We got up early to catch the city tour, which turned out to be pretty informative, I learned a few interesting tidbits. The tour confirmed my observation that poverty is the best proponent of historic preservation. Those sections of town that were poor have some of the oldest intact buildings. The richest areas (think Avenida 9 de Julio) have lost almost everything.
The notable exception might be the neighborhood of Palermo. Here we find many of the consulates and embassies occupying houses and palaces that were abandoned by the erstwhile well-to-do in the Depression or in a prior economic crisis. The state is also beginning to rehabilitate many of the government buildings in the city center.
The poorest area such as La Boca – at one time the river port district – is where immigrants lived in subdivided homes or in corrugated metal shacks between the permanent structures. Often entire families shared a single tiny room, like that of monks in a convent; the dwellings became known as conventillos.
In the Caminito (A plaza in La Boca) the sidewalk restaurants all have stages with dancers performing Tango or Flamenco. When they can lure a diner into their tables, the dancers will perform. Or you can just stroll by and enjoy one show after another.
The city is full of examples of huge gomeros (rubber trees). Another specimen tree is one that they call palo borracho (drunk stick); this is probably because it looks like someone with a beer belly. The most commonly seen tree is the jacaranda, which blooms in the late spring with purple flowers; some few still had flowers as late as this week.
We learned that Candombe was the musical style of the slave population in Buenos Aires in the 19th century. (This has a striking similarity to the Candomblé of Brazil.) Turns out that Tango may have grown from this musical genre, according to El Viejo Tanguero, a writer of the early 20th century.
Gabriel and Sylvia picked us up and took us first on a tour of the Puerto Madero district and then to their home in Palermo, overlooking the botanical garden in the foreground and the Rio de la Plata in the background. Afterwards we went to Gabriel's parents' home, also in Palermo, for dinner. We had met them in Miami Beach several months ago, as they spend the Argentine winter in Florida.
In Buenos Aires people eat late and retire late. But I have finally figured out how to deal with it. Next time I come here, I'm not changing my watch. When it's 7:00 PM my time, it's 9:00 in Bs As and time for dinner (well,.... a little early). Then at 11:00 my time it's 1:00 AM in Bs As and just about time to go to bed. Not having changed my watch, I won't feel that my schedule has been disturbed.
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