Posted by Andrew
Our last few days in Buenos Aires consisted of a final vocational day on Monday, a cultural visit to La Boca where not only do you find Tango being danced in the streets but it is also home to the Boca Juniors Soccer Club one of Buenos Aires most famous futbol clubs. The club run a very extensive community programs for children of what might be described of a part of the city less well of than many of the areas we stayed in during the GSE. English language training, an extensive library, art classes, singing lessons and drama classes are but some of the activities that are available.
Wednesday saw us on a day trip to the UNESCO world Heritage listed town of Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay. This town was fought over by the Spanish and Portuguese over a 100 year period and the architecture reflects the building styles of both controlling powers at the time. Thursday saw us with our final cultural activity as we explored the new part of Buenos Aires in Puetro Madero and a rather sumptuous lunch at the Yacht Club of Argentina.
Our farewell dinner was preceded by a visit to the Palacio Paz, a most extravagant private home that on completion in the early part 20th century only housed 9 people plus 60 servants. Ironically the newspaper businessman who commissioned the building died 2 years before it´s completion.
DG Rene Bollag had directed that our farewell presentation should be light hearted so we gave the assembled Rotarian’s and partners who were mostly our host families a taste of Australia. Vegemite, slip, slop & slip (with the GSE Chairman getting a very white face) some Aussie Rules handballing, Joey playing the didgeridoo and finally a sing along to the tune of Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree rounded out the night.
I have been blessed to have a wonderful team of young professionals in my charge and they have done District Governor John Barnes a great compliment by being wonderful ambassadors for him to Buenos Aires.
All good things must come to an end and many tears were shed by one and all and we leave BA with many new friends, some of whom we hope will visit Australia in the future where we can repay the very warm hearted hospitality extended to us.
With the exception of Joey who has gone to North America for a week of work, I will be visiting Salta, Santiago de Chile & Sao Paulo on company business, Lizzy & Carolyn have gone to Bariloche in the south of the country while Ianthie spends extra time in BA with a friend and then goes to Santiago de Chile and Vina del Mar before we start the homeward journey on Friday the 8th May. We trust you have enjoyed the Weblog postings and look forward to sharing in a more personal way the experience we have enjoyed in Buenos Aires.
Saludos Cordiale
Andrew Brownlie
Team Leader
