Travelin' Geezers (TM): Buenos Aires - The Paris of South America

I'm not sure I like that nickname. It's supposed to mean that Buenos Aires is a well-developed city based on European standards, full of culture and modern conveniences. And Buenos Aires is, in fact, all of those things. It does, indeed, remind me of Munich and Augsburg and other European cities with all of the ornate architecture, walking areas, public transportation, green spaces, and statuary. Buenos Aires has a personality all her own, though. So I prefer La Reina de Plata, the Queen of the Silver River. She does sit at the mouth of the Rio de la Plata, and she is very regal!

I decided to get my bearings and start scoping the place out by doing my favorite first activity - the hop on hop off bus. These busses give you a great overview of some of the history and signficant places in an area, usually with stops at the most popular sites. I went to the stop closest to my apartment and sat and waited. Finally, the app started giving arrival times, and I decided I just wasn't going to wait that long. Checking Google Maps, I found there was a subway station not far from that stop, and I still needed a Sube card. I had been told that subway stations tended to have the cards. So, I walked to the subway station and got my Sube card. And from there, I walked to the next closest and timely stop for the HOHO bus, Plaza Italia.

The bus took me around Palermo, which is the neighborhood I'm staying in, downtown, past Casa Rosada (the Presidential palace), the National Congress, the La Boca neighborhood, and many parks and sites, some of which I explored more thoroughly later. To begin with, though, I just rode the bus and listened to the stories.

Some of the highlights of the HOHO bus that I didn't explore more closely are below.

Distrito Arco is a shopping block. The walls are on the outside, and most of the perimiter stores are fully enclosed with open air shops and kiosks in the center.

Some statuary that signify people or events that I can't remember

The National Congress

The square across from the National Congress. There was a protest for sex worker rights going on.

A mural made of fully recycled materials at the entrance to the La Boca neighborhood.

The "Ghost Tower" that is said to be haunted by a woman who threw herself off of the top of the tower.

The side of the stadium for the Boca Juniors. Their colors are blue and gold because they decided to use the colors of the first ship that sailed into the harbor - Sweden.

Puenta de la Mujer (Woman Bridge) in Puerto Madero, where women's accomplishments are celebrated and most streets carry the names of significant women.