Argentina
Argentina
Buenos Aires Postscript: Tootsie Roll Patrol
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Before we leave Buenos Aires, we thought we’d mention one more peculiar aspect of this city. It is old and the buildings built close to the the narrow streets. This leaves sidewalks in the city center only about three feet wide. They are made from cobblestones, tiles or 12 x 12 cement squares. Because they support the weight of a population of 13 million people, the sidewalks are often in poor condition. You have to really pay attention to the masses of people squeezing by while trying to step without tripping over broken sidewalk. On top of that, you have to watch for the ever present dog poop. Yes, it is every twenty steps or so in some places. Portenos love dogs and there are thousands around all the time throughout the city. There is the terrible habit of letting them do their business anywhere and no one bothers to pick it up in nice little plastic bags. The result is a walk-hopscotch dance as you try to navigate the streets. Side-to-side starts and stops means your knees and feet take a real pounding.
When meeting other travelers, the conversation always seems to drift toward the tootsie roll problem and the various techniques of avoiding it. The techniques and the stories vary but all involve facing crowds, missing sidewalk and the present of a big German Shepherd. You have to abandon it all and step into the street only to be endangered by buses or taxis. We met an Irish couple who said they’d seen two people hit by cars (one killed). No doubt they were desperately trying to get past four people walking abreast while avoiding dog poo. In every big city, you have to keep your wits about you. Here you have to do that as well as be constantly on the tootsie roll patrol.
From the tootsie roll capital of the world,
The Boys