BUENOS AIRES: back to a big city

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The overnight bus drive from Puerto Madryn was quite and easy. The "180º Cama" seat is really wide and comfortable. And the view at the window after sunrise confirmed it: I'm back in a big city. 
Metropolitan Buenos Aires with its 14 million habitants is southamerica's second largest city after Sao Paulo. The city is divided in districts (or barrios) which have developed their own character. La Boca, San Telmo, Recoleta, Palermo and Puerto Madero are among the most known and the ones I want to visit.

Here a photo of the executive seats, a bit more expensive but more comfortable.

I started visiting the "micro centro". Whatever argentineas do, they do it with passion and this applies to political demostrations as well. Many national and regional goverment agencies are located in this part of the city and it was therefor common to see people demostrating against some of the reforms that have being announced in the last days.

La Casa Rosada in Plaza 25 de Mayo is the official residence of Argentina's president.

The Cathedral is located in the same Plaza. The remains of General José de San Martín, one of southamerica leaders in the independence war against the Spanish empire at the beginning of the 19th century are kept in a special area of the Cathedral.

Buenos Aires has many icons, one of them is the obelisc at Plaza de La República in the Avenida 9 de Julio, one of the widest streets I've seen. It has up to 7 lanes in each direction plus side parallel streets of 2 lanes each.

La Boca with its famous Caminito street is another barrio. A very turistic place where with many restaurants, souvenier shops. tango shows and all kind of imitators like soccer player Diego Maradona.

Impossible to oversee is the local passion for soccer. The city's derby Boca Juniors vs. River Plate was played just a week before and River won this time. "Volvió River" posters (River is back) could be seen everywhere. The game was played at Boca Juniors stadium which is located in the heart of La Boca district. Extreme violence in argentinean stadiums in last years caused authorities to restrict the entrance to stadiums: supporters of the guest team are banned; only the fans of the local team may attend the game.

San Telmo is another of the traditional barrios of Buenos Aires. The area around the market has many bars, restaurants, and antique shops. Tango dancers are seen frequently in this barrio either in a show or just in a corner.

The district of La Recoleta is a middle class neighbourhood.Its church and especially the Cementery are interesting places to visit. The contrast between these rich and expensive tumbs with Argentina's current economical situation couldn't be bigger.

Puerto Madero Waterfront is a new development on the grounds of the old and not more operational Puerto Madero. It represents the largest renewal project in the city, having undergone an intensive debate and impressive revival in just a few years.

And of course Eva Perón, Argentina's first lady from 1946 to 1952 when she died. Her popularity outside Argentina has increased since the musical "Evita" in the mid 70's.

The days I was in Buenos Aires we had another national holiday, this time to remember the beginning of the Falkland's war in 1982. Several celebrations took place in the city congregating war veterans.

The hostel I was staying (Hostel Suites Florida) is located in the Florida street, in the middle of the pedestrian and commercial zone of Buenos Aires. A street currently full of  "cambistas" or "arbolitos" as they are also called, people shouting "cambio cambio cambiooo" and looking for turists wanting to change dollars or euros at the black market rates which are 25 to 30% higher than the official one.