Monday (Lunes) 8th March, 2010
Day 361


Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Miles: 38,903
S 34.61846°
W 58.37828°



This morning we went to the Paraguay consulate to start the visa process. We are not sure we will go into Paraguay, but if we don't get a visa we won't have the choice. In the foyer of the building there was a huge lineup of people waiting for service at a clerks window. It took us a little while to work out that we did not have to wait in that line. We got forms, filled them out, lodged our applications, paid the fees and were out of there in about 40 minutes with a receipt and instructions to come back tomorrow at 9:00 to pickup our passports with the new visa stamps.


So with business done it was time to do some sightseeing.

First stop was a photographic exhibition of work by a National Geographic photographer named Steve McCurry. It was fabulous (click the link www.stevemccurry.com to see his website), Nina and I both felt inspired to take even more photographs - don't worry we wont insist that you look at them.

Next on the agenda was a city bus tour on special open topped double deck buses, provided by the City of Buenos Aires. We read the pamphlet carefully to confirm that we could buy tickets on board the bus, good so we found one of the bus stops and waited. Of course when the bus finally arrived the young lady at the door told us - "no, you cannot buy tickets on board you have to go to stop number zero and buy them at the ticket booth". Then why say in the pamphlet that they can be purchased on board ? You know by now you would think we would have learned that in Latin America you don't bother to ask such a question.

The bus tour was both good and bad. The city is really interesting, pretty and well decorated with gardens and parks but also with some really poor neighborhoods. Lots of statues, monuments, beautiful buildings, tree lines avenues. But the tour itself was not up to the standard of the city, the commentary was not very informative and often was not synchronised to the location.

Tired and more than a little sun-burned we trudged back to the apartment to rest.