|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
02/25/2001 |
|
Buenos
Aires - ARGENTINA |
|
S
34°81 W 58°42 |
|
+
76 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here we
are ! The fifth Continent, South America,
Buenos Aires !
For our last Australian night, some of us
felt asleep in front of the Opera, in Sydney's
Port. The morning after, the Team is in a
single file for the check-in in the airport,
ready for one of the longest flights ever:
Sydney - Buenos Aires, the crossing of the
Pacific Ocean.
After all these people we met in Australia,
the Team is all together again, and the 5 sit
in line in the Qantas Boeing 747, flight QF
115. Vale and Aleko watch all the movies they
can, Marco travels in the land of dreams, Maya
and Theo hide without making any noise under a
Qantas blanket.
We have a brief stopover in Auckland, in
New Zealand. We spend one hour in duty free,
buying Maori souvenirs. Aleko walks in front
of the huge windows of the airport, trying to
look as far as he can: mountains fall into the
sea, with a light of the end of the world. 'It
looks a bit like Scotland! If only I could get
out of here!'. Theo goes to the airport's
chapel: "Thank you God for this
experience. Please protect us for the next 12
hours flight until Buenos Aires!".
A hundred kilometers after the 'Kiwi'
country, we pass the International Date Line,
the border between the Eastern and the Western
hemisphere. But there are no roll of drum
neither glass of champagne to celebrate the
event. We have just won one day from the rest
of the World. This magic instant allowed Fogg
- in the Round the World Tour in 80 days - to
win his bet. As he had seen 80 sunsets, he was
sure he had failed, on the contrary of his
friends in London, who only saw 79. And that's
how Miss Aouda became Mrs. Fogg.
But this is only a Jules Verne's novel.
Here, it's reality, and that's You, virtual
traveler, who decides on the future of the
Interactive Round the World Tour !
The perfect landing is acclaimed with warm
claps... Latin!
BIENVENIDO EN ARGENTINA!
Now watch the video...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Arrived
in Buenos Aires, the Team feels a
bit strange: we don't feel
disoriented nor in an exotic
place; And yet, none of us has
ever been here. Between the mix
of old and modern architecture, we
pass faces of different horizons:
Buenos Aires is a cosmopolitan
city. 4 millions people, and more
than 12 if you count the suburbs.
We explore immediately the
center, looking for the
similarities with the Old
Continent. The Plaza de Mayo looks
like being in Madrid, the smart
area of Recoleta could be in
Paris, and the little streets of
La Boca in Barcelona or Naples...
an effect of the European
immigrants of the end of the
Nineteenth century.
|
|
But this is only our first
impression, the big capital has
many facets. As an example, the
luxury of the Lavalle street is
only half an hour from Villas
Miserias, the huge shanty town.
Tomorrow, the Car@van will
start to discover the city !
|
|
Sat in a
busy restaurant, with a huge
grilled steak, a salad dressed
with balsamic vinegar and olive
oil, and two bottles of sunny red
wine, the Team sighs: "At
last in a Latin country !"
... (and down with crazy cow!) |
|
|
Argentina
gave to the World historical
figures and myths. Great dreamers,
poets, politicians, sportsmen. Che
Guevara, symbol of a generation
who wanted to change the World,
was neither Cuban or Bolivian but Argentine.
In one of his letters to Fidel
Castro, he declares: "In a
revolution, one must triumph or
die!". He died.
Many sportsmen, but above all,
Diego Armando Maradona, two times
world champion and a soccer icon.
But also Fangio, the ace driver, 5
times world champion. In boxing,
the great Carlos Manzon. In
tennis, the playboy Guillermo
Vilas and the gorgeous Gabriela
Sabatini.
The intellectuals will prefer
to tell you about the writer Jorge
Luis Borges, or his spiritual
sons, Cortazar, Bianciotti or
Joseph Kessel the traveler. Then
in cinema and theater, Jerome
Savary or Bernard Blier. And we
shall never forget the beauty and
the strength of Signora Peron, a
real myth of the Argentine people.
Many faces and characters that
make of the Argentine culture a
treasure for South America.
|
|
We'll
realize your 'Explore' choice:
dance Tango in a typical place.
Then 'Continue', we'll head to
South, towards Patagonia. Follow
and participate in the Adventure !
See you tomorrow, the 26 !
|
|
|
Guide our next steps,insert contacts & info on |
|
|
|
|
|