Day 15 - January 12, 2013

It is another very warm day down here in Buenos Aries as our trip is coming to a close. It was a very interesting morning that began with a bus tour of the city. Our tour guide Andrea came aboard the bus and were off to learn more about this huge city we have called home for the last few days. The first thing she noted is that we have been staying on 9th of July Avenue which is named after the date of Argentina's independence. It is one of the widest avenues in the world with ~16 lanes (give or take a few for the way people drive) that spans 140 meters (558 ft)! It is a fast moving street and you have to watch your step. One of the symbols of Buenos Aries is the Obelisk which stands in the middle of the avenue creating square similar to Time Square in New York. Of course the most important site off this square is the McDonald's that most of us found for lunch!

During the tour we were able to a make several stops. The first was to one the oldest cathedrals in Argentina. It is located next to the main government building and is truly a beautiful structure.

The next stop we made is to the market established in the 1800s. It was the traditional location for purchasing food items. Now there are also antique stores as well as produce and meat shops. We were a little disturbed to see brains in the display case!

Then we were off to get some of our last souvenirs at one of the original immigrant market places.

Finally, our last stop was at a very large cemetery that houses some of the richest families in Argentina. This cemetery is different than anything you have ever seen. Families build small structures that look like monuments, but are really the doorways to storage units that are housed under the ground. Here they can place caskets or urns with members of the family. The monuments are truly spectacular in detail and design. One of the coolest things was seeing a halo rainbow as we left the cemetery, none of us had every seen one below.

Now we are hanging out now waiting for our ride to the airport. We will be in touch to let you know how the flights go through Facebook. Wish us well on our travels, and we look forward to seeing U.S. soil soon.

-Stacy M Scramlin