Buenos Aires, Argentina (Day 2)

We had every intention of taking it easy today. Hah! We don’t know how to do that apparently. We ended up walking 8 miles today … this on top of the 7.2 miles we did yesterday.

Since we were both up early, we decided to once again catch the first shuttle to the terminal at 8:30a to then catch the shuttle into the heart of the city. By the time we got to Plaza San Martin.

Getting directions from Google, we set off towards the Jardín Japonés (Japanese Gardens). It took us an hour or so to get there … walking along tree-lined residential streets with plenty of shade. Combined with the lower temperature this morning and a light breeze, it made for a pleasant stroll from the Retiro District to the Palermo District.

Along the way, we stopped at Deluca, a neighborhood coffee shop in the Recoleta District, so that Mui could get a doble cortado and an alfajor. He wanted the chocolate-filled version of the cookie, but they were out … the one filled with dulce de leche turned out to be quite tasty.

Cutting through the German Garden, we arrived at the Japanese Garden just after it opened at 10:00a. Admission was around USD $3.50pp … free senior admission available only for Argentinean citizens.

As is the case with all Japanese gardens, this one was designed as a “zen” place … to create balance and harmony. It was completed in 1967 and inaugurated on the occasion of a state visit to Argentina by then-Crown Prince Akihito and Princess Michiko of Japan.

There were a surprising number of people visiting today, so the zen aspect was nowhere to be found. As the day wore on, the number of visitors grew to the point of being uncomfortable. Glad we got there early.

We wandered the paths in reverse to take advantage of the light, stopping to take frequent photos, crossing the central lake by way of the Divine Bridge … which traditionally represents entry into heaven. The sakura trees were not in bloom. But there were other Japanese plants and some species that are native to South America … such as the silk floss tree with its beautiful pink flowers.

Once we completed our rounds at this garden, we moved onto another one … Jardín Botánico Carlos Thays … aka the Buenos Aires Botanical Garden. This one charged no admission. The sign said that the place, inaugurated in 1898, was declared a national monument in 1996 and has some 5,500 species of plants.

Colorful blooms were few and far between. The greenhouses were locked up, and the house in which Carlos Thays (who designed the garden) lived with his family is an administrative building that is off limits to visitors. We wandered the shaded paths in search of the sculptures … some of them tucked into nooks and crannies.

By the time we left the Botanical Garden, it was getting on towards 1:30p. It was still too early for our lunch reservation at Don Julio, but we decided to head there anyway and see if they could seat us earlier.

Don Julio is an Argentinean parilla (grill) that is #14 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for 2022. CD Ray has made it his mission to go to as many of them as he can as he cruises around the world. He turned us onto Don Julio when we had lunch with him one day and is the reason why we canceled our Tigre tour to spend time in the city today. Reservations are very hard to come by. But Ray suggested that Mui send an email to the restaurant— just like he had done — to plead our case. It worked.

We arrived right around 2:00p and were told that once they cleared the reservations and wait list for that time slot, they would seat us as soon as a table became available. In the meantime, we were given glasses of bubbly from Argentina’s Mendoza region and served mini-empanadas while we stood on the sidewalk with all the other people waiting to be seated.

At 2:30p, the hostess came over to say that she had a table available on the sidewalk. Dining al fresco was our preference anyway, so we followed her to a four-top that was set for just two people. Our server, David, came over soon after to take our order. Chorizo and grilled provolone topped with tomatoes from the Don Julio estancia to start. A lomo (tenderloin) for Mui and empanadas for me … with two different fillings … beef and pumpkin & cheese. We also ordered an heirloom tomato salad and mashed potatoes as a side for Mui’s beef. Two Quilmes beers to wash it all down. Everything was delicious … but OMG, the portions were big. We were so full that we couldn’t even think of looking at the dessert menu let alone eating anything else.

By the time we were ready to leave, the temperature and humidity had risen. Instead of walking back to Plaza San Martin to catch the shuttle to the terminal, we called an Uber to return us to the port.

I spent the rest of the late afternoon on the veranda … stayed out there when Insignia backed out of its berth and made its way into the ship channel of the Rio de la Plata. I am still out here. It’s now dark outside with a distant pink hue on the horizon to the aft of the ship. A half moon in the sky is keeping me company. A good time to relax before what promises to be another busy day in port tomorrow.Okumaya devam et