Arcane Candy

Friday, August 2, 2019
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Which building is not like the others? Avenue Belgrano in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Santo Domingo Basilica Nuestra Señora del Rosario on Avenue Belgrano in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Today, I schlepped a couple of miles southeast over to the Reserva Ecologica Costanera Sur (RECS), a small ecological preserve on the far eastern side of Buenos Aires. On the way, walking down Avenue Belgrano, I passed by several of the famous high rise facades that this city is famous for. My 5:00 pm arrival at the front gate of the RECS only left me an hour to power walk my way along the wide dirt trail that was conveniently cut through the thickets.

Another impressive facade on Avenue Belgrano in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Crossing the Rio Darsena Sur on Avenue Azucena Villaflor in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“The beautifully marshy land of this 350-hectare nature reserve has become a popular site for weekend picnics, walks and bike rides. Bring binoculars if you’re a birder – over 300 bird species can be spotted, along with river turtles, iguanas and nutria. At the eastern shoreline of the reserve you can get a close-up view of the Río de la Plata’s muddy waters.”—Lonely Planet

A bus full of cardboard on Avenue TA Rodriguez in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

A blocked bridge in the Reserva Ecologica Costanera Sur in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Passing other runners, walkers, couples and families only occasionally, I quickly realized what a nice, relaxing place RECS is to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. By the time I had made it one third of the way through my planned route, a guy rode up on a bicycle and told me I had to turn around and head back out the way I had just come, as it was almost closing time. Damn it! I was hoping to complete the loop. Oh well, maybe I’ll try to rent a bicycle and return.

Try as hard as you can, but you can’t always keep your shadow out of the picture. Reserva Ecologica Costanera Sur in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Two benches in the Reserva Ecologica Costanera Sur in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Next, right after sunset, I trudged on over to Plaza Dorrego, which was mostly empty, save for a few trinket sellers who were tearing down their tables. After rapidly circling the plaza and noting the old world charm of its surrounding cafes, I headed west a few blocks to the San Juan subway station. Down inside, I told the clerk I wanted to take the C line to Avenue de Mayo, but he replied in Spanish only. After I made a couple of attempts to explain where I wanted to go, he told a guy at the gate to just let me through for free. I’m not sure why. That was odd. As I emerged back up into the streets, near the Hostel Estoril, I walked around the block looking for food before calling it a night.

Some vibrant street art on Avenue San Juan in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Words and photos ©2019 Arcane Candy.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 2nd, 2019 at 9:22 pm and is filed under South by South America Tour. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.