Argentina 7 – Tigre
On the Rio…
My days being numbered here in Buenos Aires, I find myself trying to squeeze in all of the stuff I have had a full month to do…but of course waited until the last minute to do. One interesting attraction that many have mentioned is a trip to Tigre on the Paraná Delta just outside the city limits of Buenos Aires. The Delta is an interesting confluence of rivers that ultimately empty into the Rio de la Plata river…the one that separates Argentina from Uruguay. It is said that the area of the Paraná Delta reminds many of the Florida Everglades though I was only able to visit the town of Tigre on a small part of the Delta and wasn’t able to see the resemblance.
Pics of the “graveyard”
Regardless, Tigre is a an interesting town in the Buenos on the Paraná Delta and is an important tourist and weekend attraction, easily reached by bus and train services, including the scenic Tren de la Costa. It is the principle town of the Tigre Partido. The town sits on an island created by several small streams and rivers and was founded in 1820, after floods had destroyed other settlements in the area, then known as the Las Conchas Partido. The area’s name derives from the “tigres” or jaguars that were hunted there, on occasions, in its early years. The area was first settled by Europeans who came to farm the land, and the port developed to serve the Delta and to bring fruit and wood from the Delta and ports upstream on the Paraná river. Tigre is still an important timber processing port. The “Puerto de Frutos” (fruit port) is now a crafts fair located in the old fruit market by the riverside.
A less well-kept house…
…in contrast to a better-kept house
Not sure what this is but it is a gorgeous building
As high season is winding to a close there weren’t as many boat trip options through the delta so I was only able to take one of about an hour. This was an out-and-back route so unfortunately I wasn’t able to see as much of the delta as I would a longer circular route. Despite that, the pictures of the area are interesting and beautiful…the first part of the delta appears to be largely a graveyard for old ships as many of them sit within the rivers rusting away. Lots of people live on the delta as well…some in beautiful and well-kept houses while others appear to be barely standing upright next door. The canals are interesting and quite beautiful though the river water is a delightful shade brown that reminds me quite thoroughly of the Missouri River.
Cruisin’ the Delta
A canal off of the main river
In town…
All in all an interesting place to take a day trip though I wish I had had more time to delve into the Paraná Delta including the National Park Predelta or the Biosphere Reserve as the pictures are amazing. I can certainly recommend Tigre though if you’re thinking about heading to the Tigre and environs maybe look into some more in-depth trips to the Delta that include a national park and maybe a lengthier boat ride. Enjoy the photos!
Produce and handicraft market
By now everyone knows that things are coming to an end here at the Extravaganza and I’m fielding lots of questions about when I’ll be returning. I’m slated to arrive at O´Hare International Airport at 5:05 am on Wednesday morning March 26th (direct from Buenos Aires…yay!). I don’t suppose any of my faithful readers want to pick me up from the airport and spare me the Van Galder trip back to Madison? What? No takers? Ok then, with any luck I’ll be typing to you all from the great Mad City sometime next week.
In the Delta Paraná
Now, lest you think the Extravaganza is coming to an end right here and now…never fear. I’ve a few more posts up my sleeve not the least of which will be one from Iguazu Falls that I will be visiting this weekend with James, Morag, Jesse and Mary. I’m not sure how the Internet situation will be in Iguazu so that post may not happen until I’m Stateside again so expect a bit of an Extravaganza delay this week. Also, I have a few final posts to write after I sift through hundreds of pictures…selecting my favorites and reflecting on everything I’ve done in the past 9 months. And really, I would be one hell of a lousy statistical programmer if I didn’t compile some statistics on this trip so watch for that as well. All in all, I think it most fitting that Stacey’s 30th Birthday Extravaganza should come to an end on my 31st birthday…April 11 for the uninformed so keep me bookmarked until at least that day for my parting comments.
And finally wrapping up things today…I was recently lamenting the sorry state of my Spanish when I decided to do a little research on languages and discovered the following bits of information to entertain and intrigue you all with:
Random Facts About World Languages
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Language with the greatest number of native speakers: Mandarin Chinese.
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Number of living languages: 6912
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Number of those languages that are nearly extinct: 516.
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Language spoken by the greatest number of non-native speakers: English.
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Languages spoken by largest numbers of native speakers: Mandarin Chinese followed by Spanish and English which are almost exactly equal. Add in the non-native speakers of English and English wins the more speakers prize.
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Oldest written language still in existence: Chinese or Greek (about 1500 BC).
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Language with the most words: English (about 250,000 different words).
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The most translated document in the history of the world (amazingly, not the bible): Universal Declaration Of Human Rights, written by the United Nations in 1948, has been translated into 321 languages and dialects.
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The longest word in the English language: pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (45 letters).
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In the US, the 28 million people who speak Spanish at home is well over half of the approximately 47 million people who speak a language other than English at home, meaning Spanish is spoken by more people than all other languages combined within the U.S.
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Number of nations where Spanish is the prominent language: 21 (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, Venezuela)
The main canal and boat launch
Tags: 11 - Argentina, Argentina, Buenos Aires, Paraná Delta, Rio de la Plata, Tigre
Stacey
March 19th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
I picked up on the hint and would be more than glad to pick you up and take you home but you may possibly have to wait until the afternoon when I get done with work. Send me an e-mail for the details and enjoy your last week
March 19th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
That Danny-roo is a sweet kid…..I would come in a second if the children were not under my care at that time….and I’m not just saying that to be nice! I was thrilled to see you mention your return home on the blog! I will be waiting with open arms, even if it’s not at O’Hare…:)
March 20th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Stacey, I would certainly come and pick you up on Wednesday at O’Hare. (I couldn’t believe that you said you were planning on taking the bus.) One problem — you’ve inspired me to end my stay on Cimarron the way you started your entire Extravanganza — Michael and I are planning to go to Sundara on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday. I’ll need a few “treatments” to get me over saying goodbye to Kitty your home, and the neighborhood. And, if your next extravaganza finds you meeting the man of your dreams and he’s allergic to cats, you’ll have to look me up. 🙂 Safe travels.
March 20th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Stacey,
Great pictures the canals are awesome. Have a safe trip home.
March 22nd, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I, like the others, am glad you posted the details of your arrival. I, like the others, wish I could come pick you up, alas, it is just to far to drive. What about Colette and Ryan? hint hint. Though I must admit Ohare at 5 in the morning would mean they are REALLY GOOD FRIENDS. I personally have faith that it will snow, so Danny-roo can save the day. Whatever, I am glad the extravaganza entries will continue at least until April 11.