Monday - Tango all the way!

The day was planned. But it had to be changed. We woke up early and really excited to go to Uruguay! Yes, another country, but you can easily access it by a one hour boat ride from Buenos Aires. But we got to the harbour too late and there were no seats left on any of the boat for the day. We felt disapointed because Colonia of Sacramento was on the top of our list of things to see and do.

Nerver mind... the day went on just perfectly and now we have a reason to come back to Buenos and visit Uruguay.

These photos are from the harbour area called Puerto Madero, definitely a place worth a visit.

But if you are rushing to get to the BUQUEBUS to get the boat, it's better to get the bus 152, from Plaza Del Mayo to drop you off at the boat terminal.

Ah, it helps if you are NOT pregnant, so you don't have to stop every five minutes to go pee. BTW, I should write about Buenos Aires washrooms, since I feel like I've used most of them!

Here is the bus 152, very useful!

We took it all the way from the harbour area to the famous neighbourhood of La Boca.

La Boca is known mostly for it's stadium (home of Boca Juniors)
and its bohemian style, but over all it's not a nice neighborhood to visit.

It's poor and looks rundown, but we are glad we came to see it.

Here is where the fun is!

I would imagine that this block was one day a hot spot for tango lovers and bohemians, but today, it's an area for tourists to think about tango and a Buenos Aires that might not exist anymore.

FROM WIKIPEDIA: La Boca is a neighborhood, or barrio of the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. It retains a strong European flavour, with many of its early settlers being from the Italian city of Genoa. In fact the name has a strong assonance with the Genoese neighborhood of Boccadasse (or Bocadaze in Genoese dialect), and some people believe that the Buenos Aires barrio was indeed named after it. The conventional explanation is that the neighborhood sits at the mouth ("boca" in Spanish) of the Riachuelo.

In 1882, after a lengthy general strike, La Boca seceded from Argentina, and the rebels raised the Genoese flag, which was immediately torn down personally by then President Julio Argentino Roca.
It is known among sports fans for La Bombonera the home of Boca Juniors, one of the world's best known football clubs. La Boca is a popular destination for tourists visiting Argentina, with its colourful houses and pedestrian street, the Caminito, where tango artists perform and tango-related memorabilia is sold. Other attractions include the La Ribera theatre, many tango clubs and Italian taverns.
It has also been a centre for radical politics, having elected the first socialist member of the Argentine Congress (Alfredo Palacios in 1935) and was home to many demonstrations during the crisis of 2001.
As one of Buenos Aires's 48 barrios, La Boca is located in the city's south-east near its old port. The barrio of Barracas is to the west; San Telmo and Puerto Madero are to the north. In La Boca many of the residents are of mixed European descent. Mainly Italian, Spanish, German, French, Arab and Basque.

For a few pesos tourists can feel like they are tango dancer and bring home a photo with a hot Argentinean showing them the moves. These street artists are everywhere, like the super heroes at Hollywood Boulevard, in LA.

This was probably the coolest looking bar and restaurant in the area. The owner did a great job keeping the bohemian atmosphere alive. Mike had a beer there (right at the corner when la Boca Starts, in front of the Caminito) and I, of course, tried their washroom.

Anyone can dance tango here!

At least for the cameras.

The Caminito, which now houses souvenier stores, including one of the most famous Alfajore brand: Havanna.

If you go upstairs and buy a souvenier, you can take a photo from a balcony, with Maradonna.

I did it... strangling him.

Some restaurants have tango performers to entertain their costumers... and people just walking on the streets, like us.

I love the colourful old houses, caractheristic of the place.

This fellow is enjoying the tango life!

Mikezinho having a good time.

It was a very hot day.

You just walk around clicking your camera away.

It's a great place to take photos!

Here are the three most famous Aregntineans.

From left to right: soccer player Maradonna, former first lady Eva Peron, and, I think, tango singer Carlos Gardel.

What a beautiful and pleasant place.

In the end, we were almost glad we missed Uruguay.

He is everywhere.

I wouldn't normally post a Maradonna picture on my blog, but this is just to show how he is loved here (not by me!!).

This is La Boca's old market.

A very interesting place, worth a walk.

Me right after our amazing lunch: breaded beef, french fries and salad.

A local man... probably remembering the tango good times.

* * * TANGO NIGHT!!!! * * *

If you go to New Orleans you must see a blues...

Lisbon, a Fado.

In Rio de Janeiro you cannot miss samba.

Here, you must see a tango night!

There are many different theatres and shows offering an authentic tango night, but we choose one of the classics, the Esquina Carlos Gardel.

For 420 pesos, or about CAN $130 a person, you can have a delicious three courses meal and the show in a fancy theater.

The tango couple.

How do you like Mike's new Argentinean shirt, bought especially for the tango night?

FROM WIKIPEDIA: Carlos Gardel (11 December 1887 or 1890 – 24 June 1935) was a singer, songwriter and actor, and is perhaps the most prominent figure in the history of tango. His birthplace is disputed between Uruguay and France. He lived in Argentina from the age of two and acquired Argentine citizenship in 1923. He grew up in the Abasto neighborhood of Buenos Aires. He attended Pio IX Industrial high-school located in the Almagro neighborhood of Buenos Aires. He died in an airplane crash at the height of his career, becoming an archetypal tragic hero mourned throughout Latin America. For many, Gardel embodies the soul of the tango style. He is commonly referred to as "Carlitos", "El Zorzal" (The Song Thrush), "The King of Tango", "El Mago" (The Magician) and "El Mudo" (The Mute).

The show is really beautiful and the music is amazing, all by Carlos Gardel.

The unerring musicality of Gardel's baritone voice and the dramatic phrasing of his lyrics made miniature masterpieces of his hundreds of three-minute tango recordings. Together with lyricist and long-time collaborator Alfredo Le Pera, Gardel wrote several classic tangos, most notably: Mi Buenos Aires querido, Cuesta abajo, Amores de estudiante, Soledad, Volver, Por una cabeza and El día que me quieras.

You just feel like going home and practising some moves.

I guess it would be a bit hard with my new belly.

There are a couple of singers and about seven pairs of dancers, all amazing.

FROM WIKIPEDIA: Tango dance and tango music originated in the area of the Rio de la Plata, and spread to the rest of the world soon after.
Early tango was known as tango criollo, or simply tango. Today, there are many tango dance styles, including Argentine tango, Uruguayan tango, Ballroom tango (American and International styles), Finnish tango, and vintage tangos. What many consider to be the authentic tango is that closest to that originally danced in Argentina and Uruguay, though other types of tango have developed into mature dances in their own right.
In 2009, Argentina and Uruguay suggested the Tango to be inscribed onto the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, in October of the same year UNESCO approved it.

But for me the most surprising was the orchestra, formed by very young people.

They were incredible!
I am afraid this boy here is under age! :)

It was a remarkable night!

This closes our trip to Buenos Aires in high style!