skygiants

After the glory of Machu Picchu, the next step was a return to Cusco for a couple of days. The hotel this time was the Novetel, which, like others in the historic old town, has a simple entrance with grandeur inside. It must be said that in the overwhelming majority of cases, the character of the old city has been kept quite intact. The time afforded the opportunity to visit several new sites in the time remaining (I travel like a demon possessed for the deep and rapid immersion). This included the Museo de Sitio Qorikancha, the Monumento a Pachaceteq, the Museo Historico Regional, the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, and the Museo de Arte Popular. The first was notable for examples of Incan trepanning and artificial cranial deformation, along with a performer of traditional pipes, and the second for superb views of the city. The third included an excellent range of archaeological and historical artefacts as well as a contemporary exhibition by Abel Rimache Condori, which followed well into the fourth, which included a surreal and disturbing exhibition, "El holocausto de los inocentes" by Esther Diana Ttito Chura. The fifth was small, strange, and didn't really fit the title.

Following Cusco was a day of flights; Cusco to Santiago, Santiago to Buenos Aires, three countries in a day, before settling into the modern Hotel Grand Brizo. Whilst only here for a few days, it was another case of rapid and deep immersion and a great deal of walking between the numerous sites I had on my agenda (learning the Travelling Salesman Problem is useful!). Buenos Aires is a city deeply affected by various European migrant populations and its own sense of artistry, rightly earning the title of "The Paris of South America". French and Italian architecture is abound (e.g., Teatro Colon), parklands and boulevards are vast, and people make quite an effort to dress up every evening. For myself, it was also an artistic pilgramage to honour their most famous author Jorge Luis Borges, which I did by visiting the Centro Cultural Borges, which hosts a variety film, theatre, and artworks by others, and the wild visions of the peripatetic polymath Xul Solar whose museum - and former home - was unfortuantely closed.

A better part of a day was spent meandering through "El Ateneo Grand Splendid", a theatre that has been turned into a bookshop (Buenos Aires is a book-lover's dream city), then the impressive La Recoleta Cemetery and the equally impressive Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. The visit also included the enjoyment of interactive and participatory dining, "The Argentine Experience", which involved several courses of local dishes, wines, along with producing (and eating) your own empanadas. Alas, the stay here is all too short, and the list of places I wish to visit is still quite long. I assure you, Buenos Aires, I will return. You are quite an amazing city.