Escaping Winter in South America

Every year I try to escape from the bitter chill and dreariness of winter for a few weeks. This year, I decided to go south, way south, all the way to South America, for a 3-week OAT adventure that focused on the Patagonia region of Argentina and Chile.

I was excited to be going back to South America. It would be my first time visiting Chile, but not Argentina. In fact, I was in Argentina on two separate occasions in 2017, during the time my daughter and son-in-law spent a self-declared sabbatical year in Argentina and Uruguay. Naturally, I’d seen many of the tourist sights of Buenos Aires, but I had spent most of my time in the lovely residential neighborhood of Palermo, where they lived. I’d also traveled with them to the Mendoza region, notable for its wine production, but I’d never ventured into the vast area of Patagonia that extends all the way to the southern tip of South America. 

 

My OAT trip began with a few days in Buenos Aires, and I was looking forward to returning to the cosmopolitan Argentine capital. This time, I was based in the Retiro neighborhood, more of a business and commercial area, right in the center of the city. Our hotel was well-located near the Plaza San Martín, where an equestrian statue of Argentina’s liberator stands. 

 

It was also just a couple of blocks from the main avenue, 9 de julio, the widest avenue in the world. My first reaction to being back in Buenos Aires was “oh, it’s so hot here!” Well, of course, it was hot because it was summer and I knew I shouldn’t be complaining about temperatures in the upper 80s when it was probably snowing back at home.  

 

I had arrived a day early and met up with Suzanne, a friend from a previous trip, who was also on the tour. At breakfast, we discussed how to spend our “extra” day. But the first decision I had to make was what kind of medialuna (the croissant-like Argentine pastry) I wanted to have with my coffee. 

 

We started our explorations with the unassuming church right next to our hotel. The neo-Classical Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Socorro (Basilica of Our Lady of Relief) dates back to the 18^th century. Given the relatively unadorned façade of the church, I was surprised at the richness of the interior, especially the paintings on the ceiling. 

From there, we crossed the Avenida 9 de julio (the widest avenue in the world) and headed to the Plaza Lavalle. The Teatro Colon, situated on the plaza, wasn't open yet so we continued on to the busy Avenue Corrientes. 

Plaza Lavalle
 

On Corrientes, we made a stop at Guerrin, a famous Italian restaurant founded in 1932. It claims to have the best pizza in the world and many would agree. It was not quite 11am, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s always a good time for pizza, so I ordered a slice. I knew from my previous visits to Buenos Aires to expect a very thick layer of cheese resting on a hefty base of dough with a minimal amount of red sauce. I stood at a counter and chatted with friendly locals while munching away. 

 

I was eager to return to Palermo Botanico, the neighborhood where I had stayed back in 2017. I had especially fond memories of Boûlan, the wonderful bakery where I’d often stop to pick up croissants or special treats. For about four dollars, Suzanne and I took an Uber to Palermo Botanico. Our first stop was Boûlan, where I ordered a latte and pastry for old times’ sake. We then spent a pleasant hour strolling through the neighborhood, which brought back happy memories. 

 

The official OAT adventure got off to a great start when our group of 13 met for the first time with Javi, our leader for the next few weeks. At our welcome meeting, we introduced ourselves and Javi outlined some basic information. He told us that during the 17-day main trip to Argentina and Chile, we’d cover 5000 miles, do two border crossings, visit seven destinations, explore four national parks, and see three world heritage sites. In other words, we were going to be busy. And that didn’t even include the 4-day post-trip extension to Iguazu Falls that Suzanne and I had both signed up for. 

 

Some of us then headed out to dinner with Javi. We had an excellent meal at Broccollini, an Italian restaurant a short walk from the hotel. Since it was summer, it was still light out when we walked back from dinner. By the time the evening was over, I had no doubt that this trip was going to be a lot of fun, thanks to Javi’s boundless energy and enthusiasm, and his great sense of humor.

 

The next morning, Javi and Adrian, a local guide, led us on a tour of Buenos Aires’ main tourist sights. When we walked along the Avenida 9 de julio, I admired the masses of pink and white blossoms that adorned the trees. I learned that they were ceiba trees, which are native to the area. They’re also known as silk floss trees, or in Spanish as palo borracho trees, literally “drunken stick” trees, due to the bulging shape of the trunk that resembles a wine keg. I’m sorry I didn’t get a good picture of them, but definitely look them up. 

 

We soon reached the Obelisk, the towering monument where Porteños (residents of Buenos Aires) gather to celebrate major sports events, such as last year’s soccer World Cup victory. This is the location where the city was founded by the Spanish back in the year 1536. The area surrounding the Obelisk, which was thronged with tourists, reminded me a bit of Times Square in New York City.  

We then traveled by bus to the Plaza de Mayo, the city’s main square. The name of the plaza commemorates the country’s May Revolution of 1810, the initial revolt in Argentina’s struggle for independence from Spain. The May Pyramid in the center of the square was erected in 1811. 

Government buildings facing the square include the pink Casa Rosada, official workplace of Argentina’s president. It was formerly a fortress that looked out onto the harbor. An equestrian monument in the square depicts General Manuel Belgrano, a military leader of Argentina’s war for independence.

 

Also facing the square is the city’s Metropolitan Cathedral, which contains the mausoleum of Argentine liberator José San Martín. The façade of the cathedral resembles a Greek temple. Since I’ve been doing mosaic work recently, I was very interested in seeing the cathedral’s beautiful Venetian mosaic floors.  

The Plaza de Mayo is the country’s political focal point, and has been the scene of many demonstrations over the years. During Argentina’s right-wing military dictatorship, which lasted from 1976 to 1982, a group known as the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo congregated here on a weekly basis. On the ground surrounding the pyramid are paintings of white handkerchiefs, the symbol of their movement.

 

They demonstrated against the military government with signs and pictures of their missing children and grandchildren, who were “disappeared” (illegally detained, tortured, and secretly killed) by the government as part of Argentina’s Dirty War. After the military dictatorship ended, bodies of the victims were found in mass graves. Some bodies, which were dropped from helicopters into rivers, were never recovered. The military government did not document its activities but it is estimated that up to 30,000 people, mostly students and activists, disappeared during the Dirty War. Young children of the disappeared, and babies born to pregnant women who were detained and later murdered, were taken by the government and given away to families allied with the military. 

 

Later that day, we visited the office of an organization founded in 1977 to help the approximately 500 children who were taken away reunite with their biological families. So far, they have only been successful in 139 cases since the military government was very secretive about their activities. One of those children, now an adult, spoke to us about his experiences. 

 

We got a very different view of Buenos Aires in La Boca, literally, “the mouth” (of the river), a colorful area that was the city’s main port until about 100 years ago. This is where immigrants from various countries arrived in the 1800s. Many settled in crowded tenements, and the tango was born here from the mix of cultures. I enjoyed walking through the streets and seeing the older buildings that today are painted in eye-catching colors. 

Our guide pointed out the blue and gold/yellow stadium that is the home of the Boca Juniors football, i.e. soccer, team. According to Javi, soccer is a religion in Argentina. Most Porteños are fiercely devoted fans of either the Boca Juniors or their rivals, River Plate (colors – red and white). The rivalry is so intense that when the two teams play each other, fans of the visiting team are not allowed in the stadium in an effort to avoid violence. 

La Boca is a very popular area for tourists and it’s filled with restaurants. The smell of meat cooking on the parrilla (grill) was wafting through the air, making my mouth water. After doing a little souvenir shopping, I stopped for a choripan, the Argentine version of a hotdog – but much tastier. 

And speaking of food, I couldn’t leave Buenos Aires without trying some of the Argentine beef that the country is famous for. Although I’m not normally a red meat eater, I enjoyed a beef-filled empanada and a thick, tender, and juicy steak (12oz. – I could only eat half) and fried potatoes when our group dined at Villegas, a restaurant in the Puerto Madera area. 

The red brick buildings of Puerto Madera have been beautifully restored over the past few years and the revitalized port area now attracts big crowds, especially on balmy summer evenings. In addition to multiple restaurants, ice cream shops, and bars, one of the attractions is the Puente de la Mujer, a footbridge designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, which was lit up with pink lights when we saw it at night. The architect states that the designs represent a couple dancing the tango. I don’t quite see that but I appreciated the graceful design anyway. 

 

We were back in Puerto Madera the following day for lunch at a different restaurant, El Mirasol del Puerto. Once again, beef was on the menu, but I opted for grilled chicken along with corn filled empanadas, chimichurri sauce, grilled veggies, and a dulce de leche garnished flan. 

 

Like nearly all visitors to Buenos Aires, we spent a couple of hours exploring the Recoleta Cemetery with our local guide. The city’s first public cemetery was established on this site in 1822. Today it covers 14 acres and contains over 6000 graves. There’s even a fee to enter. During the city’s golden age (1880-1930) the cemetery was transformed by wealthy aristocratic families who wanted to create a European style cemetery in the architectural styles popular in Paris and Vienna. 

 

As a few raindrops fell, we strolled down the avenues lined with impressive Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Baroque, and neo-Gothic style mausoleums. Many featured stained glass and marble carvings.  

I can understand why our local guide described the cemetery as an open history book. We paused in front of the mausoleum of Julio Roca, a controversial figure in Argentine history, and learned about this self-proclaimed King of Patagonia. He was an army general who led the military conquest that seized the land from the native population and later served as the President of Argentina from 1880 to 1886. 

 

At the mausoleum of Domingo Sarmiento, we learned about one of the most important figures in Argentina’s history. He established Argentina’s free public secular education system and served as the country’s president from 1868 to 1874. An obelisk, with an Andean condor perched at the top, stands in front of his tomb. 

 

And, of course, there’s the much-visited burial place of Eva Perón, aka Evita. Her body went missing shortly after her death in 1952 and was not placed in the mausoleum of her father’s family until several years later. 

A repeat adventure for me was the boat ride we took on the Paraná River delta, starting from the town of Tigre, just outside of Buenos Aires. The name of the town actually refers to jaguars who were once common in the area. Tigre provides a quick getaway from the city and many Porteños come on the weekends for its beaches and rowing clubs. Some Porteños have second homes along the waterfront. Because the water in the delta is tidal, the houses are set on stilts. 

 

We noticed the brownish color of the water, and Adrian explained that it’s caused by silt that floats down the river from the north. The depth of the water is only about 2 meters (6 feet). From the Paraná delta, the water flows into the Rio de la Plata and then into the Atlantic Ocean. To provide transportation within the delta, public boats take the place of public buses. There’s even a grocery boat that brings provisions to the houses.  

the grocery boat

 

While we were gliding along the river under an overcast sky, we snacked on alfajores, those seductively sweet sandwich cookies filled with dulce de leche that are a signature Argentine treat. I made sure to stop by one of the many Havanna shops in the capital to buy a variety of alfajores before the trip ended. 

The Argentine economy was a topic I wanted to learn more about. Soon after I arrived, I noticed that prices were considerably higher than I expected. Javi explained that the exchange rate is still quite volatile, and while Argentina has plentiful natural resources, such as oil, gas, minerals, and forests, it has been unable to create economic stability, unlike its neighbors, Chile and Uruguay. The inflation rate is still extremely high. However, it recently came down to about 4% per month after being 10% per month previously. The high prices are very problematic for the general population. Adrian added that about a third of Argentina’s population lives in very poor conditions. The current government, under Millai, is trying to cut costs and bring inflation under control. 

Meanwhile, the population of Buenos Aires is increasing, as many people flock to the capital from other parts of the country. Unfortunately, there are not many jobs available for them. In addition, because of Argentina’s open immigration policy, a large number of immigrants from Venezuela and other Latin American countries have come to the city. 

 

Lastly, I can’t end my tale of Buenos Aires without mentioning our group tango lesson. Two expert dancers and a bandoneon player came to our hotel to instruct us. It’s clear that none of us will ever become accomplished dancers, but we managed to learn some of the basics, such as the correct stance, the proper hand positions, and how to step forwards and backwards. We also learned that when dancing the tango, the pair always moves in a counterclockwise circle. It wasn’t easy, but it was a lot of fun.

 

While I certainly enjoyed being back in Buenos Aires, after a few days I was ready to move on to our next stop, the city of Bariloche in the northern part of Patagonia. Hasta entonces…