BUENOS AIRES - THE OUTSKIRTS

Our last foray into the wonders of Buenos Aires was a visit to San Isidro. This suburb is about 20 miles north of the city, and is lovely. Apparently it burgeoned in the late 19th century when yellow fever devastated Buenos Aires and those who could moved out of the crowded city. After the excitement and density of BA, the simplicity and charm of San Isidro is restful. The center is an historic area with cobbled streets and old single-story houses. Traffic slows down because the cobbles (having arrived as ship’s ballast) keep the roads rutted enough to stress the benefits of slowing down. We visited a lovely colonial house now used as a local library and were awed by the fountain and tiles in its entry and the garden overlooking the river.

At the neo-gothic San Isidro Cathedral we were surprised both by its grandeur and its simplicity. Jesus hangs alone without any golden cherubs flying around him; his outstretched arms seem a sure declaration that he has come for us.

After a visit to the Fruit Market (amazing) we took a boat trip through the Tigre Delta islands of the Río de la Plata (called the River Plate by guides for Americans). The lagoons and channels surround hundreds of houses, social clubs, and resorts, many of which are lovely. There is no transportation throughout the delta save for boats, so there are school bus boats (21 schools), supermarket boats (that bring bottled water, small appliances, meat and milk), an ambulance boat, etc. People sit on their docks and chat and call to each other and wave to us, but travel from one place to another must be by water – you can’t walk or drive. There is no fresh water except for the collected rain, so all drinking water must be brought by boat.

Finally, we had a late lunch and strolled by shops. One of them had a doll house with an internal elevator!