The Vibrant Gateway to Argentina

Our itinerary called for two full days in the port of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Probably a good thing - we needed to recover from our lengthy trip yesterday to Iguazu Falls. Speaking of the falls, perhaps you're wondering where all that water comes from and where it goes.

Interestingly, Buenos Aires is not located on the Atlantic Ocean but rather on the southwestern shore of Río de la Plata. The Río de la Plata is a funnel-shaped estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay and Paraná rivers, and receives waters draining from the basin of these rivers. As you can see from the map below, the water that flows into Iguazu Falls comes from the Iguazu River, which is part of the Guarani Aquifer, one of the world's major underground reserves of fresh water. This river is fed by rainfall and its flow can vary significantly depending on the season and weather conditions. The water from the lower Iguazu River collects in a canyon that drains into the Paraná River. This river is one of the major rivers in South America, flowing through and creating the borders of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina before emptying into the Rio de la Plata estuary.

Some key features of the Río de la Plata include:

• Length: The Río de la Plata is about 180 miles long;
• Width: It widens from about 1.2 miles at its source to about 140 miles at its mouth - (If considered a river, it is the widest in the world);
• Basin Size: An area of 1,220,000 square miles; and
• Depth: A depth that varies from about 3.3 to 16.4 feet in the inner part and increases from 16 to 82 feet in the outer estuary zone. With such shallow depths, a portion of it has been dredged to accomodate the large ships entering the port.

The Río de la Plata is a salt wedge estuary, where saltwater, being denser than freshwater, penetrates into the estuary in a layer below the freshwater, which floats on the surface. This results in the water having a silty brown color. The color is attributed to the 90% suspended clay particles and the other 10% to sand and silt.

Part of our entertainment in port today was watching as the tug boats assist the cruise ship, MSC, into the dock alongside our ship. Check it out ...

Buenos Aires is not only a major port but as a vibrant city.

The people of Buenos Aires are deeply fascinated with soccer, mate, and Evita.

• Soccer, or fútbol, holds a special place in the hearts of Argentinians, with the national team's matches evoking a sense of collective obsession, excitement and pride.

• Yerba mate, a traditional hot caffeinated tea, is not just a beverage but a social custom that plays a significant role in Argentine culture. The cup and straw for consumption of mate tea is distinctive and found everywhere in both Uruguay and Argentina. Here's a local who let us photograph him with his morning cup of mate and also a photo of the cup/straw we bought as a souvenir. The straw has a spoon shaped siphon on the end to filter out the herbs.

• Additionally, the legacy of Eva Perón, commonly known as Evita, continues to captivate the people of Buenos Aires, reflecting her enduring influence on the country's history and culture. We watched the Andrew Lloyd Weber 1978 musical that charts Eva's journey from a poor illegitimate child to an ambitious actress, wife of military leader-turned-president Juan Perón, and the most powerful woman in Latin America before her death, from cancer, at age 33. Many of you may recall one of the memorable songs, "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" ... for your viewing and listening pleaure, here is a clip of Madonna from the musical: https://youtu.be/KD_1Z8iUDho?feature=shared

These elements, along with tango, wine, and parrillas (a traditional style of grilling various cuts of beef), form an integral part of the rich tapestry of experiences that define this vibrant city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.