Travels with My Hart: Halfway Point!

It is hard to believe it but this is Day 34, exactly halfway through our South American trip! Although for the most part I am not homesick, however there was a moment tonight, as we left a movie theater after seeing an American movie. This was quickly resolved when I had a piece of the best pizza ever tasted right down the street from us..:)

The last couple of days have been busy for us little tourists! We spent one afternoon shopping in the best part of the city, the Outlet Center of "Palermo Soho" and "Palermo Hollywood". After snaking in and out of Outlet Shops with H in tow, we finally settled into a neighborhood cafe near a very quaint Plaza area. I bought a couple of things. I have no idea what label the shop carried, as these are Argentinian labels. No matter, I scored! More stuff to squeeze into my already full suitcase...hard to describe the cobblestone street lined shopping district, the thing that stuck with me was the smallness of the shops. Blocks and blocks of very tiny boutique like shops-it is hard for me to see how these retailers make money..

Tour of the Teatre Colon was next. The theater had amazing European architecture since the population of BA has mostly Italian and some French roots. The tour guide was awful-his English was as bad as my Spanish! No one should have put him in this job. The design, construction and ornamentation of this historical building was amazing!

The last 2 days have slowly getting hotter and hotter! Yesterday, we did even more touristy stuff. In the morning, we set our alarm finally and got up in time for the free tour in the middle of the city. A very cute young woman led the tour. Her excitement about her CITY was infectious and adorable. This free tour took us to places like the Obelisco, Plaza de Mayo, Tribunales, Calle Florida, Teatro Colon and many orher sites which I am sure mean nothing to most of the readers but it was amazing! This time we got more info about all these things, as we have been running past them several times in our 2 weeks here.

A highlight of the tour was the demonstration held in the streets of the city, marked by a fire burning mattresses, blanket and such right in the middle of the traffic stopping taxis, cars and busses for miles. It was a little scary for me....I expected the whole city may go up in flames. The tour guide assured us this is almost a daily occurrence in B.A., a demonstration of some kind, hundreds of them monthly. This particular fire and protest were the homeless showing their anger at the government from kicking them out of their "home" in the square. It was kind sad, really-people who are lost in society are everywhere I guess.

After getting out of that mess, we continued on down Ave. de Mayo. The guide mentioned that half the population of BA was gone because this is holiday month for the Portenas. Wow, I think I am glad there are no more people on the already crowded streets. There are 10 million residents of the city, with all it's barrios.

We then enjoyed a bite to eat for lunching one of the oldest cafe's in BA:

It appears some of the really old guys were still there!

One of the "new old guys" was here too!:)

That night we went to Tango Portena, yet another Tango Show. This one was a bit more "showy" than the last. H and I concurred the talent was a little less, the orchestra a little more. The theater was also more ornate but less cozy..

We have begun to take the subway more. No longer do we stand at every corner or so with the MAP. Instead, we now know where most of the "Supte"'s are and are able to get around most places either walking or subway. This makes me feel all metro-knowledgable now...

Yesterday we embarked on a run in the late morning. We now know it really is summer here. The temperature was easily in the 90's. Humidity at alot plus percent. I was really weak and hurting the first couple of miles. Finally after a gel and full bottle of gatorade I could pick up the pace. We ended up running 6-7 miles in the end. After showering and refueling, we took the Supte down to the Plaza De Mayo for the "March of the Mothers". The history of this March dates back to the 1970's in short:

"The March 1976 coup, led by General Jorge Videla, only escalated this conflict; the "Dirty War" resulted in 30,000 desaparecidos (people kidnapped and killed by the military during the years of the junta).^[14] The silent marches of their mothers (Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo) are a well-known image of Argentines suffering during those times."

We watched a movie: Imagining Argentina, which depicts the horror of what happened in the 1970s. 30,000 people went missing without a democratic government. The movie is not for the faint hearted. It is chilling. But, this is the true story of Buenos Aires. The Mothers and Grandmothers of these missing children and young people march every Thursday afternoon to remind the Portenas of their history. The guide tells us it has become a bit of a tourist trap to make money with sales of trinkets, books, etc. to help the "party" represented here. I don't understand all of the politics surrounding the March but it is very moving to see..

Onward we went to the second of our free tours. This time it was 5:00, in the heat of a very hot day. Again we were filled in on bits of cultural information and some political history. The guide took us by many "palaces", which use to be living quarters for the rich. The tour began in Retiro. She told us the history of: Ave. Alvear, Palace, Plaza Francia and Torre Monument. It was all extremely interesting. We passed some very ritzy shops which will not be on my shopping agenda.

Military guiding the tombs of the young men who died in the war with Britainin the 1980's over the Falkland Islands: