Argentina Travel

Buenos Aires Zoo

May 31, 2003

After a decent breakfast, we packed up all of our stuff and headed for the new hotel. It was owned by the same company but it was a four-star hotel, and we got the same price since they had to move us out, which was nice. They also provided us with transportation. The hotel is on Corrientes less than a block from Avenida 9 de Julio and the obelisk. What a great location! And it is very very nice. It is also a suite with a living room, but the kitchen is just a sink, microwave and fridge. Still, it is very very nice.

Our plan was to hit the zoo and then the Japanese garden so we took a taxi, which left us right at the entrance to the zoo. At the entrance were small ponies and a llama where you could take a little ride or get your picture taken. We didn't. We did, however, buy two comprehensive tickets, which included the aquarium and the monsters of the sea exhibit. When we entered, we first encountered a line of park photographers taking photographs that you could come back later to purchase. Then there were the ducks and geese. They were all over the place expecting you to feed them from the bags of food you could purchase for 2 pesos or the buckets you could get for 6. We first bought a bag and then decided to get a bucket.

We first took a look at the monsters of the sea exhibit. Here, we saw Michaela scared of something for the second time. There was a large sea monster in the dimly lit room that moved a little bit and made some noise. Michaela cried and wanted nothing to do with it, even after Margarita and I showed her that it was harmless. I guess some fear must be instinctual because she had no reason to fear it and has never shown fear of snakes or any other animals. We rushed through the rest of the exhibit as Michaela made clear that she wanted out.

From there, we made our way to the sea lions, which you could also feed, after paying for a box containing fish. Neat idea for a zoo that probably isn't well-funded. Unfortunately, the sea lions didn't have much room to swim around - but they were well-fed. Then into the aquarium, where I set Michaela down since it was free of the bird droppings that plagued most of the open areas of the park that we had seen. She mostly enjoyed watching and listening to the other children and didn't pay much attention to the fish. She did pay some attention to the penguins though. What she did is show so much interest in what one little girl was eating that the girl's mom ended up giving Michaela one of the crackers as well. Very nice of her (she asked me first). This would not be the last time that Michaela managed to beg for and receive food from strangers.

We saw what appeared to be a rented stroller and decided we wanted one too so we rented one near the entrance for 2 pesos. Then we made our way to a pond where there was an island of monkeys and attempted to throw food to them without much success. I think I made one or two and one of the monkeys actaully picked up the food and ate it. Then Michaela led us to the carousel where Margarita took her for a spin for one peso.

After the carousel was another petting zoo with sheep, goats, pigs, and small horses. We had plenty of food and the animals swamped us and Michaela. She was overwhelmed but she seemed more annoyed than scared and had no problems grabbing hold of an animal's head and moving it out of the way. Margarita and I also fed the animals by hand, but once again, some of the more aggresive animals made it less fun that it might otherwise have been. I also fed one of the pigs by hand. Yech, what a mess. One of the goats managed to escape from its enclosure and followed us around for a while.

By this time, Margarita wasn't feeling very well, so we sat down by a tree with a huge base that lots of children were climbing on and set Michaela free. Most of the kids left but one boy who was maybe 3 or 4, kept telling Michaela to follow him, which 1) she didn't understand and 2) she couldn't physically follow him although she tried. Margarita was hungry and wanted to go so we decided to head for the exit. We handed our bucket of animal food to a family that had brought their own lunch with them and they thanked us as we headed out.

We ended up at a nearby tenedor libre (buffet) where we enjoyed an edible lunch for 5.5 pesos each plus drinks. Plus, they had free internet access, but someone was using it the entire time we were there. Michaela had fallen asleep on the way to the restaurant, so I took off the backpack and we decided to stay at the restaurant as long as she was still asleep.

After lunch (a very late lunch), we took a taxi back to the hotel for a brief stop before heading over to a friend of Margarita's for a meeting. However, we had decided that after I met everyone, I would take off with Michaela, so she wouldn't be a distraction. Unfortunately, before we could leave, Michaela began emptying his bookshelves and ended up ripping the cover of one of his books. We apologized profusely and the host assured us not to worry. He called for a taxi, warning them that I would need change for a 100-peso bill.

The taxi showed up relatively quickly and we were on our way. However, when I tried to reconfirm that he had change for a 100-peso bill, he nearly stopped the car and said no. Obviously, the taxi company had failed to tell him. Oh well. We headed for the hotel and I hoped that they could provide change. However, the ride turned out to be cheap enough that I had the 5 pesos in change and could pay for it.

Back in the room, Michaela fell asleep and I woke her up later so we could get some milk and some food. We shared a ham and cheese empanada for dinner. Margarita returned late at night and she hadn't eaten either but we decided to call it a night. However, she had managed to arrange for me to attend the Boca Juniors vs. River Plate "superclasico" soccer game that would be held the next day! How cool! I had wanted to attend a soccer game in Argentina and this was the game to see. People waited for days to get tickets to this game and Margarita managed to arrange my attendance the night before! I would be paying for a friend of hers to attend as well and he would escort me. The tickets were 80 pesos each. If the peso were still on par with the dollar, I might have thought twice, but at the current exchange rate, there was no question. Margarita would head to La Plata with Michaela while I was at the game.

I can't wait for tomorrow!

Posted by mike at June 3, 2003 06:23 PM