We flew into Buenos Aires, the capital and largest city and port in Argentina. It is located on the southern shore of the Rio de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the continent of South America. Strongly influenced by European culture, Buenos Aires is referred to as the "Paris of the South" and is a very sophisticated city renowned for it's architecture, night life and culture. It is amongst the wealthiest cities in Latin America, but poverty abounds on it's outskirts.
Recoleta is located in the center of Buenos Aires' ritziest and wealthiest neighborhood, with superb old mansions along the Avenida Alvear. It houses for their eternal rest most of Argentina’s forefathers and outstanding public celebrities as well as politicians. Eva Peron is there. Having earned a well recognized spot among the most interesting cemeteries of the world, along with those in the UK and France, Recoleta Cemetery beholds culture in its broader sense. Its perfectly planned internal streets lead into a journey of history and art. The many mausoleums exhibit a variety of sculpture styles that prove the timeless value of highly achieved craftsmanship.
Buenos Aires is known internationally for being the city where tango music and dance was nurtured. The decade of 1880 marked the starting point of the music and the dance. In those years there was a proliferation of brothels in Buenos Aires, mostly sustained by immigrant women from Spain, France, Italy, Germany and Poland, whose clientele were also immigrants that had left their families and wives in search of new opportunities. As time went by, tango shows at brothels became monotonous and in an effort to avoid the public's boredom, the brothels' management hired different musicians' groups, who inspired the public to start dancing. Unexpectedly, these shows became so successful that they started to be more frequent. It is said that this is how tango was originated. Afterwards, the first tango ballroom dances were organized at tango academies, for men only. The tango grew in the suburbs and followed its way to the streets. Some time later it spread to the city and it was at that time when women were added to the dance and gave it its final touch.
Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world, on the shores of the Beagle Channel and surrounded by the Andes Mountains. It is the capital of the Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and Southern Atlantic Islands Province, and its superlative location allows you to enjoy sea, mountains and forests at the same time. It is also a key access point to the southern regions; it receives regular flights from Buenos Aires, and cruise ships visiting the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and Antarctica dock at the port. There are a number of ski areas nearby, like Cerro Castor and Glaciar Martial.
Here's the hype from the brochure:
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Antarctica -- it's a place that calls to explorers, pioneers, scientists and anyone with a love of nature. When you see Antarctica from the broad teak decks of Marco Polo, you'll feel a sense of wonder evoked by few travel experiences. It truly is the adventure of a lifetime. The hull of the Marco Polo is specifically designed to bring you closer to the Antarctic landscape. Our experienced captain, who has navigated Antarctic waters dozens of times, knows the many ins and outs of this magnificent land. Our naturalist excursions make face-to-face encounters with local wildlife a reality.
It's all true.
