Looking to get away? About one hour from the bustling streets of Buenos Aires is the small port city of Tigre, named after the jaguars (tigres) that once inhabited the delta. Frequented by portenos (ones from Buenos Aires) and tourists alike, the latte colored water is rather tranquil despite the steady traffic of catamarans, kayaks, and other watercrafts.
It's day six of "get up and go" for me and the SD City College group and I find myself sitting languidly in the aft section of the tour boat half listening to the guide describe the surroundings and the other half imagining the island life in which over 3,000 Argentines have chosen to partake. We pass numerous homes on stilts, the names of the families inhabiting them hung smartly off the docks to their boats. Traveling supermercados, carrying everyday household supplies such as food and water, glide through the river alongside us. The vendors wave invitingly as if to entice us to stay in their water wonderland.
Our group is dropped off at a recreational facility off Rio Sarmiento called El Alcazar. While waiting for lunch to commence, I stroll about the grounds. The five acre complex is equipped with volleyball and tennis courts, a massive soccer field, and many grills and tables to lounge about with family and friends on a beautiful day such as this. I find the group sprawled on the sand or frolicking in the water by the beach. Day six isn't so bad after all...
The lunch is an array of endless delights from empanadas to salad, bread rolls, various grilled cuts of beef, sausages and, of course, dessert. For the vegetarians and vegans in the group, the waiters bring out pasta, veggies and rice.
On our way back to the city, we are dropped off at Puerto de Frutos for a brief stroll through what used to be a major port to sell fruit. Country style furniture, wicker wares and crafts permeate this market now and the weekend crowd is in full force. Herded onto the bus once more, the group falls into a weary silence as many doze off for the final leg home...but I stay awake, looking out the window as we pass through the outskirts of the city. Ah, Buenos Aires...will you ever let me sleep?
Photos
Left top: SD City College group finds the beach
Left bottom: Supermercado traveling the river with household supplies
Right top: Museo de Arte Tigre showcasing famous Argentine artists from the 19th & 20th centuries
Right middle: Preserved home of Argentina's 7th president: Domingo Sarmiento
Right bottom: Home sweet home for Argentine riverside island dwellers
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