Buenos Aires day 2

We decided we’d explore the ecological preserve that runs along the coast just south of the cruise terminal, officially the Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur. We wanted to save the walking for the preserve and the city, so we took a taxi. We needed to arrange a price and find one that would take a credit card, but once again high school Spanish was sufficient.

The preserve is a wonderful oasis right next to the city. Lots of people were out walking, running, and biking. We didn’t wind up walking quite as far as we’d planned as the heat got pretty fierce. Going back into the city proper we found we could get more of a breeze and seek out the shade of the buildings, which helped a lot. We walked along the Rio Dique, which is the old port facility that has been converted into waterfront shops and restaurants. We crossed over on the very cool Puente de la Mujer, or “women’s bridge,” a pedestrian-only crossing. We found a nice little pizza place where the boys had the usual pizza, Liz had an avocado flatbread, and I had a veggie sandwich. The sandwich was very good – sauteed eggplant and zucchini rather than the usual lettuce/tomato/bell pepper combo.

After lunch we made our way back to the Plaza Hotel, where the Oceania shuttle stop was located. Then back to the ship to give the boys some free time. Liz and I debated going back to the city, but the last shuttle back was at 4:30, so we did not have a lot of time. Plus I, for one, was a bit sapped from walking in the heat and we already had a good amount of steps. So we just brought our books down to the pool.

We really enjoyed our time in both Montevideo and Buenos Aires. As we returned to the ship, we were approached by a woman doing a survey of tourists for the city government. Liz liked the city so much that she stopped to take the survey to make sure the positive feedback was getting through. Maybe one day we’ll be back.Read more