The Boca Republic

The internet is so weak at my first stop so this will take a while... so here's some pics from the old and crumbly side of BsAs.

 La Boca (The mouth, as in mouth of The River Plate) is an old Italian immigrant sailor hangout that gave rise to bordellos and Tango... so of course you have to come here as Tango is the defining note for the city.

 Colourful because they couldn't afford paint, they would collect old cans and use them up bit by bit and mix and match the various cans they collected...

 Nowadays full of cafes that evoke less bordello and more touristas bus.

 Like BsAs in general it oozes character. The weather was supposed to be sunny, but being spring, the rain showers keep coming in, highs of 21-22 but with the high humidity, humidex is 27-28.

 I was cycling around this area of town, on a rental bike and a rather friendly guide, just the two of us. I needed a layout of the land and the social housing around La Boca is pretty rough - they say don't go on your own..

 The touristic shops detract a bit from the history... but it's one of the gaudier pieces of history in South America.

 People were Tango dancing all over, but I think it was for money rather than just being impromptu urges to break into dance.

 Below is Plaza del Mayo, the place of the Grandmothers who protest still about the disappeared 'disparus' of the military regime... you can see more of the French architecture. There is very little Spanish architecture, hence this is the Paris of the South.

 Oddly, Italian people, speaking Spanish and with mostly French architecture, it is an odd ball town.

 These banners are some Falklands war backup personnel wanting pension rights...

 Just off centre of the Presidential Palace is the famous Evita balcony, where she never did say "don't cry for me..."

 Here I am after a long day of flying and being jostled in the cloudy skies, bad sleep, and otherwise driven insane, about to eat my dinner at an Argentinian Grill, of which there are many. they eat more meat here than anywhere on the planet, and some of the restaurant windows look more like biology class, they eat organs, hearts, kidneys testicles... no thanks - just a tenderloin steak with a salad is bueno.

 Good food, odd decor, this was my first steak in BsAs.

That is day one and two (but I am not going to whine about getting here), so off to sleep! Buenos Noches!