Living (and dying) luxuriously in Buenos Aires

Trip Start Sep 17, 2007
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Trip End Oct 08, 2008


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Flag of Argentina  ,
Sunday, November 18, 2007

Itīs amazing how a rare a big city with modern conveniences is in Central and South America.  The hostel we are staying in here in Buenos Aires is amazing.  It has hot water.  AND water pressure.  AND, best of all, hot water actually comes out of the faucet.  Yes, you can get hot water to come out of the faucet.  Erin claims this happened once since we started.  I donīt believe her.  This is the first time weīve had a hot water faucet since weīve started this trip.  I didnīt have to shave with freezing cold water.  It was wonderful.

So we arrived a little early in Buenos Aires and took a little holiday from our holiday.  It was a good choice since the hostel here has free Internet, a big TV with DVD and cable, a ping pong table, and a pool table.  Life is good.

It wasnīt all fun and games however the widest avenue in the world
the widest avenue in the world
 .  We ventured out across the biggest boulevard in the world (it takes two green walk lights for us to get across) and up Florida, the pedestrian mall.  It was full of people and we took in a quick tango show with a dirty old man.  We also popped into a fancy mall with paintings on the ceiling and looked around in a bookstore.  Here we were driven away by a strangely sinister and persistant bookseller who wouldnīt take no for an answer.  Onwards to Recoleta Cemetary.

Strangely enough, the cemetary is a prime tourist attraction in the city.  Itīs somewhat of a monument to funerary art.  All the famous people try to outdo each other.  We bought a map with important dead people on it (non-important dead people are unlisted) and dutifully walked around and ogled.  It was pretty interesting.  I would like a monument to myself built here.  Some people are pretty full of themselves.  We lined up to see Evitaīs grave (the only one with a line).  We saw lots of contented cats.

Erin was complaining about sugar AGAIN so we stopped in a fancy McDonalds and got a McFlurry, except it wasnīt flurried and had M&Ms and fudge sauce.  These people just arenīt natural.  From here we strolled around Recoleta and ended up in a really peaceful park with a giant metal flower sculpture.  It was a long walk back but we made it and treated ourselves to really good $2 steak from the supermarket.

~Travis
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