Argentina
The formalities of immigration and customs were promptly dispatched. I obtained a 90-day visa then I gave the temporary admission of the one year for my truck in Uruguay to receive a 90-day temporary admission in Argentina. The whole lasted less than a half an hour. The toll of the bridge was of 240 Uruguayan pesos. I found a bivouac in a gas station on the ruta #136 in Argentina.
Wednesday, July 13th was a long driving day to reach Buenos Aires.
The distance from Colonia to Buenos Aires is around 50 km with the
ferry. The turning by the international bridge at Fray Bentos is
approximately 500 km. Of course I did not have Argentinian pesos and
it is a toll road. On the way I questioned several people to know
where to find a cajero automatico, que nenni. Finally I warned a
police car on the autopista whose occupants told me that it is
allowed to pay either in US$ or € but not in Uruguayan pesos! Of
course the exchange rate is for the profit of the toll people.
However thus my first concern was to find a HSBC bank agency. Then
to locate where was the address of the repairer of the Wallas
cookers in San Isidro which I found around 16:30. The person
dismounted the cooker with some difficulties because there are
pop rivets and a stuck cable! PSI-Azalaï is the king of the pop rivets and
the sash bolts which it is necessary to block with Scotch tape. I
bivouacked during three nights on the port of San Isidro on standby
of repair.
On the French National Holiday, July 14th, I made
the administrative one late.
On Friday, July 15th I had appointment with the Wallas repairer at 16:00. The installation then the tests lasted until 19:30. I had again go on July 16th at 10:00 for complementary tests. Of course I used the cooker the 16/07 morning for my breakfast. I left Juan Pablo by taking again an appointment for Monday the 18th at 14:00. In continuation I moved towards Buenos Aires Plaza of Mayo to visit the downtown area.
I arrived Plaza de Mayo around 14:00. The temperature was winter with an icy wind. The most important monument in Buenos Aires is Casa Rosada from the balcony of which Evita Perón harangued her supporters. I invite the readers to listen to the Evita rock opera thus that to view the Evita film with Madonna in the title role. Across Casa Rosada Cabildo was the town hall in the middle of the 18th century whereas arches surrounded Plaza de Mayo. Not far in av. Julio Roca Manzana de Luces testifies to the architecture of an old market. I traversed the av. de Mayo up to Palacio del Congreso built on the model of Capitol in Washington in 1906. Back to Plaza de Mayo I entered Catedral Metroplolitana of baroque style where was buried General Jose de San Martin, Argentina's hero. I bivouacked av. Julieta Lanteri, known by all the travellers.
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On Sunday, July 17th I strolled av. Defensa and Plaza Dorrego occupied on Sunday by second-hand dealers while going to visit Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires, Mamba. The museum exhibits works by Argentinian's artists with many interpretative panels of the evolution of art in the end of the 20th century. Many works were abstruse for me of traditional and postclassic cultures. The day was sunny but very cold. At daybreak the temperature under my truck was +1°C, brrr.
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