I've been living a quieter life in Buenos Aires than Marty's adventures in Bolivia, though perhaps not literally quieter. This is a loud city. Colectivos (bus) rumble by at all hours (literally shaking this old house), men yell, horns blare, motorcycles buzz past carrying deliveries of empanadas and ice cream, and helicopters hover overhead.
The helicopters aren't normal here, but Tuesday is the Bicentenario -- Argentina is celebrating 200 years of independence from Spain -- and it's fiesta time!
Avenida 9 de Julio, one of the widest streets in the world, has been closed to traffic (inspiring much ire at rush hour over the last week) and huge stands and stages have been set up. The government is clearly spending an enormous amount of money on this. There is a stand for each of the country's provinces, with musical events, parades, and more.
(Marty has our camera, so I'm having to make do with photos from the web, and I can't find any yet of the current state of the Avenida, or of the stands.)
A slightly apocalyptic view of Avenida 9 de Julio and the Obelisk
I happened on a concert on Thursday night in front of the Casa Rosada (the Pink House is Argentina's equivalent of the White House). The band had come down from Jujuy, the very northern tip of Argentina, and it was a taste of the Andes, with most of the audience in ponchos and caps, waving Jujuy flags in time to the lively pan-pipe music.
An especially pink image of the Casa Rosada
I just have to include the coat of arms, which appears on the front gate at the Casa Rosada: Two hands clasped (the provinces joining together) with a pike (yes, the big stick represents power) and a Santa hat, oops, no, the hat of freed Roman slaves, and the same sun that is on the Argentine flag. And some laurel. Simplicity was not highly valued in 19th-century graphic design.
Last night, along Avenida 9 de Julio, I saw the stand erected by the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo (the mothers of the "disappeared" victims of the 1970's dictatorship). One of my teachers here says that the Madres and the current government are very close, and that the Madres are now quite a powerful group. That seemed borne out by the display's lavishness, which includes a giant sort of carousel with life-size plaster figures of women in white kerchiefs, rotating around a replica of the statue in front of the Casa Rosada. They're an impressive group that has done a lot for human rights in Argentina. But the display is still very weird.
The government declared an extra holiday this year, and everyone's celebrating the four-day weekend. I was out until a mere 2 am or so last night, but my housemate tells me that restaurants were busy at 3, and little old men and women were holding hands and walking through the streets at 4:30 am as if they were strolling along in the sunset.
I'll head out with some friends tonight to see the big Latin American music fest and will no doubt be joined by thousands and thousands of people. I live right at the epicenter of all the festivities, so it's loud -- there was still a concert of some sort going at 1 am last night -- but very convenient!
After all, how often do you get to celebrate a 200th birthday?
Poor camera-less you. :(
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you posted, though. I like to hear about your everyday life. That boulevard is quite the boulevard! It's like that street in Queens.
How do people stay out so late? When does the workday begin? I'm beginning to think Americans have a really crazy work ethic. We work long hours and never take vacations!
Well, last night was Friday night of a four-day weekend, so most people didn't have to work today. But I think many people just don't get much sleep. Maybe they catch up some on the weekends (I find I've been doing that, staying up late, getting up early, then crashing on Sat).
ReplyDeleteBecause many people do work long hours here. I think they just value social time more, so even if they leave work at 7 they still eat with friends or family, or dance until late, and just sleep less.
Geez - is that Avenida 14 lanes wide?
ReplyDeleteThe 200th anniversary is your second chance at a 200th birthday, you know. You celebrated the U.S. bicentennial, too. No big national celebration for us, though. We were at Grandmom & Grandpop's. David took a picture of you sitting on a blanket, gnawing on one of Uncle Denny's special barbecued ribs. Oh - maybe I shouldn't remind you of that. But you weren't even a year old, so you didn't know any better.
Yes, I think that's right, that it's 14 lanes, and then it's flanked on either side by two more streets -- takes forever to cross the whole thing, so it's been a big treat to have it closed to cars!
ReplyDeleteYup, no ribs for this bicentennial, but that one sounds like it was pretty nice, Mom.
@jd: poor US that she's camera-less!
ReplyDeleteI'm entertained by the Santa hat. And the thought of you gnawing on a rib. grin