenic panoramas, the architecture, the lighthouses and the quaint villages were all magnificent, and the friendliness of its proud people had a pleasing open warmth.  The seafood, especially, was very fresh and super delicious, and very economical.    But what made Nova Scotia really unique and unforgettable were the ocean tides and the tidal bore, one of Mother Nature’s strangest sights. It is a phenomenon that is seen in very few parts of the world.  The Bay of Fundy, on the northern side of the peninsula, is particularly noted for its extremely high tides ––the highest in the world–– and for its tidal bores.

In the open ocean, the tide only rises and lowers a couple of feet.  However, in the V-shaped Bay of Fundy, the tide enters the broad end and literally “piles up” as it moves up the bay.  At the very head of the bay, this advancing tide becomes a wave varying from just a ripple to several feet in height, and this wave continues into and up the rivers which empty into the bay.  This wave is referred to as a “tidal bore”.  

We had the opportunity of watching this phenomenon of a river changing its flow before our very eyes, created by the tidal wave, or bore, flowing OVER the outgoing river water.  In other words, the river current was going toward the bay (as usual) but, when the tide started to rise, this wave advanced in the opposite direction.  We saw a small waterfall flowing upwards! 

There are other interesting attractions on this fantastic Canadian province and we will be enumerating them.

First stop of our trip was at BAR HARBOUR, Maine, where we enjoyed the first mouthwatering lobster. This used to be the summer vacation place for the Fords, Astors, Morgans, Rockefellers, Carnegies and Vanderbilts. By 1870 there were sixteen hotels in Bar Harbor, but that hardly met the demand and reservations for rooms had to be made two years in advance. We visited Acadia National Parking before sunrise. There, on top of Mt. Cadillac, we were the very first persons in United States to see the sun ! We also saw there the first lighthouse, probably the most beautiful that we saw in the whole trip.

  

Then we took the ferry to YARMOUTH, Nova Scotia.  This ferry, called The Cat, is a huge speedboat that carries 500 passengers with their cars.  As soon as it gets into open sea, the ship elevates itself and it glides in the ocean like if it was skiing.  At a speed of 55 MPH it makes the trip in just 2 ½ hours.

CRESCENT BEACH, once featured on the Canadian fifty-dollar bill.

WESTERN HEAD, another lighthouse with a charming two-story keeper quarters.

LIVERPOOL, with its classy lighthouse.

The OVENS. Caves dug by the ocean tides.

PEGGY’s COVE.  A very picturesque fishing village with the most beautiful lighthouse on top of a rocky formation.  This charismatic cove was easily the highlight of our trip.

PROSPECT, another tiny cove.   

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia’s capital. Site of a huge fortress. Most of the victims of the Titanic disaster are buried at the Fairview Lawn Cemetery.

                                          

COBEQUID BAY, the narrowest part of the Bay of Bundy bay, where the tidal bore is observed.

BADDECK, in Cape Breton Island.  Site of the Alexander Bell’s Museum.

CHETICAMP, an Acadian fishing village.

CAPE BRETON NATIONAL PARK, with spectacular views of the ocean along the Cabot Trail.

CABOT’S LANDING, the site of John Cabot’s landfall in 1497, which staked Britain’s claim to North America.

LOUISBOURG, the largest historic fortress restoration in Canada.

GRAN PRE. The famous site of the “Expulsion of 1755”, when British troops dispersed Acadian families throughout North America.  Some of them went so far as Louisiana, where they formed their own Acadian communities.

HALL’S HARBOUR.   Just a little cove with a dozen fishing boats anchored there, but could easily compete with Peggy’s Cove as the highlight of our trip.  At 8:25 AM all the boats were resting at the bottom of the cove.  The tide started to come in fast, and I mean fast.  In just a few minutes the boats were floating and in a few hours the water level was the same as the ocean.

DIGBY. Home of the largest scallop fishing fleet in the world, and we tried them for lunch. They were huge, juicy and delicious.  Nearby is BALANCING ROCK, a thin, rocky formation that stands about 20 feet high and it looked like a miracle that it was still standing.

BEAR RIVER, a small town acclaimed as the “Switzerland of Nova Scotia”.  It consists of a few shops in high stilts on the bank of a small river, where the tide ebbs and flows 30 feet, but nothing that could be slightly compared to the European country.  It has a different charm about it and I don’t think it needed the flamboyant title.

POINTE DE L’EGLISE.  The place is famous for the St. Mary’s church, the oldest and largest wooden church in North America. Next to it is the Université Sainte-Anne, where we watched “Evangeline”, a play based in Longfellow’s famous poem.

YARMOUTH.  Site of the ship docks to take a ride back to Maine. On a rocky hill we found CAPE FORCHU, another fascinating lighthouse.

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S P A I N

"Por mis tropicales venas transita sangre española" ("Spanish blood flows through my tropical veins") That simple fact, stated in one poem that I wrote after visiting Spain for the first time, made me  fantasize all my life about going to my ancestors country land.  I finally saw my dream become a reality in June of 1990.
That first trip was part of our European voyage that included France, Italy and Switzerland, three countries that will eventually be included in this blog.  On the second trip, in 1994, we were accompanied by 40 friends and  Anthony, our oldest son, with his new wife, Karen, and also our youngest son, Allen.

SPAIN has a fantastic architecture, with innumerable parks, monuments, statues and gardens.  The fields are almost totally cultivated, especially with wheat, olives and grapes.  Its history can be felt around the narrow streets that exist in every town (not only Toledo) and in their ancient mosques, alcazars and churches.  Spain is also a delight because of its exquisite cuisine but, most of all, for its people. Charming, hard working individuals and the most beautiful women, especially in Andalusia. 

The “Autovías”  are usually well maintained, and a toll is charged to travel on them.  Hotels, restaurants, rental cars, gasoline, etc., is more expensive in Europe, as you may know.  The gas, on our first trip was very expensive compared to US.  It was $3.00 a gallon.  Nowadays is more than $8.00 a gallon, although 70% is taxes. 

Most of the bars are also restaurants.  At lunch or dinner time, there are crowded with people eating standing up. If the food is taken to their tables, the price is higher. They serve the most varied and delicious food in Spain, at moderate prices.  The tapas are an extensive type of hors-d’oeuvres, each bar specializing in a different one.   Paella, probably the most famous Spanish dish, is prepared and cooked differently in every region.   The rice is usually tender inside but a little crispy on the outside, as it is cooked in a hot skillet.  

Andalusia boasts the prettiest girls. Fair skin and green or blue eyes, with long blonde hair.  Men are also very handsome.  Gitanas (gypsies) have dark skin with black eyes and hair and tough looking. Some of them are beggars, who touch you a lot to see if they can steal your wallet.

After spending a couple of nights in MADRID, on our first trip, we picked our rental car and drove to TOLEDO. The tortuous, narrow coble-head streets instantly captivate your attention.     After Toledo, we visited CORDOBA, with its extraordinary mezquita that contains 850 columns of marble, onyx and alabaster.

In SEVILLE, we visited the immense Gothic cathedral (second largest in the world) where Columbus mausoleum is located.  Attached to it is the Giralda, the beautiful Moorish edifice.

Next day we arrived at CADIZ, the port from which Columbus departed on most of his travels to the new world; then continued to ALGECIRAS, in front of Gibraltar.

Before reaching Granada, we visited other towns on this road: Marbella, Fuengirola, Torremolinos and Malaga.  A few miles from this road is MIJAS, a very picturesque village high in the mountains, impeccably clean, with all the houses on white stucco with red-tile roofs.  The taxis in town are  burros.

GRANADA is undoubtedly the most beautiful of the Spanish cities.  The Alhambra palace is the most important and appealing Moorish palace in Spain.  The walls, colums and ceilings are made out of chalk and look like very intricate pieces of lace.  The Jardines del Generalife, the summer palace of the caliphs, are so meticulously kept that they entice your imagination.

MURCIA, the place where my wife’s ancestors lived, is reached via a dangerous road across the mountains, but with fantastic views of the Sierra Nevada, with its snow-capped peaks.   

We slept at ALICANTE and next day arrived at VALENCIA, drove through the outskirts of BARCELONA and arrived at GIRONA, close to the French border, where we spent the night.

After travelling for a couple of weeks through France, Italy and Switzerland, we came back to Spain, via SAN SEBASTIAN, in the Basque country.

Then it was SEGOVIA, with its majestic gothic cathedral and the imposing alcazar.  After visiting El Valle de los Caídos (where Generalisimo Franco is buried) and the museum of El Escorial, we arrived at Madrid again for a night’s rest.

The following morning we stopped at CUENCA, which is famous for its “hanging houses” that are built half way out on a high cliff.  Then we visited the Castillo de BELMONTE in La Mancha, and the windmills at MOTA DEL CUERVO, supposedly Don Quixote’s venue.  Last town visited, before getting back to Madrid, was ARANJUEZ, where we had the best meal of the whole trip (estofado de perdiz).

On our second trip in 1994, with 40 other people in a chartered bus, we visited some of the same places, and added the walled city of AVILA, where the famous Sta. Teresita de Jesus lived. Then we traveled on our own with our youngest son to Asturias and then drove around the Cordillera Cantábrica on the northern part of Spain, with its famous Picos de Europa, the highest peaks in the Spanish continent. There are several interesting little towns in this area, including CASTRO URDIALES.  On the road back to Madrid, we enjoyed the view of several castles, like Peñafiel, Cuellar and Coca, all of them outstanding.

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G E R M A N Y

GERMANY should have been named Greenland.  We traveled all the West side, from the borders with Holland and Belgium in the North, to the borders with Austria and Switzerland in the South, and everywhere the trees and grass are splendored-green.  You cannot see the forest because of so many trees!   

From any high elevation of the Autobahn, the view of the hills and valleys, with rivers and roads crisscrossing them and a myriad of small villages all the way to the horizon, is always breathtaking.  And the people are very good looking, neatly dressed and extremely courteous, specially in the Bavaria region.

The common denominating feature of all the towns and roads is the cleanliness.  You don’t see any trash or even cigarette butts in any sidewalk.  What a difference when you cross the border and arrive at Amsterdam!  You do not notice poverty in Germany.  The farmer’s houses in the country are big, well constructed and nicely kept.  The half-timbered houses, always present in every village, are so immaculately painted that they look as if they were built just a few years ago, instead of a few centuries.

The language was never a problem as almost everybody speaks English and the menus at the restaurant are printed in Germany and English. The food was another rapidly discarded worry, and became a delightful experience.  It consists mostly of pork, served in different styles and all exquisite; but there is also very good fish, veal, chicken and lamb.  And there are a lot of Italian and Chinese Restaurants. There is a McDonald's in every city.  We even saw “Pancho’s Authentic Mexican Food” and “Havana Restaurant”.   How about that for variety.

There are literally hundreds of different beers in Germany and it is always served cold and in a large mug.  Every time I tried a new one, it was better that the one before.  It is stronger, heavier and more delicious than the American type.

Germany’s roads are second to none and the sign system is perfect.  If you get lost while driving is because you get distracted by the beauty of the scenery and miss your exit.  At the beginning, I thought that AUSFAHRT was the biggest city in Germany, as you see this sign every few kilometers, but it is the German word for EXIT.

There are some very interesting bridges crossing the Autobahns.  Some are narrow, with the inside edges and floor covered with vegetation… for the deer to cross the roads safely!  In other places the environmentalists go a little bit further and install a three-feet high mesh fence along the road sides… so the frogs don’t jump into the roads and get killed!

Germany was just one leg in our extensive trip to Europe in 1996. We also visited Holland, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg and the tiny country of Liechtenstein. But all these countries will have to wait their turn to get inserted in my blog.



This is Germany, a very beautiful country with a magnificent architecture and a well advanced technology.  A fascinating place to spend your vacation.


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TEXAS HILL COUNTRY

The Texas Hill Country is the HEART of Texas.  It is known as the backyard playground for Texans that like to hang out, have fun, enjoy nature or simply socialize. It is the primary destination for hikers, hunters, fishermen, campers and anyone that just want to relax or spend some time admiring the wild life.  To go horse riding in the early morning up to stargazing at night, the hill country offers the best in natural entertainment.

This terrain of rolling hills and river-cut valleys is surrounded by big cities and small communities.  San Antonio and Austin are at the outskirts, and picturesque little towns like Bandera, Fredericksburg, Boerne,  Gruene, Kerrville, Luckenbach, Marble Falls, New Braunfels and Utopia, with their open-arms sincere friendliness can win your hearts instantly.

My favorite town is Bandera, a little less than one hour from San Antonio.  It is known as the Cowboy Capital of the World.  You’ll find that many cowboys still come to town and tie their horses by the sidewalk, same as it was done a hundred years ago.  There are about a dozen Dude Ranches near town and everyone offers rustic cabin accommodations, horse and hay wagon rides, succulent bar-b-cue and marshmallow roasting in the open-air fireplace.  Rodeos are usually celebrated a few days a week.

Every season, the area provides an unparalleled diversity.  In the spring, the roads become cluttered with wildflowers while the rivers get crammed with rafters and kayaks in the summer.  When the leaves turn yellow and orange in the fall, the access to the State Parks are lined miles long, like the Lost Maples  Park, near Vanderpool.  And Christmas is always a vibrant display of bright lights in most of the towns, especially in Fredericksburg, Marble Falls and Johnson City.

The Guadalupe, Pedernales, Llano, Medina, Frio, Nueces, Sabinal and Colorado Rivers crisscross the Hill Country.  There are also many caves waiting to be explored, like Cascade, Long Horn, Natural Bridge and Cave Without a Name, just to mention a few.

Between Fredericksburg and Llano is the Enchanted Rock, a massive granite mountain that attracts numerous sightseers.   The many wineries usually host tastings of newly released wines with their guided tours. There are festivals in almost every little town, from poetry to apple and lavender yearly events. Possible the smallest of these communities is Luckenbach, south of Fredericksburg on Route 87, but it hosts the Willie Nelson July 4^th picnic.  Don’t miss it.

 

T U R K E Y

TURKEY is the only country situated in two continents, Europe and Asia.  The two continents are separated, from south to north, by the Dardanelles Strait, the Sea of Marmara and the Bosporus river.

The Black Sea is to the north.  It borders with Greece and Bulgaria in the northwest, Russia and Iran in the east, and Iran and Syria in the southwest.

Turkey was our second leg on our trip to Greece in 2001. (See my article about Greece posted in March 2010.)  Greece and Turkey, two countries with different religions, different languages, different monetary systems and different mentalities, but one thing in common.  Both can claim the title of The Cradle of Civilization.

We departed from the port of Piraeus, in Greece, at 7:30 PM and arrived at ISTANBUL at 5:30 PM the next day, after crossing the long Dardanelles Strait.  The entrance to this ancient city of eight million people is impressive, specially the view of the silhouetted mosques and the bridge that separates the two continents. 
The city of ISTANBUL is also the only city in the world located in two continents; the old walled city  in Europe and the modern one, across the long suspended bridge over the Bosporus river, in Asia.

The profusion of mosques in Istanbul is amazing.  The largest and most beautiful, called the Blue Mosque, is a perfect example of Byzantine architecture.

The first tour that we took ashore was to ASIA, crossing the long suspended bridge.  We visited a hill that was full of nationals; the view of the city and its numerous mosques, the river, the bay and the famous bridge, was awesome. 
I bought a couple of huge tortillas that some ladies were making there and paid with a $5.00.  I became and instant millionaire, with more than four million Turkish lire in change.
The following morning, we visited the ruins of King Constantine's castle, then to the Sultan Suleyman Mosque and the Topkapi Palace, a museum consisting of about twenty buildings, where we saw, among myriad of other things, some hair from Mahoma's beard.
Unfortunately, the Grand Covered Bazaar (a complex with about 4,000 tiny shops) is closed for Sunday and we missed this interesting site.
We also visited the mosque of Sultan Ahmed Amii, also known as the BLUE MOSQUE for the blue mosaics that cover most of the interior walls.  In front of it, across some beautiful gardens, is HAGIA SOPHIA, an old mosque converted to a museum.
After enjoying the delicious dinner at the ship´s restaurant, and a good night sleep, we took a tour to KUSADASI, (pronounced Kiushadasi, from Kush:bird and ádasi:island.  The taxi took us first to the ST. JOHN MONASTERY, a complex of ruins from the second century BC.  This is the place where the Apostle St. John wrote the fourth Gospel of the New Testament. He is also buried there, under a marble slab adorned with four Corinthian columns.
Next to it are the ruins of the TEMPLE OF DIANA.  When the Ionians came to this part of Turkey they found a great temple surrounded by walls and it boasted a huge wooden statue whom they called Artemis (the Greek word for Diana).  It had been rebuilt by several kings, but was finally burned down -on the very same day that Alexander the Great was born- by a madman named Horostratus, who wished to become famous by doing this. Today, only one column and some scattered fragments next to a ditch remain from this majestic and colossal monument, one of the seven wonders of the world.
The taxi then took us to the top of a high mountain where there is a house (rebuilt over the original foundation) where it is said the Virgin Mary had to hide from religious persecution and where she lived the last years of her life.
And then it was EPHESUS!  Nobody knows when and by whom this city was first constructed.  The first information about it comes from the year 2000 BC.  Many people have lived in this ancient city, but it gained the most importance during the Roman period (from the fifth century BC to the first century AD) where close to one million people lived there. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus lived here, Alexander the Great, and Aristides, the Greek writer.  The Apostle St. Paul visited it many times to preach against the pagan gods in the huge amphitheater that could hold 24,000 people. History tells us that a jeweler named Demetrius, who used to make silver miniatures of the Temple of Diana, was not happy with St. Paul's preaching against the pagan gods, because it was ruining his business.  So, he gathered all the artisans and marched to the great theater where St. Paul was preaching.  A big crowd followed, all singing "Great is Artemis of Ephesus", without even knowing the reason of the protest.  The apostle had no alternative but to leave the city in a hurry.


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BUENOS AIRES

Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, is the largest and in many ways the least typical of the South American urban centers.  Its population is almost entirely of European descent and many languages are heard in the city, including –besides Spanish– Italian, French, Yiddish, Russian and German.   

Buenos Aires has been called the Paris of South America and we can testify to the fairness of that title. It looks indeed like a beautiful European city, pulsating with heavy vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

The quality of the beef and wine has created for Argentina a special place in world gastronomy. Popular and folklore music is another distinctive asset of this proud nation.  The most outstanding of these is, without doubt, the tango.  Its foremost idol, Carlos Gardel, became a legend for millions of fans. Both the tango and Gardel are still immensely popular today. I kept singing tangos during the whole tour and the other travelers kept asking me how I could know so many, not being an Argentinean.  Frankly, I had not sung these tangos for almost 50 years, but I still remembered them.

Our hotel in Buenos Aires is centrally located in Recoleta, an old neighborhood that has been firmly established as the most cultured in Buenos Aires and a lot of the city’s finest hotels are located on its broad avenues.  It wears a distinctly European face.

Our first visit was to a leather factory, another specialty for which the country is famous for, where we bought two jackets and a bag.   From there we walked a short distance to Florida, a pedestrian street where all the finest shops are located, intended for the tourists, of course.   

The following morning, Saturday, we were given a tour of the city that lasted about 4 hours.     The first stop was at “Caminito”, the site made famous by Carlos Gardel’s tango. Caminito is located in the La Boca neighborhood.  It is the cradle of the tango and traditionally home to some of Buenos Aires poorer citizens.  

We got off the bus near the monument to José de San Martín, the liberator of Argentina.  Nearby is the memorial honoring the heroes of the Malvinas War and just a few steps from there we saw the Torre de los Ingleses, a tower donated by the Englishmen that lived in the city to commemorate the independence of Argentina.   

That afternoon, a bus picked us up at the hotel and we joined a nice group for dinner and a tango show. The dinner, meat (of course) with all the trimmings and all the wine you wanted to drink was excellent and the show was spectacular.  It gave me great pleasure to watch one of my favorite orchestras that was famous in Cuba when I was a youngster, the Luis D’Arienzo Orchestra

The following morning we went to the Pampas, which is something that I always wanted to see and wasn’t sure that we were going to have time to do.   Estancia Santa Susana is a tourist destination with several gauchos and their wives dressed with their typical attire.  When we arrived, a campesina treated us to delicious meat empanadas and freshly squeezed orange juice.  The view of the grill is amazing. It must be about 40 by 10 feet and has enough meat, chicken and chorizos to feed the visitors that this day were about 500. At the sound of a bell, we all sat in long benches where the gaucho’s wives proceeded to serve all this food, together with bottles after bottles of delicious wine.

After the dinner, the gaucho show started, with different bands and dancers, all very professional acts, especially the gaucho with his boleadoras. Then we all went outside and sat at a long stadium, where we were treated to a horse show, another gaucho specialty.   

Next morning, Sunday, we were taken to Tigre Delta, a charming town about one hour from Buenos Aires, to go on a boat ride along the Parana River, which flows into the Rio del Plata.  This used to be the summer place for wealthy city people, but now people live there all year long, although the only transportation is by boat.   

After this nice tour, they delivered us at the San Telmo neighborhood where every Sunday a fair is held.  It is centered on the Plaza Dorrego, where there are several antique shops. San Telmo district is disputed as the birthplace of the tango. Many typical tango groups were playing on the streets, most of them composed of young people that play very well.  The singers are also excellent.  When I heard one of them singing one of my favorite tangos, “Niebla Del Riachuelo”, I couldn’t help it and joined him in the song. It is not necessary to say that we were effusively applauded.

From here we walked to the Plaza de Mayo, in front of the Casa Rosada, (the Government Palace) the Cabildo and the majestic roman-style cathedral. The decidedly French-style Casa Rosada was built in 1580 and is one of Buenos Aires main attractions.   Right on the front is the balcony from which Evita Perón used to address the masses.

We stopped at restaurant La Estancia in Lavalle St. (pronounced Lavashe by the Porteños), which is also another pedestrian street. They served us two large pieces of roast pork and a very thick steak on top of a small grill. We kept cutting pieces of meat and warming them, alternating with the pork, salad and bread.  The lechón asado was the most delicious we had tasted in a long time (it even had a crispy skin). For much that we tried, we couldn’t finish all of it.  This fantastic, splendid meal, with beers, cost us about $20.00. I stopped at a music store and kept asking for CDs of old tangos.  They had everything that I asked for and I finished buying about 8 of them. 

We had to walk a little to help digest this meal, and the Avenida 9 de Julio was just a couple of blocks away. This avenue is the widest street in the world. Each side consists of seven lanes, an area with trees and then another three lanes.  A total of 20 lanes!  The Obelisk, in the middle of the wide avenue, is the symbol of Buenos Aires.  It has an altitude of almost 200 feet and it was erected to honor the 400^th  anniversary of the founding of the city in 1536.

We now had to walk about 8 blocks to see the most famous address in Buenos Aires, Corrientes 348, which is the address mentioned in another tango that describes a place of ill repute.  The fact is that this kind of establishment never existed there, just in the imagination of the song writer.  But a nicely painted sign proclaims its right to fame.  Another five blocks and we arrived at Puerto Madero.  By this time it was getting dark and the view of the canals and the lights reflecting on it was awesome.

Monday is our last day, but the plane doesn’t leave until 10 PM, so we went early to visit the Recoleta cemetery, one of the oldest in the country.  It is located in the middle of the busiest, noisiest and most animated area, across the street from dozens of fancy outdoor restaurants and cafes.  It is a small place jammed with enormous mausoleums and statues (including some by Rodin). In its intricate, above and below ground burial chambers, are buried many of Argentina’s luminary and historical figures –from the Independence heroes to the most outstanding presidents– including Maria Eva Duarte de Perón, the famous Evita.

I hope you enjoyed this trip with me.