Saturday, 8 December 2018
Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, UK

Today we have our first up-close encounters with penguins, visiting a large colony of Gentoo and King Penguins on a private reserve about 40 minutes from Port Stanley.  It is quite an adventure just to get to the penguins, but that will have to wait until the blog catches up with the final days in Buenos Aires, a day in Montevideo, and two days at sea.  I have a lot of blogging to do.  Fortunately, the wifi seems to be working at a rapid pace.

Tuesday, 4 December 2018
Buenos Aires

The Zaandam has remained in port overnight, and this morning we have a five-hour tour of the major sights of Buenos Aires.  We begin with a drive through the Recoleta, Retiro, and Palermo sections of the city, upscale areas with much modern construction and high-rise condominiums.  We pass two of the city’s iconic sites, first the English Tower, a gift from the UK celebrating many years of cooperation, particularly at the start of the 20th century, when British engineers designed and British workers built the railway system and other parts of the infrastructure of the area.  And then Hope Flower, an enormous metal sculpture whose petals open in the morning and close in the evening.  It would be wonderful to see the folding of the flower and the light show that follows, but we will have sailed from the harbor by then.

English Tower

Hope Flower

We pass the Hippodrome, an ornate track for horse racing, and embassies and consulates that dot the area.  Because so much of the population lives in high-rises, professional paid dog-walking is a major occupation.  It is not surprising to see one person leading a troop of ten or more canine charges for their daily walk and exercise.

Our first extended stop is the Recoleta Cemetery, a must for any visitor to BA.  Like the Cemetery Colon in Cuba (see July 2018 Oceania cruise), this is expensive acreage occupied by the remains of the wealthy families of the city.  In Cuba, each large mausoleum stands alone, with wide room between them.  Here, the monuments, huge and truly monumental, are crowded into streets that create a packed urban environment.  Everyone, including Portenos (the name for locals), wants to visit Evita’s grave at the very bottom off the Duarte family mausoleum, and we dutifully pay our respects.  But many of the other monuments are much more interesting and photo-worthy.

After the cemetery it is time for more earthly entertainment, with a visit to the Cafe Tortoni, one of the oldest and most traditional in the city, famous for its coffee and glazed croissants, which we heartily endorse.

Will and Friends Enjoy Local Snacks

A drive past the monuments of Plaza de Mayo—the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Cabildo, and the Casa Rosada—which I describe in a previous blog, takes us to an entirely different area of the city—the Boca.  This is a lower-class enclave, famous for its soccer players and artists.  Indeed, this part of town was home to the current Pope Francis, who as yet has not returned home for a visit.  It is a noisy, crowded, colorful part of town, unlike the more sedate parts of the city that most tourists visit.

We are back at the ship in time for a very late lunch and to prepare for our sail away at 6pm.

Tomorrow we visit Montevideo, Uruguay, and I can cross another country off my have-visited list.