10 Odd Facts about Buenos Aires

On a recent trip to Buenos Aires, a number of things stood out to me. Here they are!

1) The city has a strong European influence.

2) Many of the beautiful old buildings are dirty and need restoration.

3) Air-conditioning units abound and drip water over unsuspecting pedestrians.

4) In many areas, paving stones are uneven, loose or missing.

5) Graffiti is scrawled on every surface imaginable.

6) A local version of buying freshly squeezed juice!

7) Dog walkers abound and I saw a group of them in a park without about 20 dogs between them.

8) I came away with a new concept of what a cemetery is.

9) The infrastructure is there but badly neglected. Think faded road paint, crumbling curbs, rail tracks overgrown with grass, marble monuments with weeds growing out of them.




10) There is litter everywhere!

Earthquake Tourism in Christchurch

I spent today observing Christchurch through tourist eyes - the earthquake damage, the rebuild, and also the artistic efforts to beautify a city in transition.

The tour took an hour and from the perspective of a double decker bus, the view was quite different to the one I'm accustomed to. I could see over walls and was eye to eye with the first floors of some buildings. The guide pointed out the ruined Christchurch Cathedral and explained how many buildings collapsed on the 22nd February 2011. The city centre is a mixture of new buildings, wide open spaces where structures have been demolished, and a large number of cordoned-off ruins. Many spaces have temporary "gap-fillers" which have been put in place to attract people into the CBD and also to add charm to the city.

Hassle-Free Tours operate the above and their guide was informative and engaged well with their passengers.

The Restart Mall

                                                                       The trams still run in the city centre

                                                   New Regent Street has been restored and the shops are open

                                                                   Christchurch Cathedral is still in ruins

                                                                          The Catholic Basilica is also ruined

                             185 white chairs stand  as a memorial to the 185 people who died in the earthquake

                                             The yellow sandy area is the site of the CTV building that collapsed in seconds

Exploring Lord of the Rings Territory with Hassle-Free Tours

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy was filmed in various parts of New Zealand. Hassle-Free Tours in Christchurch offer an eight hour experience that includes visiting Mount Erebor, aka Mount Sunday, four-wheel driving, and a picnic lunch. The scenery is spectacular and the tour guide knowledgeable. He brought the movie to life with his anecdotes and willingly answered questions. The tour includes several videos that give details of how the Mt Erebor location was chosen and the logistics of filming over a period of several months. It was a fascinating experience and one I would highly recommended - especially if you are a Lord of the Rings fan.