Argentina: Rosario

Getting from Fray Bentos directly to Rosario, without detouring through Buenos Aires, turned out to be more complicated than expected. First, we had to take a bus to the Argentine Gualeguaychu at the ungodly early morning, which is right on the other side of the Rio Uruguay. The bus from there to Rosario didn't leave until about 6 hours later, and since we naturally had all our stuff with us, we didn't feel like doing sightseeing, so we had no choice but to wait at the bus terminal. It was also not possible to book the bus in Fray Bentos, so we did it right after arrival. After all, we didn't want to spend another night here because the bus would be fully booked. At the bus terminal, we met two German travelers who told us that the carnival starts here next Saturday, so they would stay here until then. Actually, I had read about this carnival, but I thought it would start much later because Easter is late this year. Saturday would be in 2 days. When we said that we had already booked our bus and didn't feel like hanging around in this town for 2 days, they looked at us amazed and said that if you were a long-term traveler, you would have time to wait for something like this. Wrong! The joke about long-term traveling is (at least for us, who want to get the most out of our time, rather than hanging around in a boring town) that you can simply come again if it fits better into your schedule. After all, the carnival lasts several weeks here. And so it was, we actually came back to Gualeguaychu a few weeks later, but more on that later. At some point, the hours of waiting were finally over and we went to Rosario.

We came to Rosario as part of our "In the Footsteps of Che Guevara" project, as this is where the Argentine was born. Actually, this was not particularly worthwhile because there is not much to see here. There is indeed a sign in front of his birthplace that points out this fact, but that's about it. You can't visit the building. It is more worthwhile to go to Alta Gracia, but we didn't know that at that time. More on that later. In Rosario, there is also a monument for the Commander, and since we were here anyway, we took on the long walk through the whole city to see it. This effort was also not worthwhile, as the statue was firstly pretty tiny, secondly defaced with lots of graffiti, and thirdly mainly serves as a place for people to pee who hang around in this generally rundown park. The people of Rosario don't seem to care much about their "national heroes".

Another special feature of Rosario is that the Argentine flag was raised here for the first time. Near the Costanera, there is a monument, the Monumento Nacional a la Bandera, which is an obelisk that you can even climb (fortunately there is an elevator). From above, you have a good view over the city. The monument also includes a crypt, where Manuel Belgrano, the creator of the Argentine flag, rests. There is also an eternal flame in memory of those who died for the fatherland. However, what there is not, and you don't notice that at first, although you have the feeling from the beginning that something important is missing: namely a flag! A flag monument without a flag? Strange, isn't it? Of course, we asked the staff, and they stammered embarrassedly that the flagpole was recently broken, and somehow nobody wants to pay for the repair. Well...

According to the travel guide, the biggest highlight of Rosario is the Costanera, the waterfront promenade. Actually, it is not particularly attractive, at least in our opinion. Old warehouses that line the river have been converted into museums and cultural centers. There is little infrastructure apart from the Estacion Fluvial, from where you can take boat trips to the Parana Delta, and a few mobile hot dog vendors. The highlight was actually a small Croatian ship that had somehow made its way here, which made our Croatian hearts beat faster. It is worth mentioning the extremely charming carousel that was surrounded by barbed wire, see photo.

That's it with Rosario. If you haven't been here, you haven't missed anything. Unless, of course, you absolutely want to visit a flag monument without a flag.