Arrival in Buenos Aires by boat

The boat was now almost at the Buquebus terminal butvthere were still some magnificent views of Buenos Aires from the water of the Rio de la Plata to enjoy.

Most of the city’s skyscrapers are located in the Puerto Madero barrio, one of the city wards that make up Buenos Aires’ microcentro. From 1955 until 1993, the Alas Building has been the tallest building of BA, but in recent years BA has seen an increase in high-rises in the city; the tallest building completed before 2000 is the Le Parc Tower, but as of 2023 it is only the ninth-tallest.

There has been a succession of tallest buildings since 2000. Some buildings lasted only 1 or 2 years as tallest building and some had to share that title.

As The Wandelgek looked upon these skyscrapers, he thought of walking back to his hotel through the barrio of:

Puerto Madero

After  customs formalities, The Wandelgek entered Argentina again and walked into Puerto Madero (this is also where the Buquebus terminal is located).

Puerto Madero has a bit of the same look as the IJ-islands in Amsterdam have. Most buildings are either skyscrapers or converted/renovated warehouses and this last type of buildings has the same look and feel as those in Amsterdam…

Now there are shops and restaurants on the groundfloor and appartments in the upper floors.

Like e.g. this icecream parlour which had a large artwork of an icecream in its showcase window …

Between the buildings are large cranes, … which were left there to keep the vibes of a harbor area…

… which were left there to keep the vibes of a harbor area.

Behind these warehouses were the old habor docks and the cranes were at the quays. At tge othervside of the docks were the skyscrapers…

Quite impressive such an old crane type …

The Wandelgek walked on past the Teatro Colonial to his hotel, where he quickly took a shower, before going for a night into town …

 

He then walked toward the Plaza de Mayo.

Plaza de Mayo by night

It was a warm evening in BA and almost dark when he arrived and he crossed the Plaza the Mayo toward the corner of the Avenida Presidenta Julio A. Roca, which is a good location for an outdoor terrace where you can enjoy a drink while watching life go by on the Plaza de Mayo.

Beneath, on the clock tower of the city’s legislature building,  it was 10 past 8.

A bronze statue on top of the House of Culture or La Prensa Building, caught The Wandelgek’s eye. It is a building located at Avenida de Mayo 575, in the City of Buenos Aires , built in 1898 in the style of the Paris School of Fine Arts for the operation of the newspaper La Prensa, owned by José Camilo Paz, which has been a National Historic Monument of Argentina since 1985 and currently belongs to the Government of the City of Buenos Aires .

At the front, a 5.50-metre-high, 4,100-kilogram gilded bronze lamppost crowns the tower. The statue, which is the figure of a woman representing the goddess of wisdom Pallas Athena , was made by the sculptor Maurice Bouval, from the house of Thibaut Frères in Paris. It was transported from France and raised 50 m to its present position in 1898, by means of an elevator placed in the tower itself. It is said that some 20,000 people witnessed the spectacle.

The goddess Pallas Athena holds a torch in her right hand, raising it as if lighting the way and which is illuminated by electricity. The torch represents the sacred fire that Prometheus stole for the benefit of men. The use of electricity in the work was very modern for the late  nineteenth century. In her left hand she carries a proclamation newspaper. La Prensa was expropriated by the administration of Juan Perón in 1951, through which the building became property of the General Confederation of Labor. The CGT removed the streetlight in 1952, supposedly for fear that it might collapse. When the newspaper was returned to its owners – as a result of the fall of Peronism – the Gainza Paz family put the streetlight back in 1956.

Slowly the daylight faded and the practical traffic lights were accompanied by street lights and the more decorative lighting of buildings, monuments and fountains…

As The Wandelgek enjoyed his beers and the complimentary salted peanuts, he looked at the Metropolitan Cathedral at the other side of the Plaza de Mayo, which was ablaze …

It was not a very crowded evening. Argentina didn’t have a football match to play that evening, which made a huge difference.

After a few beers to celebrate the succesful trip to Uruguay’s Colonia del Sacramento, it was time to return to the hotel and prepare for the next adventure. Yes travels weren’t over yet.

The Wandelgek walked, past the tube station, towards the Casa Rosada which now seemed pinker than ever in the decorative limelights …

The fountain on the Plaza de Mayo was beautifully lit…

Then The Wandelgek made one last stop near the Casa Rosada to make some photo’s of this building that has seen so much of Argentina’s political history …

An old model of a street lamp near the Casa Rosada  shone brightly but got absorbed by the darkness pretty quick. Night’s shroud had fallen over BA.

After a last view upon the Casa Rosada, …

The Wandelgek returned to his hotel and began packing for his next big adventure.