Being somewhat safety-obsessed when it comes to travel, and having heard scary stories about safety in South America, I thoroughly researched the safety situation before selecting my South American destinations to find a location that was both interesting enough to make the trip worthwhile and where I would not be looking over my shoulder constantly.  As Spanish is my strongest foreign language, I wanted to go to a Spanish speaking country, eliminating Brazil, Suriname, and French Guiana.  The information I read about Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia did not set me at ease for a first trip to South America.  I settled on Argentina, intending to visit Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, and make a side trip to Colonia del Sacramento.

I stayed in Palermo because my research indicated it was both well-positioned with respect to major tourist sites, and one of the safer areas of the city.  I walked around the area fairly freely, and had no issues whatsoever, though I do remember walking for a period down a well-lit, but not at all busy side street, and the gentleman in front of me looking back several times warily at me.  After a few glances, I switched to walking on the other side of the street to set him at ease.

I scheduled a 3- or 4- hour tour of Buenos Aires off Tripadvisor to hit some of the main sights.  This included the main square where many of the national and municipal government buildings are located.  The tour guide also discussed “Los Desapericidos,” the many thousands of people who were “disappeared” by the oppressive military regime that controlled Argentina I believe through much of the 70s and 80s, and who took children from their mothers, killed the mothers, and then had the children raised as a part of the families of army officers to ensure loyalty to the ruling regime.

As far as architecture, I did not find Buenos Aires particularly scenic.  The tour guide explained that because the Spanish used Buenos Aires as a port to remove silver from South America, not an administrative capital, there was not a lot of investment in infrastructure.

La Boca, formerly a port area of Argentina, is frequently pictured in tourism sites about Buenos Aires.

We received a standard warning not to go past certain landmarks in La Boca as the areas past them were not safe, and also that it is best not to come here after about 5 pm for sake of safety.  I spent my time in La Boca, I would guess half an hour or less if memory serves, strolling the main street, trying an empanada, and looking through a souvenir shop. While the brightly painted buildings provide a sort of charm, I was not a huge fan of this area.

The next day was a boat tour to El Tigre.  This was my favorite part of Buenos Aires, though El Tigre is not really Buenos Aires at all, but a separate city.  I think many of the homes are occupied only part of the year, and transportation is generally by boat and canal.

San Isidro Cathedral.

After the El Tigre tour, I spent the rest of the afternoon and part of the next day walking around the botanic and Japanese gardens and the Ecoparque, and also trying to see a museum that turned out to be closed for reasons unknown.

I considered seeing a tango show a must do in Buenos Aires, so I went to Teatro Colon.  This was one of the highlights of the trip for me.

My next stop was Iguazu Falls.  I viewed the falls from the Brazil side the first day, and from the Argentinian side the next day.  Most of the information I saw seemed to express a preference for the views from Argentina, but I felt the opposite personally.  In any case, Iguazu Falls still stands as the most amazing natural wonder I have ever seen.  There are no words that can really describe the feeling of power and majesty you experience at the falls.

Coati.  These are everywhere.  They strike me as South America’s equivalent to the raccoon, though I understand they can range up into Arizona and Texas, as well.

La Garganta del Diablo, one of the main paths through Iguazu Falls, was closed because heavy rains earlier in the year had damaged the walkways, but it didn’t really detract from the experience.

When you arrive at the Puerto Iguazu airport, you will most likely be accosted at by friendly enough taxi drivers who want to be your driver for the duration of your stay.  I decided to go ahead and use their services (as how else am I going to get around).   After Iguazu Falls I went to the not-so-local Wanda gem mines at the suggestion of my driver.  While it was nice enough, if you are in the area, I suggest giving it a miss.  Given that it is a fairly long drive the ride is expensive, and there is a great deal of hard selling gems and jewelry at the mines.  Overall I rate that part of the experience as not worthwhile.

I flew back from Puerto Iguazu through Buenos Aires to catch a ferry to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay.  I was warned not to walk in a certain direction from the ferry station in Buenos Aires as there was a sketchy part of town near it.  Going to Uruguay was on my part probably a somewhat cynical effort to be able to chalk up another country I have visited, but I liked Colonia.  After the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires, and a couple days with a lot of travel back and forth and around Iguazu Falls, I spent two nights in Colonia and explored this scenic town.  This is probably a long stay for the actual number of sights available there, but it was a relaxing way to end the trip.   

Because I am writing this some two years after my return from the actual trip, I have a chance now to reflect and compare to other places I have been.  I generally think of Buenos Aires as a place I liked, but did not love. Iguazu Falls is a truly magnificent experience. I enjoyed Colonia del Sacramento more than Buenos Aires, maybe because the laid back vibe is more what I wanted to experience at the time.  Going through these and other photos from the trip have made me remember it all a bit more fondly.