Although our cruise ends here, we do not disembark until tomorrow, so today we took our last 's ship tour.
Today's Tour: TIGRE DELTA & RIVER CRUISE
Cruise through the labyrinthine canals of the Tigre River delta, admiring the unspoiled natural beauty and unexpected British-style homes that dot the shoreline.
After departing from the pier, you will settle in for a leisurely drive through some of the most characteristic neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. Along the way, you will pass stately mansions, soaring high-rises and waterfront homes before arriving at San Isidro Cathedral.
While pausing for exterior photos, you will notice its distinct neo-Gothic architecture, most notably its clock tower, which rises more than 225 feet into the air. Considered one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Argentina, it has been declared a National Historic Site. If there is time for an interior visit, you will see the cathedral’s cross-shaped design even more clearly.
Continuing north, you will soon arrive at the Tigre River, which is named for the “tigres” or jaguars that once roamed here. The river delta is one of the world’s largest and is laced with canals that form a network of forested islands.
As you cruise through the green wonderland, you will notice that many of the riverside homes have a British flair. There are mock Tudors, Victorian mansions and even British-style gardens that reflect England’s influence and ties with Buenos Aires.
The Tigre River delta is still a popular weekend getaway for affluent locals, and you will understand why after taking in the natural beauty up close on a river cruise. Afterwards, you will retrace your route back to the pier in Buenos Aires.
We stopped at San Isidro Catedral on route.
We arrived at Tigre where we we were to board a boat to tour the delta.
At this point let me go back to March 8, 2007. We were here. It was pouring rain. We were waiting for word from our daughter Elizabeth who was going through a difficult birth of her first child. We were wet and stressed, riding in a boat with windows fogged so badly it was hard to see the blurry scenery. Soon after getting off the boat we received a cellphone call from Elizabeth telling us all was well. Perhaps it was this end of the tour that was the seed for what became for Pam a fond memory of the beautiful Tigre Delta or perhaps my photographs made me too cynical about it.
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| When Pam told me that she wanted to return there this trip, I was about as ebullient as this guy. |
Fast forward to today. Here we were again, albeit in better weather and without Elizabeth giving birth. It was time to see if the optimistic or pessimistic recollection of the tour was more accurate.
Sarmiento House was remembered by one of us as a "favorite" part of our last tour here -- the home of the 7th president of Argentina, it was now a museum and national treasure. It was such a valuable piece of Argentine history that it was protected against flood waters by a glass enclosure. Ah, if those walls could talk. Actually, if they could, they probably wouldn't have anything interesting to say. It turned out the house was a replica.
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| Everything in the delta comes and goes by boat: fuel, groceries, emergency services, etc. |
We returned to Buenos Aires and went back aboard SIRENA. In preparation for disembarking tomorrow morning, we worked to finish getting our bags packed and in the passageway before the 10 PM collection time. Part of the packing process was a treasure hunt. Over the past 37 days we had spread out into every imaginable nook and cranny in our room. Systematically checking all those places was a challenge with eureka moments. "Look what I found laying flat behind the DVR player!"
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