Leaving BA....heading to Iguazu!

I am leaving BA and heading to Iguazu today. It will be sad to leave my little apartment and the excitement of BA, but I am excited to explore a new place!

Yesterday was both very relaxing and very social. Since I had already done most of the "must-sees" in BA, I simply walked around and took in the city one last time. I went to this adorable cafe and had a sandwich before stopping by Freddo for (what else!) Dolce de Leche ice cream. (SIDE NOTE: I need to watch the amount of ice cream I am consuming. I haven't noticed my pants getting tighter just yet, but it is bound to happen if I keep eating and drinking the way I am!) I also did some shopping, which was AWESOME. There is this cute little store here called Rhapsodie -- think Anthropologie back home -- and I picked up the cutest skirt there. It wasn't insanely cheap, but it is not going to break the bank either.

So even though the morning was spent alone, the afternoon was crazy busy meeting up with three people! First, I had a mate (a famous Argentine tea, sort of like Green Tea) with a Mount Holyoke alum (Karina). Then I saw Alexandra again (friend of a friend in Houston who lives in Buenos Aires with her porteno boyfriend) before meeting David, another friend of a friend! Whew! It is so nice to meet new people -- definitely makes traveling alone more fun and exciting!

More pics from my trip are below! Some of these are from my Monday tour.....but they give you a better sense of what the city is like.

Chau Chau for now....

P.S. The image above is from La Boca, a very cool (but VERY dangerous) part of BA. It was originally home to many of city's Italian immigrants, and today it is famous for its football team (Boca Juniors) and multi-colored homes, which were painted with leftover paint from the shipping docks (hence the crazy colors -- they could only use whatever paint was free!)














Some Colonial architecture in BA. This is near the Recoleta Cemetery. In BA, there is very little Colonial architecture for two reasons -- first, it rains a fair amount, so the adobe doesn't last, and second, once Argentina gained independence, they tore down a lot of the "colonial memories." A shame, for sure, since it is beautiful!














Me in front of the tomb of Evita, the most beloved and despised woman in Argentine history. I know, it is sort of disturbing to take a pic in front a dead woman's grave (and smiling no less!). The story about how her body got here is pretty interesting...read about it here. It's also the only tomb in the cemetery that ALWAYS has flowers on it.


















Plaza de Mayo....and me! This was taken on Monday. It was GORGEOUS (but VERY hot!), and I am so glad I was sporting SPF 50! Even with that on I got a little burned... And the shirt I am wearing is not very flattering, I admit....see, you can tell I am getting a little bit of a belly. No more ice cream!!


















Here I am in front of the Casa Rosada, or the "Pink House." This is where the president works. There is a story that it was painted pink to represent the colors of two opposing political parties (one color was red, one was white!) but this isn't true....per my tour guide, pink was simply a fashionable color when the building was erected. I want a pink house too!!!