Shared Illusions

I have noticed a paucity of insects. With so much standing water, dog poop, food waste on the street, and open air meat stands, it seems that flies and mosquitos should be present. But we see very few. We’ve seen one fly and we had a mosquito in our apartment the other day. No bugs except for a few small beetles. There are lots of pigeons and some other birds, but I don’t suppose that completely explains the absence of insects. The absence of insects doesn’t really explain all the birds, either.

Today we walked to La Boca neighborhood to the east. It was an easy two miles to get to the main tourist area. The walk included a stroll through a nice park (Parque Lezama) that contained a number of sculptures, including a monument to Don Diego de Mendoza, a founder of Buenos Aires.

We also passed several flea markets and plazas where dancers were performing tango. Some of them were exceptional. I could not get any decent photos since they all move so darned fast. I took one video. I hope it plays.

When we got into the heart of La Boca we were greeted with very colorful buildings, lots of tourists, and the aroma of charcoal and meat. We got very hungry.

We decided to try a parriallada in a courtyard restaurant that was really quiet. At least until the drummers started in the street and continued for the entire time we were eating. I have heard so many good things about Argentina’s specialty with meat, but I did not get what I was expecting. I am used to things having flavors and I’m not really into eating myofascia that much. Perhaps we’ll try it again somewhere else.

W

While at lunch we decided to head to the terminal for a different ferry to Uruguay and get tickets for a day trip to Colonia del Sacramento on Tuesday. We figured going to Colonia this week will allow us to optimize our time in Montevideo and along the Atlantic coast. On the way to the terminal we passed many murals and colorful buildings.

From the ferry terminal we were close to the Ecological Preserve and decided to walk there. It was open and due to close in an hour. It was the first time it was open after two previous attempts. We had just enough time to walk through the park to the Rio de la Plata and back to the gate. When we got to the river we attempted to sit on a bench but were quickly informed by a park employee that we did not have time to sit, we must leave now because the park is closing.

I read in a tour guide that at this point the Rio de la Plata is the widest river in the world. I can’t say that is true, but I do know you can not see the other side. The camera is pointed at Uruguay in the above photo.

Tomorrow we are taking the train to Tigre, which is about 35 kilometers north of here and is situated at the river delta. I’m looking forward to being out of the city for a bit.

Have a good evening. We’ll be in touch.