Hasta La Victoria Siempre
Rosario rocks.
The pace of life is just right, there is something very French about the style of the place and the weather is well, nigh on perfect.
Did I mention this is my third week of mid twenties celsius and not a drop of rain in sight?
So the bus ride in from Buenos Aires was anxious enough, waiting around the station for my loser of a bus company was an exercise in faith. Eventually they came through and five hours on one smelly coach on some of the flattest land I´ve ever seen was endured.
Pulling into Rosario, you get to see how the bottom 10% live and it´s utter squalor. I´d imagine there are parts of Buenos Aires that are even worse but this is regular shanty town.
I was starting to think I had made a major mistake coming here but it levels off and being a town of 1.5 million had to have some nice areas.
And indeed it does, the Monumento Historico Nacional a la Bandera being the supposed highlight and it´s indeed spectacular. On the river front, it´s a parthenon-esque structure surrounded by flags and makes tribute to Argentine´s who died for their country. Just as in Buenos Aires, this famous structure now seems to host teenagers semi-permanently break dancing with video cameras in hands whilst couples compete against each other for who can perform the more amorous embrace in public.
Largely unsung but far more interesting for myself was the walk out to Plaza de la Cooperación and Entre Rios Street. In the Plaza itself their is a large mural depicting a vision of Che which embraces both the light and dark side of people´s interpretations of the revolutionary fighter.
The plaque reads that Che was born in Rosario and the house stands but a few metres from the square, it goes on to say that he fought and died attempting to create a society that was more equal and just. Official Rosario does not attempt to play up the Che angle and in fact the house itself remains in private ownership today and is off limits to the public.
The locals I´ve met so far have been absolutely cool and it´s taken getting out of Buenos Aires to actually enter into this sort of cultural exchange. There should be some Mate later on and more conversation with people who don´t put barriers up and like to talk.
So yeah, Rosario has made the list.
Prague, Czech Republic; Vancouver, Canada; Rosario, Argentina
Places I´m prepared to countenance living.
Hasta La Victoria Siempre.
The pace of life is just right, there is something very French about the style of the place and the weather is well, nigh on perfect.
Did I mention this is my third week of mid twenties celsius and not a drop of rain in sight?
So the bus ride in from Buenos Aires was anxious enough, waiting around the station for my loser of a bus company was an exercise in faith. Eventually they came through and five hours on one smelly coach on some of the flattest land I´ve ever seen was endured.
Pulling into Rosario, you get to see how the bottom 10% live and it´s utter squalor. I´d imagine there are parts of Buenos Aires that are even worse but this is regular shanty town.
I was starting to think I had made a major mistake coming here but it levels off and being a town of 1.5 million had to have some nice areas.
And indeed it does, the Monumento Historico Nacional a la Bandera being the supposed highlight and it´s indeed spectacular. On the river front, it´s a parthenon-esque structure surrounded by flags and makes tribute to Argentine´s who died for their country. Just as in Buenos Aires, this famous structure now seems to host teenagers semi-permanently break dancing with video cameras in hands whilst couples compete against each other for who can perform the more amorous embrace in public.
Largely unsung but far more interesting for myself was the walk out to Plaza de la Cooperación and Entre Rios Street. In the Plaza itself their is a large mural depicting a vision of Che which embraces both the light and dark side of people´s interpretations of the revolutionary fighter.
The plaque reads that Che was born in Rosario and the house stands but a few metres from the square, it goes on to say that he fought and died attempting to create a society that was more equal and just. Official Rosario does not attempt to play up the Che angle and in fact the house itself remains in private ownership today and is off limits to the public.
The locals I´ve met so far have been absolutely cool and it´s taken getting out of Buenos Aires to actually enter into this sort of cultural exchange. There should be some Mate later on and more conversation with people who don´t put barriers up and like to talk.
So yeah, Rosario has made the list.
Prague, Czech Republic; Vancouver, Canada; Rosario, Argentina
Places I´m prepared to countenance living.
Hasta La Victoria Siempre.
posted by Christophe at 9:32 p.m.
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