Argentina, land of gauchos, beef, Evita, Patagonia, well, more than enough reasons to pay it a visit. And what is better )or more obvious) place to start your trip than Buenos Aires, the bustling capital with its 12 million inhabitants? A true metropole, vibrant, exciting...
Recoleta Cemetery is a fascinating place, even more because it is the final resting place of Eva Maria Duarte de Peron, Argentina's first lady who died in 1952. Her tomb is surprisingly modest. Another big surprise: the souvenirs for sale outside of the cemetery. Doing everything you can imagine to leave Ukraine behind, and what do you find? Yes matroshki-dolls with Evita painted on them. The salesman first mumbled "Moscow" when we asked him where he was from, but when we told him we were from Kyiv, he voluntarily admitted he was actually from Kharkiv...
Casa Rosada, the centre of the Plaza de Mayo, were the mothers (and grandmothers) of those who disappeared during Videla's "Proceso" still gather on Tuesdays.
A pedestrian's nightmare: Avenida 9 de Julio, the artery of Buenos Aires. Crossing at your own risk! Right: the dance that made Buenos Aires what it is today: the Tango, always and everywhere!
After crossing the Rio de la Plata, we found ourselves in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo. Somehow, I don't know why, we got the feeling we were back in Eastern Europe, was it the cemntral square wth the magnificent statue on it, or the building behind it? Nooooo.....
Sometimes we managed to find decent food in Uruguay, but not very often. The exceptions were the old market Hall in the Ciudad Vieja of Montevideo (right), and the touristy places in the old town of Colonia del Sacramento.
Close to Punta del Este, in Punta Ballena, you will find the amazing Casa Pueblo, a creation of the artist Vilaro. It houses a gallery, a shop and a bar-restaurant and is truly fascinating.
home of the famous 'Cataratas', which can be admired from both the Argentine and the Brazilian side. Both sides have nature resorts.
In Brazil you're mostly under them...
...while in Argentina you are basically on top of them.
Well, almost, that is. Don't expect to stay dry..... We also tried our luck in the rain forest, where we hardly spotted any animals at all, but hey, we managed to do some really butch outdoor activities!
Like "hiding in trees", very exciting!
Paraguay, a genuine banana republic! Take for instance Ciudad del Este (formerly Puerto General Alfredo Stroessner...), smuggler's paradise! Junk for sale where ever you look, any kind of currency will do. The famous Itaipu dam is another interesting feature in the landscape. Mainly, concrete, but still, it's the biggest in the world and therefore deserves some credit.
Patagonia, land of emptiness, Welsh settlements and...wildlife! You just rent a car and drive your way to Peninsula Valdéz, where (if you're as lucky as we were) you'll meet only seals, sea lions, sea elephants and
...o yes, the real McCoy: WHALES!!
...and the less spectacular but equally sweet: penguins
and little indians
in the little second-hand Disneyland called "El Desafío", where everything is made out of garbage. It's very cute, just like the owners, a very eccentric old couple.