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| Palermo, in the grip of a garbage strike |
Buenos Aires, the city of the fragrant air, maybe in for a name change? The city woke up to yet another strike, this time by our intrepid garbage collectors. Immediately piles of garbage bags accumulate just about in front of every building, some not exactly well 'bagged'. Citizens do not use garbage bins....they probably would disappear as soon as put out on the curb.
With temperatures predicted to reach about 33 degrees, these piles may start to get a little 'podridos' (rotten) and change Buenos Aires into a Ciudad de los Malos Aires (City of Bad Air). One hopes the parties at odds sort this out before the dogs and the pigeons get into these street treasures.
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| Palacio Bardolo |
However, looking up toward the sky on Avenida de Mayo, one may glimpse Buenos Aires sky, and the architectural masterpiece of the Palacio Bardolo. The ground floor in this iconic building hosts now a weekly Milonga, which of course, yours truly will check out.
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| The Teatro Colon, the most famous opera house of the city, is closed for the summer season. However, the Teatro Lirica still offers performances during the next three months. And the selection is certainly tempting.... |
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| The City lives on, garbage strike or not. With furnace temperatures, many street people wash their clothes and bathe their kids in the ornate fountains on Avenida de 9 Julio - Argentinas version of the Champs Elysee. |
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| At the Intersection of Avenida de 5 Mayo and Avenido 9 Julio...entrance to Subway Station A, the one which is going to be shut down for upgrades for three months. Thinking of taking one of the 'collectivos' (transit buses) instead? Fares will go up from Peso 1.60 per ride to Peso 2.35 a ride. Oh, by the way, the price of cigarettes just has increased by 4%, second time within 2 months. Good time to butt out, for the chain smoking Argentinians maybe? |
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| With property sales down 40+++ percent, one may pick up one of these historic apartments for a song. |
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| Calle Florida..last year this open strip in the middle of the street was populated with 'Manteros', street vendors, who sell their wares from blankets spread on the ground. These vendors were removed amidst a series of protests, because they clogged up pedestrian traffic. Calle Florida is the major Pedestrian Street in downtown Buenos Aires. A tourist must do area, as well as a shopping mecca for the locals. Height of tourist season - most of the pedestrian thoroughfare is separated by a great ditch....repairing sewers, water, whatever? Tourism is down 10% from last year. |
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| Plaza San Martin...a Porteno dreaming of a summer vacation outside the country? As he needs to carry US dollars, he may be having a nightmare. An Argentino now has to fork over 8 pesos, to get one US Dollar. |
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| Still - A Paris of the Southern Hemisphere...everywhere the eye wanders, there are architectural gems. A good meal with a glass of wine can be had for 45 Pesos (whatever that is in dollars now). |
