The following pictures are from the Heart of the City tour I did with Biking Buenos Aires.
Pigeon man in San Telmo.
Uruguayan peace monument in San Telmo. It's made of bronze, which was originally amassed by children in Uruguay that collected coins which were melted down for the sculpture. There's a chunk missing in the bottom right hand corner, because when the Argentine economy crashed in 2001 and people realized that bronze was a valuable resource, they began to tear the monument apart. That's as far as they got before the government fenced it off to protect it.
Brett (our guide) in front of La Bonbonera, the fútbol stadium for Boca Juniors, which just won the most recent national championship a couple weeks ago.
The old port in La Boca, the first port in Buenos Aires.
Traditional colors in La Boca. It's always been a poor neighborhood and so people used whatever leftover paint they could find to paint their buildings. At first there was no order or scheme to the blotches of color, but then thanks to Benito Quinquela Martín's ideas, the people started to use the myriad of colors to create attractive and interesting façades that have now become so stereotypical of La Boca.
An example of the super colorful, almost circus-like lettering around La Boca.
La Boca.
A restaurant that offers tango shows in La Boca.
La Boca.
La Boca.
La Boca.
La Boca.
La Boca.
La Boca.
La Boca.
La Boca.
La Boca.
A monument underneath the freeway to serve as a reminder of all the desaparecidos (missing people) of the Dirty War (1976-1983). Under this freeway, while excavating to build a fútbol field, they found a maze of secret underground rooms and torture chambers that were used to hold the desaparecidos and hide them from sight.
Puerto Madero, the modern port of the city (though poorly designed, so this part of it was never used as a port). This part is all foreign investment money and has been able to keep growing rapidly even as the rest of the country's economy suffers.
A view of the Buenos Aires (actually, Puerto Madero) skyline from the ecological reserve by the Río de la Plata which separates Argentina and Uruguay. The city was built in such a way that it turns its back on the river, probably because the river never gave good things to porteños (BA locals) - it brought disease and colonizing Europeans, among other things.
Río de la Plata.
My very non-vegetarian boniola lunch.
The parrilla (grill) where we got our food.
La Casa Rosada, the President's office. It used to the President's residence as well, but not any more.
The Argentine flag unfurling in Plaza de Mayo.
Plaza de Mayo. The big building beyond the white statue is a cathedral, although it doesn't look like one from the outside. It's supposed to be a union of religion and Free Masonry.
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These photos are from Cristina's inauguration day, 10 December 2011. There was a large crowded gathered in front of the Congreso (Congress building, with the green dome) while the Presidenta gave a speech, and this is what I saw there...
The first big blue banner says "Evita Movement".
The city fire department sent a truck to spray the crowd with water to cool us down. That was awfully nice of them.
Both guys looking at the camera had shirts praising Cristina. The one on the left says "Our country is America" and calls her the female version of Simón Bolívar, the man responsible for leading several South American countries to their independence from their European colonizers.
The big sign reads "Plenary of Militants for Kirchner".
Away from Congreso, everything else felt deserted in comparison.
* * *
The Pulsera Party for the kids-in-the-hospital fundraiser.
The boys (Mike, Robin, and Troy) being crafty!
Making bracelets.
The Christmas tree in Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires.
Plaza de Mayo Christmas tree with the Casa Rosada in the background, Buenos Aires.
Pigeons and a stormy sky, Buenos Aires.
Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires.
Breaking the Argentine record for distance run on a treadmill in 24 hours.
Aminah and Kate avoiding a picture.
Street parade, Buenos Aires.
Street parade, Buenos Aires.
Motorcycle line-up, Buenos Aires.
Downtown Buenos Aires.
Massimo and Aminah.
Common old buildings in Buenos Aires.
Old buildings, Buenos Aires.
Graffiti, Buenos Aires.
Street market on Calle Florida, Buenos Aires.
Calle Florida, Buenos Aires.
Homemade pizza at Robin's (garlic cream sauce, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, cheese, oregano, fresh basil).
Igor, the next-door neighbor's cat. He always has his tongue sticking out.
A relatively empty subte, Buenos Aires.
Brian buying fresh orange juice in the San Telmo market, Buenos Aires.
San Telmo market, Buenos Aires.
More graffiti, Buenos Aires.
Roz, Jeff, and Jess at Acabar, Buenos Aires.
Brian, Kate, and a pingüino of wine at Acabar, Buenos Aires.
Partial CELTA reunion at Acabar, with Aminah, Liam, Fiona, Roz, Jess, Brian, and Kate.
Market in Plaza Francia by the Recoleta Cemetery.
Huge tree in Plaza Francia.
Tango.
Kristin and Brett's apartment.
Irving and Kristen making chicken for Christmas Eve dinner.
All photography copyright Kendall DeLyser.
Que bueno!! los videos del tango es justo como imaginaba Buenos Aires :P
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