Census Day: Wednesday, October 27

Today is Census Day in Argentina. So it is a National Holiday, and all businesses (sort of) are required to be closed from 8 in the morning to 8 in the evening so everyone can stay home and be counted when the Census Taker shows up at their door. It also turned out to be the day that the former President and spouse to the current President of Argentina died of a heart attack. I walked Florida Street, the main pedestrian street in the city all the way in to the Government Plaza. It turns out there must be some flexibility with the rules for Census Day, because all of the souvenir shops were open for business, the street vendors were set up all over the place, the news stands were open, and I found an open Pharmacy, which was fortunate as I needed some decongestant and throat lozenges to deal with what feels like a oncoming cold. The most interesting business exception was that the many quick-mart type stores along the street were closed to customers entering, but were staffed and were selling products through the closed gate. Maybe that is a loophole. Below is a picture of the Presidential Palace from the day, with flags at half mast and people gathered in front mourning the loss of their former President and current First Man.

Recoleta: Sunday October 24

On Sunday I walked to the Recoleta area for the afternoon. It is about 2 miles from the hotel, and a pleasant walk. The Plaza Francia in Recoleta is always bustling with activity on weekends, with rows and rows of street vendors and performers. This was my second trip to this area, so some of the pictures may look familiar.

Basilica del Santisimo Sacramento, about a block from my hotel.

A Flatiron building at Plaza San Martin

Circulo Militar

The median on Ave. 9 de Julio, the major boulevard in town.

The French Embassy. Beautiful, but hard to get a picture of.

A beautiful old derelict home. What a bucketful of money could do with this!

Plaza Francia. You can see the line of street vendors.

Some boys playing in the trunk of the tree.

Recoleta

The entrance to the cemetery, being renovated.

Mary and Jesus watch over the cemetery

Buller Brew Pub in Recoleta.

This tree is over 200 years old, according to the sign.

A Tango demonstration

Argentine Dalmatian puppies. Very cute.

Street vendor food.

Young men performing gymnastics in the plaza

I stopped in the Bullrich mall on the way home. Very upscale, reputedly the most so in all of town. Tiffany's is here.

The Four Seasons Hotel. Guess VF didn't know they had one, or they would have put me up here.

The opposite side of the French Embassy

Trunk of the large tree in Plaza San Martin, which was catching rays of the late afternoon sun.

Gaucho Ranch: Saturday, October 23

On Saturday I took a day trip to a Gaucho ranch about an hours drive out of Buenos Aires, in the Pampas. Very much a packaged tourist's tour, but it was fun and provided a nice escape from the city. It included a horse ride, a nice lunch, a dance show and some Gaucho riding exhibitions.

Out in the country

Hitting the open trail, so to speak.

Cowboy Bill.

I was a natural in my Wranglers.

What do they say about the view from the rear??

My group's lunch table. They served beef sausage, prime rib, ribs, chicken and a few other cuts of meat.

Tango show

Traditional dance

Gaucho performs with bolas

The crowd joins in. There were about 150 in the audience, including a large wedding party.

End of the music

The dining hall

Gauchos cutting horses into groups.

All sorted by style/color

Horses on the run. Very dusty!!

Gaucho approaching a small ring suspended from this frame, trying to catch it on a stick as he rides by at full gallop. Kind of like Gaucho jousting??

Gauchos after the ring competition. The young one on the right was the best at it.

Tourist poses with the lead Gaucho