One more day in Buenos Aires, then north to Puerto Iguazú
Monday was a clear spring day in Buenos Aires with incredible winds streaming down the streets from the Rio de la Plata, just to our east. We ventured out with a couple of destinations in mind and soon found ourselves getting side tracked as we often do! We had three places in mind that we wanted to see specifically - a famous bookstore, the museum of ‘water’ and the barrio of La Boca. We descended into the closest subway and on exiting came pretty close to the bookstore, ‘El Ateneo Grand Splendid’. Splendid it is! It was once an elegant theatre, then closed, renovated and converted into a massive bookstore. We then walked to the Museo del Agua y de la Historia Sanitaria. A neighbour had recommended we visit this museum, and we were so impressed - not only were the interpretive displays really interesting but the building (which took up a whole block) was an ornate exquisite example of architecture from the 19th century. We had fun looking at all the old bathroom and plumbing fixtures. Later that day we got back on the subway and made our way to the historical barrio of La Boca. It’s known for it’s cultural diversity, colourful buildings originally built from recycled materials (mostly corrugated metal) and home to the Boca Jr Soccer club. The area has become a popular tourist destination, most of whom we met were Spanish speakers.
This morning we left 754 Parana Av, caught an Uber, made our way to one of the several airports in the city and caught a SmartJet plane to Puerto Iguazú. We’ll spend 4 nights here giving ample time to see the famous nearby falls and explore the national park. We’re north of Buenos Aires, very close to the borders with Brazil and Paraguay. It wasn’t a long flight getting here but every travel day seems long as it’s filled with logistics - finding our accommodation, grocery store, bank, and organizing our next few days’ activities. So far Puerto Iguazú reminds us of some small town in Mexico thriving solely to serve tourists. Tomorrow we’ve arranged for a driver to take us into the park.
