City tour in a different world

After having seen the darker sides of Buenos Aires the day before, Jonas showed us a different side of the city.

The city center.

So after breakfast, we took the train to the center. One particular thing here in Buenos Aires: In the trains, you definitely meet one or even several small vendors, usually with a cardboard box full of chewing gums, water, candies, or other small items, trying to sell something to people.

If you don't see them yet, you definitely notice them by their loud and, in my opinion, very distinctive 'vendor voice.' One special thing here is that people who try to sell something are allowed to ride the train for free.

Arriving at 'Once' (name of the final stop), you can sometimes already hear a violin, a guitar, a piano, someone singing, and so on from a distance. And when you turn around the corner,

You see it.

There sits or stands a man or a woman, making music in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the train station. Some people briefly stop or slow down for a moment, but hardly anyone seems to take the time to wait until the end of a song.

A while ago, someone showed me a video about the so-called violinist experiment. The conclusion of this experiment: If we don't recognize the beauty of a moment and let it pass us by, what wonderful things are we still missing in our lives?

Something to think about!

The first stop was Cementerio de la Recoleta in the Recoleta neighborhood. An extremely expensive residential area that very few people can afford.

This cemetery is advertised in almost every travel guide and, therefore, a very popular tourist attraction. Since June 1760, 'the rich and famous' of Buenos Aires have found their final resting place here. Whether scientists, professional athletes, actors, or even Argentine presidents, it doesn't matter.

The entire area was lined with smaller graves to huge mausoleums. Some were artistically decorated, some were kept plain.

A little bit disturbing was the fact that apparently, some graves were used as a small dumping ground. Through a window, you could see boxes, toilet paper, or junk in a few graves...

A little sad that the final resting place of this person or family was not respected.

Almost at the same time, we realized a problem: Our stomachs were empty. So what did we do?

Right. We went to buy empanadas (pastries filled with various ingredients), absolutely typical food for Spain and South America, and enjoyed them in front of one of the huge skyscrapers.

The next stop was Plaza de Mayo. The center of the city. Surrounding this square were Banco de la Nacion, the city hall, the Cabildo de Buenos Aires, the Catedral Metropolitana de Buenos Aires, and other government buildings.

We then visited the cathedral, which is the largest and most important in the region. An incredibly impressive building with several smaller altars surrounding the large altar in the center of the church.

From here, a friend of Jonas joined us, who even recognized me to my delight (we had seen each other before through a mutual friend).

In the afternoon, the 'Feria de San Telmo' (large market) was on the agenda. However, only a small part was accessible due to the bad weather. Still, in my opinion, very beautiful. A variety ranging from stalls with antique objects like old clocks, pipes, or books, to clothes, to the vegetable stand or even smaller bars.

Definitely not to be missed!

The long and eventful day was rounded off by having mate tea together before everyone, exhausted and overwhelmed by the many impressions, made their way home.