Today was a public holiday in Buenos Aires. I decided to take the opportunity and go for a walk without the hustle and bustle - it was amazing to see almost the whole of Buenos Aires closed down for the day. I walked to 9 de Julio, the wideset avenue in el mundo - takes three light crossing to get across, and then on to el torre de los Ingleses and Plaza San Martin. Plaza San Martin is an enormous plaza and everywhere there were people sitting and enjoying the sunshine - many Argentine lovers locked in a romantic clinch, dogs laying in the warmest spots they could find, a man entertaining himself and a small crowd by balancing and bouncing a ball all over his body for about 20 mins without dropping it (honestly!), people reading - I wish I'd taken my book to read as well. The plaza boasts the biggest tree I have ever seen - I will go back with my camera and take a photo so you can see it too...it had special stands made to support the branches that had spread so very far....well you can see not even half of the tree, but it gives a good idea of the size of it. I imagine it is a haven for homeless people to sleep because it has many nooks and crannies to shelter in. The Monumento a los Heroes de la Guerra de las Malvinas stands in Plaza San Martin. It is a simple black slab that is inscribed with the names of all the soldiers who fell during the conflict. It is permanently guarded by two guards from the navy, army and air force on a rotational basis and has an eternal flame that symbolises Argentinas persistent claim over the islands. Interestingly, after the 1982 conflict there was talk of demolishing the tower but instead it was officially renamed Torre Monumental. There are still alot of strong feelings among the Argentine folk, young and old, about the Malvinas.
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