Día 10: La Boca and the other Palermo

(Día 9 just wasn’t interesting enough)

La Boca is both poorer and very touristy. It’s an area of town known for the La Bombonera stadium, home of the Boca Juniors (I asked why “Juniors” as opposed to “Seniors” or any other age, apparently it refers to the players being the children of La Boca). The stadium was painted in Boca blue and gold, and several stores around it matched vividly. La Boca’s quirk is having a stadium with a large number 12 painted on it, to celebrate the “12^th member” of the soccer team, the fans. Rivals of La Boca call them “manure people” because there is rumor that when the river floods, “everyone is covered in crap”, as our guide put it.

Caminata, in La Boca region, consists of one or two pedestrian streets lined with art work and restaurants. It’s a highly touristy area where artists sell their works, and dancers tango in the street and offer to pose in photos for money. The houses here are straight from Buenos Aires postcards, despite the fact that the distinctive houses are actually only found this short street. The houses often have aluminum wall sections, giving an interesting texture and fell, but most of all they are all in a brilliant collection of colors. Each house is painted with areas of solid colors - a several foot wide strip of pink, a huge rectangle of blue or green, etc. This is because workers in the docks would take the left over paint used on boats and slap it on to their houses to weatherproof them. It’s not a nice neighborhood to wander alone, all the tour guides and guidebooks says, and we were told to stay in pairs, even just for wandering within three streets for 15 minutes.

Later, riding a bus back from playing soccer in Palermo, I got my first glimpse of prostitutes. At night, one of the parks I had biked through this Sunday transforms into a red light hot spot. Even in the day the ground is littered with condoms. At night, women (I saw two) stand by the side of the road, shaking themselves at cars. They looked just like they do in movies . The one I remember most clearly had short dress, tights, and heavy make up. Her dress had a white off the shoulders top cut tantalizingly low. Prostitution is illegal here, but very obvious. Buenos Aires features special 1-hr hotels for lovers.

The other day, I was telling Raquel about Arizona’s law to let police demand to see documents from anyone who might be a immigrant. I felt it was really racist, but Raquel pointed out that here she has to carry her papers always, and she’s lived in Argentina for 8 years. I, too, need my passport number for everything. There’s a  difference, I think, making Arizona’s policy more racist, and that is the inequality. In Arizona, anyone Hispanic looking is targeted, but here, it’s equal over anyone who wasn’t born here.  

On related note, as a Peruvian taxi driver told me (and Raquel confirmed) you must be born in Argentina to vote for president.  They both are citizens here, and while that has afforded them many rights, this one is reserved. Immigrants may, however, vote for governor. Argentina’s political system is a bit different from the U.S.’s. Here, it’s easier for many political parties to exist, and there seem to be about 4 people challenging President Cristina Krichner. Instead of each party selecting a candidate to run, all of the people vote for one opposition candidate to run against Cristina, then months later, vote between the two. I know very little about the parties. Many people are in the poorer classes here, and Cristina is a peronist, or a populist, and supports the lower class. Many of her ads connect her to the youth, saying she helps students or represents the strength of the youth. A more radical candidate is an advocate for the middle class.

Right now, one of Argentina’s biggest problems is lack of jobs. Many people are leaving Buenos Aires, though it’s by now means under populated. Immigrants come from the surrounding South American countries  like Uruguay and Peru and, finding no work, end up on the streets. Unlike the U.S., there’s no strict immigration policy. Anyone can come, but it may be better for them that they don’t.

This makes an interesting point about whether or not it’s cruel for the U.S. to block and send back so many immigrants – often I feel anyone should be allowed to try their hand at a better life, but it’s true that there are only so many people that one country can take care of. . I can understand a government not wanting to bite off more than they can chew.  It was pointed out to me that in Buenos Aires, for instance, if people come, they will live on the streets; If Buenos Aires builds more homeless shelters, then more immigrants will come, then they will live on the streets.

On a lighter note, here in photos they say “Whiskey” instead of “Cheese”.