Recoleta Street Photography, Buenos Aires

The streets offer unbelievable opportunities to photographers.  Unfortunately, given my paranoia about 'losing' equipment, these photos were taken with a small camera. 

But I begin with a photo of Janice having her morning fix on the balcony at our first apartment in Palermo.  When we left three weeks later, trees were bursting with new leaves.  One of the hardest things about our holiday is that while we were in Buenos Aires, spring was coming, but we knew that in Vancouver winter would soon be coming (sigh).  It would be nice sometime to travel and follow spring for a year.

I continue to be fascinated by window displays interacting with reflections.

This young lad was busking, using a 'horn' made from a fascinating branch that was somehow hollowed out.  He could only produce one pitch, treating the branch as a brass instrument, but he varied it in volume, articulating various rhythms.  It was a good effort, but not quite worth donations.  The sidewalk and wall provided a good sounding board for amplifying the sound.

Some parts of Recoleta have European street lamps.

Av Calbido at night (Palermo, Buenos Aires)

One evening, about an hour after sunset, I walked for several blocks on both sides of Avenida Calbido, in Palermo.  Even though the streets were busy, I did not feel safe using my SLR when by myself, so I used a small pocket camera instead.  The store windows, convenience stores, and even the sidewalks themselves look different after dark.

Fruit and vegetable crates awaiting pickup.  I wish I knew whether it is for recycling, reuse, or landfill.

This seems to be a type of convenience store which also has a pay telephone booth.  As cell phones become ubiquitous, these stores have to adapt.

The national lottery, on the other hand, will (like the poor) always be with us.  These shops abound, stay open until at least 9 p.m., and always have business.

Starbucks has made serious inroads into Buenos Aires, and not only in the tourist areas.  If ever one needs a bagno (not so much a bath as a toilet), buy a coffee.  The bathrooms are always clean.

The juxtaposition of langerie and graffiti is too obvious--artfully designed window display competing with tagging on marble.

Fortunately, I never saw any women wear shoes like these.

This convenience store was wide open to the sidewalk, having no store front glass.  Presumably a sturdy metal gate descends when the store is closed.

Wine and Swiss cheese . . . beat that.

Cafés can stay open well into the night, providing great places for WiFi, reading, conversing.

Small groceries (often called "Chinese groceries" because of their owners, not workers) stay open until 9:00 or 9:30 so that workers can pick up things for dinner on their way home after work.

Some stores staying open prefer to lower their gates with nightfall.  However, there is a small door in the gate which can be opened to admit customers.  One assumes that this complicated safety precaution is there for a reason.

Even at night, graffiti can be artistic.

A young couple, lost in their own world at a pool hall.

This shows petrol prices.  The Argentine peso was trading at about 4.6 to the US dollar during our visit.  Sadly, it was falling once again.  The country seems to have exhausted its supply of dollars and credit.

If women wish to have some beauty aids, etc., this is what they must pay at one of the shops.

This metal shutter is very sturdy indeed, yet has a small window cut out so that you can tell that the store is still open for business.

Palermo Images, Part 2 (by Janice)

This second blog post will show more about life in Palermo.  Above is a receptacle for garbage, which is picked up 6 nights per week.  However, there aren't enough receptacles, so it doesn't always look this neat.

A sushi place?  No, it's the place to take your laundry, where for 17 pesos a bag, they wash, dry, and fold it for you.

Building construction is rampant and involves much cement and detouring on the sidewalks.

 Our little tour group of 8 stayed in this house with a nondescript front.  However, it was nicely designed and modern inside.  And like many other properties, it is for sale.

 

Have a lunch!  Quilmes is one of Argentina's favourite beers.

Although the place we stayed was remodeled, there was a remnant of what was there before, a lovely mosaic and water tap.

A view from the roof of the place where we stayed.  Those water towers can be noisy.  You have to pump city water up into your private tower in order to get any water pressure.

A vendor selling flowers, viewed through a cafe window.

There are many derelict places, ripe for redevelopment.

 

Our favorite tourist is admiring the coming of spring before crossing the street.