Buenos Aires - Sept 2009
We spent our last morning in Iguazu with mixed emotions: great sadness at the thought of leaving such an idyllic place and yet such joy at feeling so connected with nature whilst we were there. We went for a walk back on the Upper Trail soon after an early breakfast and it was so quiet... hardly anyone at all at this time of the day (the trails only open at 8am and we were there at 8.15am) but a few coatis... the light was palpable and we loved it all over again just as much as on the first day. Nathalie was telling me, quite rightly "you´d think that after 3 days of seeing waterfalls after waterfalls you´d get used to it, but you can´t, it still takes your breath away, it´s just tooo spectacular". I think that I too would like to have my ashes scattered here after all. Well, 70% in my beloved East Africa and 30% here.
I grew so attached to the coatis that I felt I was leaving my pets behind... they are such lovely sociable creatures and I just loved to watch them run around with their striped tails up in the air. I will go back to London Zoo as soon as I´m home again to see their pretty faces again but I know my heart will ache as it will never be the same as watching them roam around in their natural tropical habitat.
It was so hot that we were really sweating and had to have a quick shower before checking out. The 15 min drive to the airport was smooth and our flight was on time. My heart felt sooo heavy when we took off. I had a lump in my throat and tears rolling down my cheeks (really!)... I cannot bear to leave any kind of beauty behind, it´s the visual person in me that totally craves beauty and feeds on it to feel alive. It´s part of my inner make-up.... total appreciation of God´s creation at its best. And as much as I love London, it doesn´t overwhelm me to that extent.
When you fly over the province of the Iguassu National Park though you realise how much damage humans have done in the last 100 years alone and how very very little remains of the original tropical rainforest. It is even more unbearable to see the ravages once you have seen first hand all the treasures that a tropical forest holds in terms of flora and fauna. How many precious birds and coatis got burnt in the fires that we started to clear the grounds for farm lands... it just doesn´t bear thinking about.
When we landed in Buenos Aires, it looked very cloudy and it was a lot cooler. We went from 30C in Iguassu to 15C in the capital city. As the weather was grey and dull it seemed to match our moods. If we had had more time and money we would have definitely stayed in Iguassu an extra 3 days (though the weather forecast seemed to indicate that it`d be stormy soon after we left and downpour were forecast for the next 4 days... if the weathercast was right -and is it ever !?- then we would have timed it right as it was raining last week when we were in London as I kept checking).
Anyway, we reluctantly headed for the town centre and checked into our hotel 40mins later. The ride was 42 pesos, about 8 pounds, so quite reasonable. I´d say "I´m writing this for future ref" but I really don`t think I will come back to Buenos Aires again unless I really have to.
Both Nathalie and I just don´t like this city much. I am not sure why so many people love it but it lacks something... the parks are all the same, the monuments are very European but nothing special and I guess the only suburb that is distinctive and vibrantly colourful is Boca. I took about 15 pictures there. But beside that, we really fail to see the appeal. It may have felt more exciting on a sunny day but as neither she or I have got any interest in tango, I think we may be missing the fun of what living here is all about.
Besides, we seem to be a lot more lethargic since we came here. Not sure why. Pollution!? Sadness!? But I was in bed at 8pm last night and fast asleep by 9pm and most tango shows start at 8pm and finish at midnight. Far too late for us - already. Dear me... we are ageing !!!
We will be leaving tomorrow morning for Lima and we are already counting the hours. I know that Cuszo is pretty and that Machu Picchu is also awe inspiring in a completely different way and I really need to go ´wow´again. And I simply cannot go ´wow´here in Buenos Aires. Nothing grabs me ... visually.
Our hotel, the Marbella, is real basic but the beds are comfy and breakfast is only croissants, which suits us French ladies fine ! It is in a superb location as we are on Av de Mayo, right off Av 9 de Julio (the largest road in the world) and is really cheap compared to the Sheraton at Iguassu. At the Marbella we paid like US$45 per night, which is roughly half what you would expect to pay in any other hotel here.
The room is a bit depressing as the deco is inexistent but it has hot shower and for 2 nights, it off sets nicely the cost of what the Sheraton would have cost if my friend hadn´t kindly left me some money in her will for me to scatter her ashes. Strangely, the spot where we scattered her ashes no longer had a rainbow the next day... so I like to think that she was indeed there with us in spirit when we ´did the deed´.
On this note, I will have to sign off as we are going to go for a late lunch / early dinner.
Bisous bisous and I hope that London isn´t getting tooo cold by now. As the seasons are reversed, Buenos Aires is the equivalent of late March, so few leaves on the trees and it´s dark by 6.15pm, so this doesn´t help our moods either I guess.
Oh well, moan over. Just thought I´d say it as it is so that you don´t envy us tooo much.
The next post will be from Peru... God willing.
We spent our last morning in Iguazu with mixed emotions: great sadness at the thought of leaving such an idyllic place and yet such joy at feeling so connected with nature whilst we were there. We went for a walk back on the Upper Trail soon after an early breakfast and it was so quiet... hardly anyone at all at this time of the day (the trails only open at 8am and we were there at 8.15am) but a few coatis... the light was palpable and we loved it all over again just as much as on the first day. Nathalie was telling me, quite rightly "you´d think that after 3 days of seeing waterfalls after waterfalls you´d get used to it, but you can´t, it still takes your breath away, it´s just tooo spectacular". I think that I too would like to have my ashes scattered here after all. Well, 70% in my beloved East Africa and 30% here.
I grew so attached to the coatis that I felt I was leaving my pets behind... they are such lovely sociable creatures and I just loved to watch them run around with their striped tails up in the air. I will go back to London Zoo as soon as I´m home again to see their pretty faces again but I know my heart will ache as it will never be the same as watching them roam around in their natural tropical habitat.
It was so hot that we were really sweating and had to have a quick shower before checking out. The 15 min drive to the airport was smooth and our flight was on time. My heart felt sooo heavy when we took off. I had a lump in my throat and tears rolling down my cheeks (really!)... I cannot bear to leave any kind of beauty behind, it´s the visual person in me that totally craves beauty and feeds on it to feel alive. It´s part of my inner make-up.... total appreciation of God´s creation at its best. And as much as I love London, it doesn´t overwhelm me to that extent.
When you fly over the province of the Iguassu National Park though you realise how much damage humans have done in the last 100 years alone and how very very little remains of the original tropical rainforest. It is even more unbearable to see the ravages once you have seen first hand all the treasures that a tropical forest holds in terms of flora and fauna. How many precious birds and coatis got burnt in the fires that we started to clear the grounds for farm lands... it just doesn´t bear thinking about.
When we landed in Buenos Aires, it looked very cloudy and it was a lot cooler. We went from 30C in Iguassu to 15C in the capital city. As the weather was grey and dull it seemed to match our moods. If we had had more time and money we would have definitely stayed in Iguassu an extra 3 days (though the weather forecast seemed to indicate that it`d be stormy soon after we left and downpour were forecast for the next 4 days... if the weathercast was right -and is it ever !?- then we would have timed it right as it was raining last week when we were in London as I kept checking).
Anyway, we reluctantly headed for the town centre and checked into our hotel 40mins later. The ride was 42 pesos, about 8 pounds, so quite reasonable. I´d say "I´m writing this for future ref" but I really don`t think I will come back to Buenos Aires again unless I really have to.
Both Nathalie and I just don´t like this city much. I am not sure why so many people love it but it lacks something... the parks are all the same, the monuments are very European but nothing special and I guess the only suburb that is distinctive and vibrantly colourful is Boca. I took about 15 pictures there. But beside that, we really fail to see the appeal. It may have felt more exciting on a sunny day but as neither she or I have got any interest in tango, I think we may be missing the fun of what living here is all about.
Besides, we seem to be a lot more lethargic since we came here. Not sure why. Pollution!? Sadness!? But I was in bed at 8pm last night and fast asleep by 9pm and most tango shows start at 8pm and finish at midnight. Far too late for us - already. Dear me... we are ageing !!!
We will be leaving tomorrow morning for Lima and we are already counting the hours. I know that Cuszo is pretty and that Machu Picchu is also awe inspiring in a completely different way and I really need to go ´wow´again. And I simply cannot go ´wow´here in Buenos Aires. Nothing grabs me ... visually.
Our hotel, the Marbella, is real basic but the beds are comfy and breakfast is only croissants, which suits us French ladies fine ! It is in a superb location as we are on Av de Mayo, right off Av 9 de Julio (the largest road in the world) and is really cheap compared to the Sheraton at Iguassu. At the Marbella we paid like US$45 per night, which is roughly half what you would expect to pay in any other hotel here.
The room is a bit depressing as the deco is inexistent but it has hot shower and for 2 nights, it off sets nicely the cost of what the Sheraton would have cost if my friend hadn´t kindly left me some money in her will for me to scatter her ashes. Strangely, the spot where we scattered her ashes no longer had a rainbow the next day... so I like to think that she was indeed there with us in spirit when we ´did the deed´.
On this note, I will have to sign off as we are going to go for a late lunch / early dinner.
Bisous bisous and I hope that London isn´t getting tooo cold by now. As the seasons are reversed, Buenos Aires is the equivalent of late March, so few leaves on the trees and it´s dark by 6.15pm, so this doesn´t help our moods either I guess.
Oh well, moan over. Just thought I´d say it as it is so that you don´t envy us tooo much.
The next post will be from Peru... God willing.
posted by Sylvie at 5:36 PM
<< Home