La Boca was originally the immigrant dockside area, shanty towns built of tin and painted with whatever colour could be found. It’s still very colourful although very much for the tourists now, but once again we were warned not to venture away from the one block - this really is a scary city!
We stopped for a drink with Christine and Stuart - safety in numbers.
As you might expect tango is everywhere.
I had to do a quick swerve to avoid this rather handsome waiter trying to persuade me to dance.
Having said Evita wasn't in much evidence, here she is sharing a balcony with Juan Perón and Diego Maradona.
Another effigy of the cheat Maradona, clearly regarded as a hero in these parts.
I'm not too sure where this living statue fits in though.
As we were driving out of La Boca, we passed this wall mural and it took me a long time to find out what Kelpers meant. Apparently it is a nickname given to Falkland Islanders because the islands are surrounded by large fields of kelp seaweed. The term is no longer used as commonly as it once was, largely because it is considered racist and insulting by some islanders when used by Argentines. Certainly it is meant insultingly in this instance.
Sure enough just a block away, the street couldn't have been more of a contrast.
The view from our 10th floor window is over the modern docks of the Rio de la Plata and allegedly Uruguay can be seen on a clear day.
We rather like the planes made from scrap metal in a trackside yard.
Tonight we went to a dinner/tango show which was fabulous (except I had an upset stomach so couldn’t make full use of the free meal – delicious by all accounts – or the free wine). The restaurant/theatre was beautifully decorated in the 20/30s style and the dances represented tango from its first style though to the modern day versions.
The young lady at the far end was our local guide here, her English was practically accentless.
There may be a lot more to see in Bueños Aires if you have more time but, overall, I wasn’t impressed - just another capital city. Tomorrow we fly north to the Iguazu Falls and hopefully back to nature.
