Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires, Argentina – January 28, 2014

We had a private tour set up for the 6 of us and were down on Deck 1 as the ship came into port so we could hit the ground running. We then waited….and waited….and waited. There was some grumbling that the Argentine authorities were being obstructionist because Queen Victoria is an English ship and the Falkland Island incident of 1982 is still an open wound in this country. As a ship’s officer passed by, we asked if we had time to run and get a coffee. He responded, “You probably have time to build a house!”

By the time we got off the ship, it was pouring rain.  It seemed that it was going to be a day fit only for ducks…

It did eventually clear up enough for us to appreciate this beautiful European-like city that has been called “the Paris of South America.” Buenos Aires is a colorful and engaging city where it is usual to see people doing the tango on the city streets. That would have made a great photo op….but, because of the rain, the locals seem to have left their dancing shoes at home.  So I guess this sodden group of amigos will have to do instead!

Our excellent guide, Maria, took us to a delightful restaurant for lunch. Buenos Aires is the beef-eating capital of the world and servings are renowned for being hefty. Maria recommended beef de chorizo for us and it arrived true to form with no room on the plate for any other food groups!

We did notice during a later stop at a market place that, in fact, protein is not the only food group available here!

A high point of this day was our last stop at the ornate and splendid Recoleta Cemetery which is an above ground city of marble mausoleums….and the final resting place of Eva Peron.

NEWSFLASH: We now have a new Captain….a female!!! And we’re already noticing the effects. She actually reminds us to wear sunscreen before we go out in the hot sun….something no male Captain has ever done. I guess you could say that we’re now traveling on the “mother ship!”

POSTSCRIPT: I am currently reading Isabel Allende’s book, My Invented Country, in anticipation of our stops in Chile. She says that according to the Inter-American Development Bank, Latin America is one of the most violent areas of the world, second only to Africa! YIKES!!