Stroll along Rivadavia

This morning, as planned, I met up with my buddy Benedict at the Plaza de Mayo so we could walk the 116 blocks (9.5 miles) that Avenida Rivadavia courses through Buenos Aires proper. After having some medialunas (and a Cindor for me...god, I love Cindor), we set out with our cameras to document the changing face of the city. Since we were planning on passing through some ostensibly "complicated" neighborhoods, we didn't take much money.

Within 4 blocks I had my very first "hassled by a cop" experience in Argentina. I was stopping at the corner of each block, taking a picture down the block, just as I'd planned. Unwittingly, I took a picture of the Israeli embassy, and there was a cop nearby watching. I had no idea that the Israeli embassy was there, I was just taking a picture. Anyway, the cop motioned us to go over to him, so we did. Now, the first thing you should bear in mind as you read this is that, on face value, I had no problem with the police officer wanting information from us. To begin with, after five months of training in military intelligence, I realize very well that people taking pictures of such important buildings are, whether they like it or not, "individuals of interest." Additionally, there have been terror attacks on Jewish sites here in Buenos Aires, including the Israeli embassy...pretty significant attacks in which many people died. So, I had no problem with the officer doing his job. But, of course, he couldn't just do his job and be decent about it. Below you will find a fairly accurate recreation of the highlights of my conversation with this representative of Buenos Aires's finest:

Officer: Why did you take that picture?
Me: Oh, I'm going to walk the entire length of Rivadavia and take pictures of each block.
Officer: Well, you just took a picture of the Israeli embassy, and there's a bank there, too.
Me: Oh! I had no idea the embassy was even there!
Officer: Where are you from?
Me: I'm from the US.
Officer: Do you have your passport with you?
Me: Actually, no. I never carry it with me. Should I?
Officer: (just gives me a look like I'm a complete idiot)
Me: Well, I have it back at my apartment. But since we're going to be passing through some complicated neighborhoods today, I didn't bring it with me, because I didn't want it to be stolen.

This is where things took a turn for the worse.

Officer: So the US doesn't issue passports, huh?
Me: (starting to get annoyed, because I'd obviously just finished telling him my goddamned passport was in my apartment) Yes, of course the US issues passports.
Officer: So, what? You think just because you're an American, and this is just Argentina, you don't have to carry a passport with you?
Me: (completely pissed off, now) Absolutely not.
Officer: So? What's your explanation?
Me: I already gave it to you. Let me ask you a question, officer. Do Argentines not take photos when they go on vacation? Or am I the first tourist you've seen here with a camera? Help me understand this, please.
Officer: (annoyed that I both speak Spanish and am not getting all nerved out and ready to offer him a bribe - or my camera) You know, if I want to I can take you into the station and make you prove who you are.
Me: (all patience gone) Oh, please, please do. Take me right down to the station if you want to make yourself look like an asshole. I have a half a dozen lawyer friends here, and I'm sure they'd be happy to come down and help me prove myself. Please, let's go right now. It'll make a good story for later.
Officer: Just get out of here.

Why, oh why, oh WHY could this guy not just do his job in a professional manner, explained his concern regarding me taking a photo of the embassy, and just let us resolve the problem in a civil way? It would have been too easy, because I was very, very sympathetic to his cause. But no, he had to be a jackass, and I've had it up to my eyeballs with jackasses. Plus, somewhere in the back of my mind I was thinking about how he's probably gotten off on making other, more Spanish-and-pelota challenged travelers quake in their boots, and it just got under my skin. Anyway, all was well that ended well, but seriously, WTF?

The landscape of the city shifted as we moved along the avenue, but so did the price structure. I could not believe it! A choripan (sausage sandwich) will probably run you anywhere from $3.50 to $5.00 in the more upscale/touristy neighborhoods. At a stand right there at the edge of the city, as we were finishing up our journey? $1. One. Dollar.

Anyway, it was a nice walk, I enjoyed it immensely, probably got a little sunburn, and got some exercise. I am uploading the photos on Facebook, and am still thinking of how I might display them in "hard copy."

Here is a picture of a classic automobile we saw towards the end:



Hasta la próxima...