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18/12/2017 - Floralis Genérica, Recoleta, Casa Rosada, Obelisco, protest

Breakfast at Cafe Martinez, the same street as our Airbnb flat. Sunny day, so we took a long walk to Floralis Genérica with a massive mechanical tulip flower (free entrance), visited Facultad de Derecho university (free), and then old Recoleta cemetery (free). The Recoleta cemetery is an interesting place, where you can see huge variety of tombs. Each one is different, many of them also have a basement floor. There is Evita Perón’s tomb. 

Lunch at Romario pizzeria (chain), right behind the Recoleta cemetery. We had few different posadas and two small draught beers. I noticed that sometimes the draught beer is called chop. We could pay by card there, so I had to get some cash from an atm of Banko de la Nación Argentino located on a parallel street behind us. 

Then we walked to Las Heras underground station. On the way there, I stopped in Kiosco to get an Argentinian SIM card for 45 pesos. Inside of the tube station, we were wondering how to get a ticket or something to use for multiple rides. The only option is to get a Sube card. We paid 100 pesos, the card was 25 and the remaining 75 got credited on to the card. 

Short tube ride (line H) with change to green line D at Santa Fe, and we arrived to Plaza Mayo, where the Casa Rosada is. Unfortunately there were barriers all across the plaza, with no direct access to Casa Rosada. So we had to walk around the block to get closer and take some photos. Casa Rosada and Plaza Mayo is not that interesting. There is also a cathedral, but that one was closed too. We decided to continue walking to Obelisco on Avenida 9 Julio and stopped for very tasty ice cream next to Tobas Cafe half way through the Obelisco. It was really hot and sunny day and we felt our skin already burning. 

Around Obelisco, there weren’t many people. But to my surprise, there are Olympic circles. We took few photos and started hearing loud noise coming from few street away. Shortly after that many police motorcycles and cars came to block one of the side streets. The loud noise reached us and we could see traffic being stopped by many people marching on one side of the street, around Obelisco. Most of them held some flags and posters and big drums. We quite didn’t know where to go and what to do. So stayed with few other tourists in the middle and waited for the situation to be quieter. 

Then we jumped into tube back to our area - stop called Scalabrini Ortiz (around 6pm). The station 9 de Julio was full of people. I can say the tube runs more busy here than in London. The peak time seems to be until late morning like 11 or even later in the direction to centre and then the opposite direction in the afternoon and the evening. But it can be because it is right before the Christmas. We had some issues with the Sube touch card. As it doesn’t read it quickly enough as we are use to and the gates didn’t let us in. Then someone from locals who spoke English helped us to get through the gate. It was really busy and hot. 


And the evening. We did shopping in Carefour and cooked some meat in our accommodation. 

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