Mar Del Plata

Would you believe - no train until Tuesday.!!

The ticket office opened punctually at 17.30 - a queue had been forming from 15 minutes before. It takes a good 5 -10 minutes to buy a ticket as one has to surrender one’s passport and details are noted manually - the red tape here  is incredible! Finally arriving at the counter, we were informed that all trains were booked up until Martes (Tuesday) !!! By then we must be on the high seas. So our only option is to take a bus (5.5hrs) to BA! We chose seats on the upper deck to get a good view of the countryside. The agent spoke no English but went to great pains to explain the ticket details and where the bus stop was located, speaking Spanish slowly to help me understand.!! 

We returned to the hotel. I was exhausted so we skipped dinner and retired. We had fitfully slept on the flight so I was asleep by 21.00 hrs! 

I awoke refreshed. A buffet breakfast consisted of mainly orange juice and pastries of every known variety - the waistline will expand before we ever hit the high seas!  

This morning we are going to explore Mar Del Plata What we’ve seen so far would jar the eye !! At the turn of the 20th century the resort was a retreat for the wealthy of BA. Lack of planning in the 1960s has resulted in a sprawling mass jungle.  

with little to recommend it in terms of architecture. 

The area continues to be popular but the wealthy have migrated to Pinamar or Punta Del Este (Uruguay). 

The first Europeans, the Jesuits,  arrived  here  to evangelize the Southern Pampas Indians. Nothing remains of their efforts except a body of water named Laguna de Los Padres. The Portuguese followed a century later but beset by economic problems in the 1860s, sold out to Patricio Peralta Ramos, who founded Mar Del Plata, industrialized it and established the resort,  in whose honour the coast road is named. 

This morning we walked along the coast. We walked the portion (its total length is 32km) described as the most interesting from Ramos Boulevard to Torreón Del Monje, passing the Casino (closed and not very  impressive, the Hermitage hotel and came across  the statue of Admiral Brown, an Irishman from Wexford, who founded the Argentinian navy.  

We  had a coffee at the Torreón Del Monje. 

The area is lined with public and private beaches. In the private beaches umbrellas abound and in addition something akin to  old bathing huts  now supplied  with tables and chairs to avoid the sun. Wisely, very few people sat directly under the sun!! 

From there we took a taxi to the Puerto ((Port). The area abounds with restaurants serving fish from the boats, which come to shore c 17.00 hrs each evening and sell their catch to the surrounding shops  and restaurants. 

We chose El Timon for lunch and had a most wonderful fishy lunch consisting of  garlic prawns and a salad of fish comprising of more prawns, mussels, calamari and other unfamiliar fish together with a bottle of Chablis and water for €30. (Apologies I forgot to take photos!). 

We were last in Argentina in August 2006 and we are using the guide book we had used then. At that time Argentina was emerging from a severe economic collapse and yet again the same is true today. Amazingly, there is little difference in the prices then and now!!! Though the hotels are booked out, the restaurants are practically empty. At the height of the season, the restaurants are advertising 25% discount and this was deducted from our bill. To date we have found everyone, including taxi men very honest and all are delighted  to receive a gratuity. 

We taxied back to the hotel and it is now siesta time! 

Tomorrow, we leave and take the bus back to Buenos Aires.