Buenos Aires, Argentina (Wednesday, March 21)

We disembarked SIRENA about 8:30 AM, traveling with other passengers to the Alvear Art Hotel.  There we had a prolonged check-in process, the number of front desk staff inversely proportional to the number of guests checking in (and out).  It did not matter much as our room would not be ready until sometime in the afternoon.  

Consigning our suitcases to the bag room, Pam & I headed out on a walk initially heading for Plaza General San Martin.

In the park was the memorial to the 649 Argentine soldiers and sailors who died during the Falkland War.

Towards one end of the park was the Torre Monumental (commonly referred to as the "English Tower") given to the Argentina by the British Empire commemorating the centennial of the May Revolution of 1810.

Across from the moment was the Central (Train) Station. Although hardly a tourist attraction, it was interesting to go inside it.  

We saw buses, lots and lots of buses, that follow routes throughout the city and the surrounding area.  There is a subway system, but it is modest compared to the bus system.

We crossed Avenida del Libertador, one of the incredibly wide streets in the city. 

We visited Basilica Santisimo Sacramento.

We returned to the hotel and were able to check into our room, from which we watched rooftop life on several apartment buildings.

We went up to the top floor health club for a higher view.

For dinner, we went to a restaurant named Puerto Cristal in Puerto Madero section of the city where we had a good meal.  The cab rides back and forth were interesting; dilapidated vehicle with scruffy drivers who drove them just shy of participants in a demolition derby.