From Buenos Aires to Rosario

Everything more or less according to plan: today I'm going to Rosario again, but by train. First, breakfast, today in a café - man, I love these cozy corner pubs and cafés: Cozy with lots of personal knick-knacks, postcards, funny pictures, graffiti (like yesterday at Don Ernesto in San Telmo). A tranquility - nice coffee con leche, pastries - only the newspaper is missing. You always eat too much at the hotel buffet. Off to the subway (metro), wow, the card balance is just enough. At the platform, the disillusionment comes - rush hour - crowded subway - uh, metro and how! (see photo) I try it at the very front - no help, at the very back, still no help, wait for the next train, they really come every 4-5 minutes. always the same and me with a big backpack - no way! But the opposite train is half empty. Since the line only has 9 stations in total, I take the opposite train because it doesn't matter which direction you go or if you switch directions here (unlike Munich). I ride to the end station and before I get off, I realize I can just stay seated, the same train will turn around in a few minutes. With a backpack, a seat - brilliant! At Retiro station - bought a ticket (only with documento = passport). Still have time and go to a café for the 2nd time today, can also charge my phone, which didn't work in the hotel this time due to a very strange Argentine plug (my travel plug set didn't help either). A look into the fuse box (do not open), if I can wire something directly - better not.

What's the story behind the wonderful tower at the station? It was renamed from Torre de los Ingleses to Torre Monumental. British-Argentinians gave the tower with Big Ben chimes and clock as a gift to the Argentinians in 1910 for the 100th anniversary of the revolution (reparation?). It was renamed in 1982 because they weren't so fond of the English anymore (Falklands War).

A stern 'documento' (without por favor) before boarding at the platform. The train was fairly new and so was the station, the ride was quiet - but, I had been warned, time-consuming: the train took 6 hours for the nearly 300 km, including 30 minutes from Rosario South to North. I had a good book - no problem! In Rosario, just take a taxi (no experiments with the bus this time) and shortly after, at the hotel - wonderful! Have something to eat at a nice restaurant - that's it for today.