The Art and Flair of Buenos Aires

As we entered the final chapter of our trip, Mark and I reflected on how nature-focused our itinerary had been.  From the northern deserts and valleys to the southern mountains and glaciers and up to the jungle to see Iguazu Falls, we'd experienced so much of the Argentine great outdoors but taken in so little urban culture.  So we reserved a full week for Buenos Aires, a city we'd passed through three times already but had no chance to explore. 

The striking Puente de la Mujer (Woman's Bridge)

We hopped on a graffiti tour.  I love tours. 

My favorite work of street art.  This is a political commentary on the landlord of this house who closed it up with cinder blocks and is sitting on the property in hopes of appreciation. 

Radioactive poodles and ice cream...

How often do you see these two guys hanging out?

We stayed in an apartment owned by family friends who treated us with prodigious hospitality

The painted homes of La Boca

One of the most striking and thought-provoking sites we found was concealed under an overpass of a busy highway.  There an archeological dig in the side of a hill serves as a searing reminder of the atrocities committed under Argentina's military dictatorship during the 1970s and 80s.  Before the highway was built, a Federal Police building occupied this space, in the basement of which hundreds of political prisoners were detained and tortured.  Most were never seen again, entering the ranks of the over 20,000 Argentines who disappeared during this darkest chapter of their country's history.  Archeologists have found chunks of wall with scrawled messages written by prisoners and artifacts from the center.

The text reads: Memory Recovery Project of the Clandestine Center of Detention and Torture "Club Atlético"

The famous Floralis Genérica.  The petals originally opened each morning and closed each evening, but it has been broken for years...way to go Buenos Aires. 

The hallowed hallways of the Recoleta Cemetery. 

We took in some nightlife for good measure.  The clubs don't begin to fill up until 3am...

We were so fortunate to be welcomed like family by our connections in Buenos Aires.  This city has a beating heart and a vivacious spirit that profoundly impacts even the most casual visitor. 

En fin, it's been a phenomenal six weeks, full of introspection, conversation and laughs.  Traveling with Mark was a true honor--I could have asked for no better companion.  Hasta la vista, Argentina.  Where we going next, Mark?!

Appropriately ending our trip as it began, with an excellent mate session.  Such reception...thank you Beverly and Victor!

Spectacular Iguazu Waterfalls

After 3.5 weeks in Patagonia, Mark and I were ready to change scenery completely.  So we boarded a series of planes and made our way to the northernmost tip of Agentina, to the province of Misiones.  There, two great rivers come together to delineate the triple border between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. One of these two rivers, the Río Iguazú, happens to take a 200-foot free-fall, creating one of the most humbling natural vistas I've ever seen.  I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Welcome to Iguazu!

How bout a boat ride under the falls?

The two bearded travelers are not intimidated.

Mark's waterproof GoPro captures our reaction...

Worth it!

What makes Iguazu so amazing is the great quantity of falls--both large and small--and the fact that each individual cascade is framed by verdant jungle. 

It was Eleanor Roosevelt who proclaimed, upon seeing Iguazu for the first time, "Poor Niagara!"

Still excited about the sunshine in February

The most impressive lookout - La Garganta del Diablo (the Devil's Throat)

It was the volume of water...

...and the brute force that most awed us

And at the end of a hot jungle day...

...we naturally found our own natural shower!

For just a few nights a month, when the moon is full, the park opens so photographers can try their best to capture the waterfalls with long exposures.  We had the great fortune to not only be there during the full moon, but to score an evening with clear skies as well.  We bit the bullet and purchased the expensive tickets (made more expensive by a mandatory, underwhelming buffet dinner) and took a train out to the Garganta del Diablo.  Night photography is one my greatest passions and I can imagine no better canvas than the legendary Iguazu Falls under a full moon.  What a spectacular place.  

Photo credit: Ray

Photo credit: Ray

Photo credit: Mark

Photo credit: Mark

Photo credit: Mark