[Paisleychick-lj] Bike tour in Buenos Aires

[Beatrice M's blog]

[![][1]][2]   
[Getting ready to leave on the bike tour][3]   
Originally uploaded by [blmurch][4]. 

On Wednesday the 24th, I walked to the nearby South American Explorers' Club. They had recently moved to new digs in San Telmo and were now mere blocks away from where we were staying. How convenient. I arrived around 1:30 and met up with the other two people signed up. All three of us strode to "la bicicleta naranja" for the 2 PM biking tour of Palermo. There were a bunch of us (15 or so) for the tour. While we waited for everyone to get their registration and bikes, I fell quickly and desperately in love.  
  
A very skinny mama cat was not really all that interested in taking care of her three kittens who were starving for love and milk. I cuddled them and got them to drink out of the bowl of milk after a bit. It scared them at first, but once they got the idea, man, they couldn't get enough! I fell for Oscar. Luckily, they already were claimed, but weren't going to be separated for a few more weeks. They were only four weeks old. Man, I fell hard! I miss Slink & kittens and cats in general. In the poorer countries in Latin America, cats and dogs are not so much pets, as useful animals to have around. They are not loved or taken care of as much. People aren't going to pay for animal care when they are trying to put food on their own plates first.  
  


[![][5]][6]   
[Puente de la mujer (Woman's Bridge)][7]   
Originally uploaded by [blmurch][4]. 

Back to the bike tour. We took off not too late after 2 PM, and we eventually broke into two groups as it was a bit unwieldy trying to snake all 15 or so of us through the streets. We rose along Puerto Madero. I finally saw the famous "Woman's Bridge". I'll leave it up to you to interpret how that looks like a woman.... We then rode to Retiro where we stopped in front of the British Clock Tower. It is across the street from the memorial to the fallen soldiers of the Falkland Islands War. Nice. We made our way through Retiro, Recoletta to Palermo. Most of the places we stopped I had been to already, but it was nice to have a guide and Diana was great. By engaging and asking questions, I made myself a bit of a teachers' (guides') pet, which I don't like, but oh well. I just wanted to know stuff and so asked questions. I hate revisiting Jr. High, but such is life sometimes.  
  


[![][8]][9]   
[Red roses][10]   
Originally uploaded by [blmurch][4]. 

We saw more cool statues and visited the Palermo Forrest, which was very much like Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. I wish we had spent more time there when we had our apartment in Recoletta. The Rose garden was very pretty and I found out about a free concert in the park which Kragen and I went to that following Sunday evening.  
  
We rode back along Libertador Avenue and then cut over through the interior of Recoletta back to Retiro and ended the tour at Plaza de Mayo. I learned that General Juan San Martin liberated Argentina from Spain and then during the civil war that quickly followed went to Paris to live out his days in peace. He was the south's Simon Bolivar. Why I didn't know that before is a bit beyond me, but better late than never.  
  


[![][11]][12]   
[Who me?][13]   
Originally uploaded by [blmurch][4]. 

I got to hang out with the kittens at the end of the ride as they closed up shop. I had to peel myself away at the end. I told Kragen upon my return that I had fallen in love. When he asked if he should be jealous, I showed him the cutest photo _evar_ and he melted and said "awwwww", so it was all good.  
  
You can see all the photos [here in the flickr set][14].  


   [1]: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/167/369503915_43e53c51a6_m.jpg
   [2]: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blmurch/369503915/ (Getting ready to leave on the bike tour)
   [3]: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blmurch/369503915/
   [4]: http://www.flickr.com/people/blmurch/
   [5]: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/44/369508572_cc7529a9bd_m.jpg
   [6]: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blmurch/369508572/ (Puente de la mujer (Woman's Bridge))
   [7]: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blmurch/369508572/
   [8]: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/163/369534453_79520346f8_m.jpg
   [9]: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blmurch/369534453/ (Red roses)
   [10]: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blmurch/369534453/
   [11]: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/159/369587882_1aac5e8117_m.jpg
   [12]: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blmurch/369587882/ (ho me?)
   [13]: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blmurch/369587882/
   [14]: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blmurch/sets/72157594500455553/

URL: http://paisleychick.livejournal.com/291183.html