Friday 11th Walkin in Recoleta

Hola, amigos and familiar. Yesterday I took a 3 hour walking tour of a part of Buenos Aires. We started at Teatre Colon, the Opera House, built in the era of the Belle Epoque, when Buenos Aires was wealthy. We saw the 1st synagogue in BA which has the largest population of Jews and the only kosher McDonalds outside Israel.  The man on horseback is Jose de San Martin, the Liberator of Argentina and Peru who fought against Spanish Empire and fought the War of the Oranges (sweet revenge). Indepence was achieved 16 July 1816, many streets named 16 Julio. 25% of population were African slaves brought to build the country then they sent them to fight the indigenous wars and were killed, or they sold slaves and the country invited  the French, German and English to emigrate. They modeled buildings on French architecture, gothic roofs and wide avenues.

Tango was danced first only between men, then prostitutes and men  and was only accepted in high society when the French approved it.  We ended at the Recoleta Cemetery, a famous Cemetery founded by the Recollect Fathers, the Franciscans , as the wealthy sought to escape yellow fever in 1871 and wanted to be buried in style. Recoleta is a stylish area of embassies and palaces. Today Saturday I’ve made it to El Calafate, start of Patagonia.  Wow! Dry flat land on one side and blue glacial lakes and mountains on other. Will take a tour tomorrow.