It's amazing what you can find while strolling around in Buenos Aires. This find was directly at the main train station Retiro. Well, I liked that pony and it was definitely worth the picture. The guy who owned it looked pretty much like hoping to make a little money with it. Poor thing!
Anyone for a pony ride?
Although there are thousands of cafés in Buenos Aires, most café bars seem to be well frequented. Porteños just love to drink their coffee or whatever in company. Take a look at the square-shaped tables; they are very typical for the cafés and restobars in Buenos Aires.
What's your favorite ancillary activity while sipping your coffee?
The regime of the military junta has split the Argentine society and brought the country close to civil war. Decades later, many Argentines are still going from pillar to post in search of their lost relatives. They call them desaparecidos, the disappeared. It is said that about 30'000 people have disappeared and lost their lives by brutal state forces. Today those commemorative stone plaques, laid into pavement by family members themselves, can be found all over Buenos Aires. They are a silent reminder for freedom and justice and they honoring the victims of the military dictatorship during 1976-1983.
Here lived Jose Maria Obellano
Member of resistance
Detained and disappeared
On 14 April 1978
By state terrorism
— Neighborhoods for memories and justice
At a superficial glance, taxi drivers always appear to be in a hurry and are so utterly talkative at the same time. Not very different in Buenos Aires. These folks are just constantly buzzing from one place to another and when you hop in, they always give you their opinion whether you want it or not. It's kind of fun because you can meet so many different types of people and learn about others' perspectives.
Have you ever thought about getting a job as a cabbie?
I found this graffiti in the Barracas neighborhood in Buenos Aires. It's very close to the Parque Lezama in San Telmo. I'm not sure what the street artist was going to express here, but the style of the graffiti feels like an experimental approach of crossing styles such as Cubism and Comic.
Do you like abstract art?
A pair of polarizing sunglasses helped me out to block the specularly reflected sunlight just by covering up the camera lens. The gain is a much clearer picture in which the brownish sediment can be seen better. With this at hand, the founding fathers of Buenos Aires could have quickly noticed that there isn't silver at all. Instead, they have called this silver river. But thanks to this mistake we got this wonderful, exciting city.
What do you think is the funniest name mistake in history?
Three month of Buenos Aires Perception is reason enough to celebrate with coffee and cake. I'd like to say thanks to all of you who stopped by so regularly and left comments on my picture blog... very much appreciated! Your comments are my reward for my time invested. Without it, every blog would be incomplete. I promise I will keep on picture blogging and look forward to reading more of your comments. Thank you for joining the little birthday party! Sorry, that I have already started with the cake. :)
Obviously traffic in Buenos Aires, especially during the rush hour, can be quite a mess. Although the traffic lights were perfectly working these police guys were absolutely necessary to prevent the total traffic meltdown. It's hard to understand why some car drivers are so unmindful of others. They try to use every tiny inch of the road and enter an intersection although it is already blocked and cannot handle any additional cars.
What do you do to stay calm in traffic?
I don't know if this funny guy is an allusion to Homer Simpson. I guess not. I believe the artist would find this inappropriate. No offense, Homer. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the artist so I don't know whom to give the credit to. This corroded figure belongs to an exhibition of interesting sculptures made from trash I saw last year at the Centro Cultural Borges in downtown Buenos Aires.
Trash or treasure?
The first thing you learn on a boat is boats don't have brakes and you better have an opposite force to stop. Don't let that scare you off. Driving a boat is fun especially in the wide Paraná delta near Buenos Aires. The people of the river swing through the water like they had never done anything else in their lives. Watching them was really enjoyable.
Have you ever driven a boat?
Warm weather means hot business for Buenos Aires' ice delivery companies. The ice is directly delivered to homes and restaurants, just like the daily newspaper or a pizza. Now it is autumn and the ice delivery business slows down a bit. Anyway, I really like the old-fashioned style of that silver vehicle because it is not streamlined against all good sense and, hence, it appears so unique to me.
How must it feel being an ordinary street tree in Buenos Aires? All surrounded by asphalted and paved roads and with no available spare ground. I don't know, but I found evidence for the tree's unquenchable thirst for freedom. Yes, roots damage sidewalks. I'm pleading not guilty.
Have you ever thought of planting a tree?
On my very first visit to Buenos Aires I literally stumbled across this yellow traffic sign. I never saw a sign like this before so I could only wonder what it possibly means. You may laugh about me, but it's actually the truth. This traffic sign is anything but self-explanatory. The mysterious rhombus-shaped sign says watch out, but what for? Now I know it means "Escolares", but still, it looks like a business man with a briefcase to me rather than a school kid.
Did you ever stumble across any secretive signs?
I bet the guy on the motorbike is twice as fast as every car or bus in Buenos Aires. On the other hand he is also twice as vulnerable to traffic injuries. Well, the biker obviously realized that I had photographed him. Actually, I was more interested in the fancy bus behind him, no offense buddy. I really love these unique and eye-catching Colectivos.
Have you ever weaved through traffic on a motorbike?
The Cementerio de la Recoleta is not just a place with graves and tombs. It is a place with many ancient stories to tell. That is why I like this place a lot. Only persons of noble rank or birth were buried here but the cemetery has lost a bit of its prominence over the years. Nowadays only a few funerals take place per year. On the other hand it is becoming a major tourist attraction in Buenos Aires.
Have you ever thought about your private mausoleums?
How can you possibly tell that you're actually in the Rio de la Plata area? Oh, you had a steak for breakfast and afterwards you were dancing tango? You're kidding me, right? That's fine but this is not what I was up to. It's the yerba mate that makes the point. Drinking the traditional brew of leaves from the yerba mate plant is a good indicator for telling that you are probably either in Buenos Aires, Montevideo or in between. Mate as it shortly called, is the quasi-national drink of Argentina and adjoining countries.
Have you ever had yerba mate?
Do you love cakes and pastry? If so, Buenos Aires might be heaven on earth for you. Cake and pastry stores are so numerous and varied in Buenos Aires that you will be dazzled for choice. The selection ranges from exclusive to regular and everything in between depending on the particular store and neighborhood. The same is true for the prices. The selection in the picture is a rather small one.
What is your favorite cake?
Buenos Aires is a great city and a perfect home base to discover South America. From here you easily reach the beautiful and interesting surroundings as well as remote destinations. Punta del Este for instance, the luxury beach resort in Uruguay, is just a short flight away. Punta is a very popular meeting point for the high society mostly from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay but also from all other countries of South America. The beaches in Punta del Este are absolutely amazing and you will find crowded or secluded beaches, whatever you prefer.
When it comes to summer fun, what kind of a beach babe are you?
I've seen a lot of graffiti and urban street art around the globe but the scene of Buenos Aires turns out to be the funniest and happiest of all. If you walk with open eyes through the city you will find a lot of these colorful art works. Whatever you may think about graffiti, the reputation of those urban paintings is pretty bad and they are polarizing people. What do you think? Is graffiti art or just an urban scourge?
The subway stations in Buenos Aires are usually plain and functional. The Subte, as the Porteños call their underground system, is reliable and cheap. The station Rio de Janeiro belongs to the historic A line. The first section of 7.13 km was inaugurated in 1913 and had made Line A the first underground line ever build in Buenos Aires and in the whole Southern Hemisphere. Today the line is still growing and scheduled to be extended. Recently, in December 2008, the Carabobo station was opened to the public.
There are many vacant lots in Buenos Aires that are abandoned or boarded, primarily the result of teardowns. Some of them are in the center city areas making it prime for urban infill development. Very often they are used as parking lots like this one in the picture which is recognizable by the E in a rounded sign. The E stands for playa de estacionamiento. Happy parking everyone!
There are free guided tours at the Casa Rosada, the presidential palace of Argentina in the historic heart of Buenos Aires. During the tour you get the chance of posing with the palace guards for a picture. I love this part because it is fun for everybody and you can even see the guards slightly smiling. I'm not sure if these guards are the elite military force of Argentina or not, but I guess so. I'm just wondering. Thus it would be great if someone could enlighten me. Anyway, I'd really recommend the tour because you can see a lot.
Heading abroad is just a simple case of picking your passport, your ticket and your bag(s). These guys are just about to leave Buenos Aires and embarking the speed ferry for a trip to Uruguay. I took this picture at the Buquebus ferry terminal in Puerto Madero. Taking the ferry to Montevideo or Colonia del Sacramento is a fast, convenient but also relatively expensive way to cross the Río de la Plata, the natural border between the neighboring countries. Anyway, I really liked the morning glow at this day. The sun was still low and some of the passengers hold up their hands to cover their eyes because the sun was shining very brightly.
The rain started ever so slightly. Suddenly everything became blurred and grayish and the La Boca Bridge was barely visible anymore. Actually it was not a big deal because I was already inside when the rain came along. Just when I thought it was over the rain started again. Buenos Aires is usually not a very rainy place but during the summer months mild thunderstorms are not uncommon.
Not far away from Buenos Aires, Rosario is located on the shores of the Río Paraná. Rosario is considered the origin of the national flag of Argentina. One of the most flamboyant landmarks of the city is the Monumento Nacional a la Bandera, a memorial and a museum entirely dedicated to the Argentine flag. Every night the monument is illuminated in Argentina's national colors: sky-blue and white.
A group of young people marches around the May Pyramid holding a giant banner during a demonstration in Plaza de Mayo. The Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires has always been a hub for political activities in the past, as well as today. Running into a public demonstration is quite common in this historic area.
This is a picture of a very typical Fruteria and Verduleria in Buenos Aires with a sidewalk display of fruits and vegetables. Many small business owners use the space in front of their stores to offer all kinds of assorted goods. I really like the fact that the fruits and vegetables are mostly sorted by color which makes it a typically eye-catching display.
Believe it or not, but the MALBA is one of my favorite art places in Buenos Aires. MALBA is an acronym and stands for Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires. Inaugurated in 2001, the museum is rather young and houses a broad variety of art from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. The building aims to meet the expectations of modern art lovers. It has a contemporary style: modern, simple, clean, and elegant. Take a look for yourself.
Today is Sunday and it is Fería in San Telmo. This weekly ritual entices loads of tourists and there is hardly a spot on the streets around Plaza Dorrego that is not occupied by musicians, street vendors or spectators. The tango singer in the pictures performs her version of "Acuarela del Río" very passionately, you would never belief that during weekdays she is trying to attract customers by distributing flyers for a newly opened restobar.
In Buenos Aires you will find a newspaper kiosk at every other corner. Like elsewhere, the Internet has revolutionized the way news is communicated and newspaper sales dip continuously. But still they do play an important role in daily life of the Porteños. Once a year, however, all newspaper kiosks are closed for the "Día del Canallita" a big feast at which the newspaper salesmen come together and celebrate. The newsstand owners work all year even on national holidays such as the Revolution Day, May 25th (1810).
This blank wall would be deadly dull and meaningless if it not were for the magic of light and shadow. The sun light in Buenos Aires is mostly excellent and you will often stumble upon such fascinating patterns of brightness and obscurity. The wall is symbolically being baptized by a gorgeous interplay of light. I chose this picture as my contribution to the Shadow Theme Day on City Daily Photo.
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants
March 01, 2010
Dear friends and followers! My apologies for my long abscence. The blog is currently suspended due to a high work load. I'll be back, promise!
December 01, 2009
Buenos Aires Perception is on holiday. Till January, I will only post when I feel inspired and have a stable internet connection. (; Thanks for the visit, hope you will stop by again soon and check out the new photos. Stay tuned!
August 24, 2009
Buenos Aires Perception turns 6 months old. This seems a good occasion to say thank you to all visitors for stopping by and leaving comments.
June 08, 2009
Buenos Aires Perception is featured on Monday's Photo Essay at:
