Argentina: Star Quality in Buenos Aires

       

Casa Rosada or The Pink Palace, in Buenos Aires, Argentina

February 3, 2004

After our amazing stay in Iguazu Falls, it was time to explore another part of Argentina.  After an early morning flight from Puerto Iguazu, we checked into the Marriott Plaza Hotel in Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires was a short stop on our itinerary, but we decided to make the most of it.

Buenos Aires is a mix of old-world European charm and Latin intensity. I was struck by how ridiculously good-looking the people were, from the hotel desk clerk who looked like she just stepped off a runway in Milan, to the average Joes (or Juans) reading the newspaper in the park who could have been Antonio Banderas' long lost sibling.  We've been all over the world, and I don't think I've seen this many gorgeous people per capita anywhere else, even Beverly Hills (where the looks tend to be generated by surgeons rather than genetics).  There was something unique and interesting about all of the faces we encountered.

After checking in, we walked to Plaza General San Martin, a nearby park with some ancient metal play structures that Alexander could play on while I nervously looked on.  The equipment looked like the kind of metal structures I remember from when I was a kid in the 60's and 70's, with chipping paint (probably lead), and hard, unforgiving concrete underneath.  This equipment made me appreciate litigious American parents who have pretty much made sure that playground equipment is as safe as possible. 

Luckily, Alexander had fun without managing to kill himself or give his mom a heart attack.  Alexander had a great time playing on the slides, monkey bars, and running around, after spending the morning in airports, planes and taxis.  Sometimes, a boy just needs to run free.

After Alexander was all played out, we found a bus to the famous Casa Rosada, or Pink House. This historic structure has been the scene of numerous dignitaries meeting the masses, from Eva Peron to the Pope to Madonna (in "Evita").  I couldn't help but hum, "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" and "Stand Back, Buenos Aires" as the bus tooled along the crowded city streets.

The Pink Palace was just what we expected, grand and imposing, and very, very pink. It is officially known as the Casa de Gobierno (Government House) or the Palacio Presidencial (Presidential Palace). It was closed the day we were there, so we didn't have a chance to try to take a tour, but it was a beautiful structure to look at from the outside, a princess castle of the highest order.

The Casa Rosada sits on the eastern end of the Plaza de Mayo, a square with statues and benches.  There was not much going on in the Plaza that day, but I remembered that in the 70's, a group of women gathered there daily to protest the disappearance of a number of political dissidents.  They were Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo, a group of mothers who wore white kerchiefs and held pictures of their children who had been abducted by (allegedly) the government.  They became an international cause celebre in the 1980's.  We didn't see any of them while we were there, but I have read that for thirty years, they have fought to find out what happened to their children, the desaparacidos (disappeared). I admire their tenacity, and think it is what any mother would do.

The Plaza de Mayo is ringed by other impressive government buildings, most in a neo-classical European style.  I didn't have time to figure out what all of them were, but most had ornate columns and carved friezes adorning the structures, and were really incredible designs.

Alexander had fun in the plaza, mainly because a huge flock of pigeons had landed on the square, looking for food.  A woman was selling small bags of seeds to feed the pigeons, so Frank bought some for Alexander to dispense.  He had great fun scattering the seeds and watching the pigeons congregate at his feet, and even more fun stamping his feet to watch them scatter.

From the Plaza de Mayo, we walked down the broad boulevard past restaurants and shops.  Some of the shops were completely open in the front, so you could peer in and see what was being sold. The buildings were mostly old-European in style, and it felt like we were walking in Paris or Rome.  The people were friendly, often stopping and smiling at Alexander and patting him on the head.  I noticed that in Latin America, people pay a great deal of attention to kids, and almost all of it is positive.

When Alexander got tired, we stopped at a gorgeous Beaux Arts cafe with ornate fixtures, carved wood paneling and Tiffany-style lamps.  Alexander had a huge bowl of chocolate ice cream, and Frank and I had coffees and pastries.  Alexander decided to consult a map to help us figure out how to get to the restaurant we were having dinner in.  Even though he couldn't read yet, he loved to look at maps.

Based on our junior navigator's recommendation (and tired feet), we decided to take the subway or subte to the giant Obelisk at Calle Florida.  The subway ride turned out to be fun.  We boarded one of the old-fashioned subway cars with wooden slat seats and lamps hanging from the ceiling. The art deco cars date back to the 1920's. It seemed very French to me for some reason, even though it looked nothing like the subway cars in France.

So far, our day out in Buenos Aires was a whopping success.  I think I fell a little in love with it that day, and would love to go back and see more.