All good things...
Trip Start
Dec 24, 2009
1
11
Trip End
Jan 04, 2010
Denver, Colorado
Friday, January 8, 2010
On Thursday morning, after sleeping in (getting bumped is exhausting work!), we decided to head out to the BA suburb of Tigre, using the train. Tigre sits just on the edge of the huge Delta region -- the delta of the Rio de la Plata, which separates Argentina from Uruguay. At Tigre, the river splits into thousands of different channels and stream, which wind and cross over and permeate many square miles. We were sort of expecting the low-lying area to be poorer and more sketchy, but nothing could be farther from the truth!
The little town of Tigre has a very European feel, like a small town in Bavaria or Holland. We took a public commuter boat from there out into the Delta's waterways. It's a flood plain, very wet, with raised paths for walking among swamped "inland" areas, and mostly all of the houses and buildings are built up on stilts to protect against flooding. The houses though ranged from cute cottages to really elaborate vacation homes. All of them had their own private docks out in the main channel, the Rio Sarmiento, and the public "bus" boats will pull right up to them to pick up anyone who is waiting to go into town or out further. It's like the Florida Everglades meets Amsterdam.
We didn't have too much time, so we stopped off at Tres Bocas, a collection of restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts all set along a scenic, strollable raised path. Even though the path was raised, the weather had been wet, and so there was plenty of mud next to and over the path. A managed to slip and fall in the mud (with the camera - oy) and so we figured it was time to call it a day. We made it back to the hotel in time for a shower and to pack up to head to the airport.
We did ask about volunteering, and they added us to the list, but assured us that they were only over a little. Surprisingly, they held us until the very end when they had to close the flight, and it appeared that the flight went out even, with us on it. Unfortunately, that means that the flight attendant who was trying to escort her future son-in-law from Uruguay to his bride (I know, right?) didn't get on. We were rooting for them. :\
It's wonderful to be home, and this trip was amazing in so many ways both the scheduled part and the unscheduled part. We really thoroughly enjoyed Argentina - the people, the vibe, the food - and we'll be excited to go back someday to explore the wilderness of Patagonia. Or perhaps next New Year for a bump run... :oP
Comments
I am glad you are home safely and that you had a wonderful trip.
See you Monday, it will be nice to have you back at work.