We have been in Buenos Aires this entire week. We took spanish classes Monday through Friday. We have been studying a lot and exploring the city.
One of the highlights this week was going to a World Cup qualifying match between Argentina and Columbia at River Plate Stadium. This game was much more relaxed and peaceful compared to the Brazilian soccer match we saw in Rio a few weeks ago. I think because the entire stadium was rooting for Argentina that the crowd was so peaceful, whereas in Rio, the game we saw involved two bitter rivals. Argentina squeaked out a 1-0 win to stay atop the South American standings for the World Cup qualifying rounds.
Another day we went one a bike tour of the city. On this tour we visited a handful of neighborhoods, parks, and historical monuments as well as learned a bit of Argentinian history. It seems this city tends to copy famous buildings from other cities. Look, it’s Big Ben. And the Opera House in Sydney.
Another day we wandered around the main city plaza where some of the oldest buildings in the city exist, in particular, Casa Rosada, where the President works each day. We were supposed to take a tour of Casa Rosada but it was closed for the day because Condoleeza Rice was visiting. The local newspapers said she was in Argentina to gain support for measures that the US is taking against the Venezuelan government. It seems that the US Government doesn’t like the current president of Venezuela, who is very vocal in being anti-privatization, anti-corporate and pro-working class.
Besides that, we have been eating lots of great meals. The food here is a welcome change from Brazilian cuisine. The steaks here are fantastic and the Italian food is plentiful. Every other restaurant here is a Parilla, which essentially is a steak house.
We leave in the next day or two for the town of Ushusia. Where is Ushuaia? At the tip of South America. We will be down there exploring Tierra Del Fuego National Park for a few days.