Argentina Day 3 (Part One - Day Trip to Colonia, Uruguay

Today we took a day trip to Colonia, Uruguay.  This is a town where many Argentines go for vacation.

The busy ferry station.  It was particularly busy lately due to the holiday, and because Argentina and Uruguay are arguing about a new paper mill, so the only other way to cross the river (a bridge) is closed, so the ferry is the only way to go.

Locals patiently waiting and showing off their muscles.

Pauly D. on the escalator ready for action.

Really, really, busy.

Grandma getting settled for the ride.

Jen happy to be aboard, as her ticket got messed up and finally resolved.

Paul snoozing away before we even left the port.

Looking down to the regular seats from first class.

Getting off the boat.

After arriving, we went to the shore of the river for some scenic photos.  Here's Brett and Amy on the beach.

Ken walking along the pier that used to be a main port, but was destroyed in a major storm a few years ago.

Here's what remains of the bridge.

The whole family.

Pauly D. was there.

Local kids playing soccer in the water.

A dog sleeping under the stairs.

Our tour bus.

The bull fighting ring that was built in 1910 and decommissioned in 1912 because people thought it was cruel to the animals.  And so it is left to decay.  The next closest one is in Mexico.

A Catholic Church that's an historical landmark.

Inside the church with it's unique woodwork.

Bill trying on a t-shirt for size.

Plaza 1811.

Our tour guide in Uruguay was no Erica.

The streets of the historical district of Colonia.

The bridge to the area beyond the fort.  Past here is a unique mixture of Portuguese and Spanish architecture.

The other side of the bridge.

Brett standing tall on the fort wall.

Neat old cars are scattered all over the town.

A map of the town laid out in tile.

These cool lamps are all over town.

Our intolerably long lunch.  Uruguay doesn't move as fast as Argentina (lunch took over two hours), and the food was not in any way worth the wait.

Even Grandma took a little ciesta while we were waiting for the food.

The only thing that was entertaining, was the guitar player, who, ironically, played Billy Joel's "Piano Man," in Spanish... on a guitar.

A cafe that probably would have been a better choice.

Another old car and church.

Hayley uses Sam's camera to prove that he indeed exists, with Lindsey at his side.

Aaron running to catch up after a quick stop to buy a t-shirt.

The papparazzi.

Brian and Jen point to another sign with their future wedding date - May 25th, an important date in Uruguay's history.

A mime is pleased that Brian gave him a few pesos.

Sam relaxes on the ferry back to Argentina.

Another photo of the ferries.

Back "home" in Buenos Aires!

Argentina Day Two

Day two was really an experience.  It was a long day, but we were rested up and ready to go!

Our first stop was AMIA, the equivalent to the Jewish Federation in Argentina.  They showed us all about what they do, and their museum.

And most importantly, their gift shop, where everyone crowded around to go shopping.

Next they explained their memorial sculpture by Agam.  The memorial was for the old building that the facility was in that was bombed in 1994.

Some graffiti on the way to the Boca neighborhood for some shopping and to see some local culture.

A playground in the neighborhood.

These are mate (a kind of tea) sets.  The local custom is to make the drink and share it with friends, with everyone sharing the same straw.

These statues were all over the neighborhood, all dressed traditionally, and usually of tango dancers and musicians.

The crowded market.

Tango dancers chatting.

The port at Boca (which means "mouth").  It isn't really used much anymore, and is very polluted, as the tanneries nearby used to dump their waste into the water.

Locals hanging out laundry to dry in the apartments above the markets.

Tango dancers in the streets.

Next we went downtown to try and go to Cafe Tortoni for lunch, but there was a long wait, so we went elsewhere (more on that in a minute).  Meanwhile, the area was packed with traffic and interesting street vendors.

BA lunchtime rush hour.

Finally, lunch outdoors at La Biela in the Ricoleta neighborhood.  This is right near the cemetery where Evita is buried, and we were supposed to go there after lunch, but in typical fashion, we took a long time to eat, and had to move on to an appointment at the Evita museum.  We'll come back to the cemetery in a couple of days.

Yum... espresso all the time!

Freddo, the local ice cream chain, apparently delivers!

Then we were off to the Evita Museum, where we learned much about this controversial figure.

Evita and her husband, Juan Peron.

Next on to the Malba museum of Latin Art.  A fascinating museum, but they didn't let us take photos inside the museum, so I can't show you how cool it was on the inside.

After freshening up, we returned to the Libertad Synagogue that we went to yesterday for Shabbat services.  Wow... What an experience.  It was like going to a concert.  The cantors sang the prayers so beautifully, it was really an amazing and unique experience.

After services we went to Cluny, a trendy restaurant for dinner.

Brian and Paul show demonstrate that their sense of humor is very sophisticated.

And Ashley and Judy thought the local graffiti was amusing as well.

Everyone in their Shabbas Best at dinner.

Emily gives dinner a subtle thumbs up.

And Aaron poses (over and over) in hopes for a new facebook picture.

Brian and Jen, the lovebirds...

And that was all from Day Two!  More coming tomorrow from our excursion to Uruguay.