September 12, 2018

September 12, 2018

We finally had a late start this morning. It was a good chance to catch up on our sleep. At ten we left to visit a local Iguacu school for an hour. On the ride to the airport we learned about Mate, the traditional social drink of the area. It is a bitter caffeinated tea made from Yerba Mate leaves and sipped communally from a gourd with a metal straw. Like coffee it is an acquired taste.

At the airport we caught our flight to Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. This time Aimee reminded me to ask for a window seat, and I got a chance to see Iguacu Falls from the air. It is easy to see how the river spreads out before cascading down the escarpment.

After landing we took the long way to our hotel. Buenos Aires or BA is a beautiful city with wide boulevards, ornate French buildings, interspersed with lots of parks and heroic monuments. It really does deserve its moniker of the Paris of South America. Our hotel is on July 9 Avenue named for their Independence date. Patterned after the Champs Elysees it is the widest avenue in the world. Centrally located, our hotel rooftop pool-bar overlooks the Obelisco, a Washington Monument look-alike, commemorating the 400th birthday of the city.

At 10 PM we walked across the street to Tango Porteno to watch their Tango Show. It was well done. Tango dance, Tango music, and the Tango look, are so unique to Argentina.