Tango time!
Mystic of Holyhead (successor to Lynn Rival)
Rachel and Paul Chandler
Thu 5 Mar 2015 17:56
After our trip up the Rio Uruguay we realised we
were going to miss Argentina and were feeling sad at the prospect
of leaving so we booked one last trip to Buenos Aires. Our excuse
was that we had yet to see any Tango being performed and on Friday
night we went to the famous Cafe de los Angelitos. The show is a
collection of songs and dances demonstrating the evolution of the
Tango since the end of the 19th century. It was professionally
done - with a really good band, singers and dancers - and a great
memento for us. There was early 20th century serenading . . .  . . . and more modern interpretations  It was all go  While the dancers changed the tattooed singer performed  There were relatively sedate moments . . . . . . and plenty of high kicks  The whole troupe managed to squeeze onto the stage, but the band was perched in a cubby hole above On Saturday we took the train to the town of Tigre, some 20 miles north of central BsAs. Tigre is the hub for the Parana delta region: a maze of islands and waterways, where all traffic is waterborne. The main river channel running out to the River Plate is a hive of commercial and sporting activity. Watersports are very popular here, especially rowing. And it is here that numerous yacht clubs have their facilities: marinas, slips, hardstanding, etc. (There are only a few up-market facilities for yachting in BsAs itself.)  There's no telling which way some of the rivers flow  The local sailing club wouldn't look out of place on the Severn  The rowing club is altogether more posh We took a boat trip to see some of the nearest backwaters. They are lined with weekend and holiday homes, all built on stilts to withstand the inevitable flooding. Everyone has their own jetty and many also have a little hut on the end for use as a bathing platform, to fish or just lounge. In summer it seems an idyllic place to be away from the intensity of BsAs.  Railway architecture was common, not only at the stations  Every property has a jetty - there are no speed limits so maintenance must be a challenge Sunday was the day of the inauguration of the new President here in Uruguay. For some reason that meant the bus schedules were changed and we had to wait an extra hour in Colonia. It didn't matter as it gave us an opportunity to have (most likely) our last Chivito - a healthy Uruguayan speciality of thin steak topped with ham, cheese, egg and bacon - in the bus station cafe. The out-going president is an unusual character, generally popular for being very down-to-earth, and the new president is actually the one-before last (they can only serve one 5-year term in succession) and shares the same politics so no radical change is expected. The post-inauguration parade must have been quite a sight, with the new president being driven around in a restored 1951 Fordson lorry. The out-going president drives a 1987 Beetle. Their politicians reflect the humble nature of the Uruguayan people, perhaps due to being a small country surrounded by two large ones that struggle with inept politicians. Now back in Puerto Sauce we are getting ready in earnest, watching the weather forecasts for a window. To get out of the River Plate we would like winds in the western sector for a couple of days. Or at least we don't want strong southeasterlies - which are common. Otherwise, we're just about ready, getting back to being shipshape after lounging in harbour for over a year! |