Buenos Aires, Argentina - March 6, 2014

 On the second day at sea, we started noticing lots of insect life.  There were moths on the windows, and dragonflies and monarch butterflies floated by.  Late in the afternoon we reached the entrance to the Rio Plata.  From there the rest of the journey was a slow one through the channel to Buenos Aires. We arrived early in Buenos Aires. 

We had several walking tours mapped out, but in the end we just found ourselves walking where it looked interesting.  There were shuttles to take us into the city.  From there we headed for the Plaza de Mayo.  The weather was perfect.

Buenos Aires is called 'the Paris of South America,' and that's exactly what it felt like.  It's a beautiful city, with a mixture of old European-style and modern buildings.   

The Plaza de Mayo has a memorial commemorating the 1810 revolution. 

Along one side is the Casa Rosada, the pink palace.  It was from the balcony here that Evita Peron addressed her adoring public. 

Avenida 9 de Julio is reported to be the widest street in the world, although it's actually three streets very close together.  In the center is a huge obelisk.

The biggest shopping mall in Buenos Aires is Gallerias Pacifico.  It was originally built in 1810 and has been restored.  It contains beautiful ceiling art and frescoes.  It's located along the Calle Florida, which is a twelve-block long area of pedestrian-only shopping. 

We had lunch at Cafe Martinez, the local version of Starbuck's.  The waitress did not speak English, so I struggled along with my Spanish.  We had a great time.

We left Buenos Aires at 9:00 and slowly sailed back up the river for Montevideo, Uruguay.