Power to the People

That was the story for the rest of our week in Buenos Aires. The power in our rental unit kept going out, usually for extended periods of time. I suspect it was a problem with the main breaker but the owner could not get an electrician there in time to save our week. Several dinners turned into candlelight meals………if we had candles……..so they were headlamp dinners instead. The owner apologized and gave us a partial refund for our troubles.

Still lots to do outside however. We went on another City Walk, this time on the Aristocrat tour where we wandered through the Retiro and Recoleta neighbourhoods listening to stories about all the palaces and antics of the wealthy. Another day we took a full tour of the magnificent Teatro Colon (built in 1906), one of the top opera houses in the world. We sat in the Presidents box…….near the stage and not a very good view for them but a place where the audience could view them. The opera season doesn’t begin for another month so the tour had to suffice. We also walked through many of the city parks and enjoyed the sights and serenity, and made return visits (from 2010) to Puerto Madero and the always entertaining San Telmo Sunday market.

We have now moved on to Bariloche, in the very scenic Lake District, where our Patagonia adventures will begin. We are surrounded by lakes and mountains, so there are great views wherever you venture. It reminds us of the Banff area with lots of chalets and the fact that people flock here in the summer for wonderful hiking opportunities and in the winter for some of the best skiing in South America. Yesterday we spent some time in the Civic Centre and then climbed Cerro Campanario (bypassing the 7 minute chairlift) where the summit offers 360 degree views of the Andes Range and the multitude of lakes. We were able to spot many of the places we will go to over the next few days. The weather has cooled down a bit, to the 20-25C range (night time lows of 10-15C), which is more suitable for the hiking that we will be doing. The power works great here but due to the very busy high season we spent the first two nights in a small room with a bunk bed. Today they are moving us to a bigger room with a flat bed. Good vibe here though and well situated for our daily hikes so it was a minor inconvenience. 

Off shortly to hike part of the Circuito Chico which will offer some great lake views and forest walks.

While walking along the promenade in Puerto Madero we came across this ship which made an expedition to Antarctica in 1902, so we had to check it out. Hopefully the MS Expedition will have a few more amenities :-)

The Las Heras Park in Palermo created a resort like atmosphere for those in the neighbourhood to enjoy the beautiful weather and break from the busy city streets.

The Lady McGuire mansion in Recoleta, the lone remaining mansion-palace with an actual person living in it like it was originally designed. She is in her 80's and if you are lucky when passing by, you may see her poke her head through the curtains.

The San Telmo Sunday market which is always worth a return visit. Part way into the two kilometre street walk it started to drizzle so the tango dancers and street entertainers were not as prominent this time around.

The beautiful Teatro Colon. The President's box was the lower one on the right side of the stage. The box on the opposite side of the stage was reserved for the Mayor. While seats at the front of the theatre sell for $500, standing room only at the top are made available to the public for less than $5.

Moving on Bariloche we walked along the beach (Playa Bonita) near our hostel. The beach contained small round rocks (vs. sand) but that didn't seem to deter the pleasure seekers.

While walking down by the lake in the Civic Centre we noticed this monument with the "Mothers" emblem painted on it. The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires conducted silent protests in the plaza during the military dictatorship of 1976-1983 when their children 'disappeared' during the Deadly War. Some still walk today with their symbol scarfs, and recent DNA searches have managed to re-connect some families. 

A view from the summit of Cerro Campanario. The Andes Range is in the background. We will do some hiking on trails hidden below connecting many of the lakes.