Colectivo Stop in San Telmo
Colectivo (bus) stop in San Telmo.
Pumas Beat France for Third Place
PARIS (Reuters) - Hosts France ended the World Cup they had hoped to lift by tasting defeat amid a crescendo of jeers when Argentina won a bad-tempered third-place playoff 34-10 on Friday.
The Pumas, digging deep in their stamina reserves to give departing coach Marcelo Loffreda a stylish send-off, followed their win over the home team in the opening game at the Stade de France by repeating the feat at the Parc des Princes.
With thousands of England and South Africa fans flocking to the French capital for Saturday's final, France had at least hoped to secure a small consolation prize but came off second best to a ferocious Argentine pack.
With the French forwards bulldozed aside, Argentina produced fine attacking rugby to outscore the hosts by five tries to one including two from centre Felipe Contepomi.
"We have lost only one game against South Africa. We couldn't play for first place but today was very important for us," said Loffreda, who now takes up a coaching job in England.
"The players did a very good job," he told reporters. "I am very happy, very proud. The pride, mentality and toughness were extremely important in this game."
Tempers flared throughout a bruising encounter and referee Paul Honiss, who brandished three yellow cards, struggled to retain control.
Argentina led 17-3 at the break after tries from Contepomi and prop Omar Hasan. Hopes of a French comeback were then snuffed out by wing Federico Martin Aramburu's try in the corner and another score from fullback Ignacio Corleto.
Clement Poitrenaud finally breached the Pumas defence before Contepomi got his second.
The defeat marked the departure of France coach Bernard Laporte, who is set to take up a position in the French government.
Laporte could be in for a bumpy ride with L'Equipe magazine saying he faced an investigation from France's tax authorities for alleged tax evasion and various irregularities over businesses he is involved in.
Elsewhere, England and South Africa went through their final preparations for Saturday's showpiece.
While the England camp received messages of support from the Queen and Prime Minister Gordon Brown, South Africa held an emotionally-charged meeting with members of their 1995-winning team.
Off the field, Frenchman Bernard Lapasset was elected the new International Rugby Board (IR
chairman after winning a unanimous vote.
Lapasset, president of the French Rugby Federation, will take over from Irishman Syd Millar on January 1.
With the tournament drawing to a close, thoughts turned to the 2011 edition in New Zealand with debate still raging on how many teams will take part.
Tournament officials were none the wiser about whether the next World Cup would be cut to 16 teams from 20, said 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden.
The IRB had proposed culling four of the weaker sides to make it more competitive but are having second thoughts after the improved performances of so-called "minnows" this year.
Free Guided Tours in Buenos Aires - September and October
The guided tours offered by the City Govenrment are free. Tourists walk around the city to view the architectonic, historic and commercial attractions of different neighborhoods.
| DATE | CIRCUIT | TIME | MEETING POINT (street) |
| Friday 21-09 | Palermo de Templos y Vanguardia | 15:00 | Av. Scalabrini Ortíz and Lerma |
| Friday 28-09 | Parque Lezama, recuerdos y miradores (bilingual visit) |
15:00 | Brasil and Defensa |
| Saturday 29-09 | Festejando los 100 años de turimo por la centenaria Avenida de Mayo | 16:00 | Av. de Mayo and Bolívar |
| Friday 05-10 | Abasto, melodía y arrabal. (bilingual visit) |
15:00 | Av. Corrientes and Anchorena. |
| Saturday 06-10 | La Boca, puerto y color. | 15:00 | Av. Pedro de Mendoza and Av. Almirante Brown |
| Sunday 07-10 | Puerto Madero. Un barrio frente al río |
11:00 | Av. Alicia M. de Justo and Rosario V. Peñaloza (Dique 1) |
| Saturday 13-10 | Caballito, recuerdos de la década del 20 | 15:00 | Av. Rivadavia and Otamendi |
| Sunday 14-10 | Avenida de Mayo (Zona Plaza Congreso). Arquitectura y memoria | 11:00 | Av. de Mayo and Luis Sáenz Peña |
| Friday 19-10 | Recoleta, Arte y Paisaje (bilingual visit) |
15:00 | Av. Libertador and Austria. |
| Saturday 20-10 | Circuito Diplomático, embajadas y jardines | 15:00 | Arenales and Esmeralda |
| Sunday 21-10 | Avenida Alvear, rincones parisinos | 11:00 | Av. Alvear and Cerrito |
| Friday 26-10 | Palermo, parques y lagos. (bilingual visit) |
15:00 | Av. Libertador and Av. Sarmiento |
| Saturday 27-10 | San Nicolás, Iglesia Anglicana | 15:00 | Av. Leandro N. Alem and Sarmiento |
| Sunday 28-10 | Memoria del Teatro Porteño I | 11:00 | Av. Corrientes and Montevideo |
| GUIDED TOURS ON BUS (previous registration by phone: 4114 5791. Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 4 pm). Reservations should be made 48 hours in advance. |
| DATE | CIRCUIT | TIME | MEETING POINT (street) |
| Saturday 22-09 | La Boca - Paisaje Cultural de Buenos Aires | 11:00 | Del Valle Iberlucea and Pedro de Mendoza |
| Saturday 22-09 | La Boca - Paisaje Cultural de Buenos Aires | 15:00 | Del Valle Iberlucea and Pedro de Mendoza |
| Saturday 22-09 | Belgrano - Paisaje Cultural de Buenos Aires | 15:00 | Av. Juramento and Vuelta de Obligado |
| Saturday 22-09 | Belgrano - Paisaje Cultural de Buenos Aires | 11:00 | Av. Juramento and Vuelta de Obligado |
| Sunday 23-09 | La Boca - Paisaje Cultural de Buenos Aires | 11:00 | Del Valle Iberlucea and Pedro de Mendoza |
| Sunday 23-09 | Belgrano - Paisaje Cultural de Buenos Aires | 11:00 | Av. Juramento and Vuelta de Obligado |
| Sunday 23-09 | La Boca - Paisaje Cultural de Buenos Aires | 15:00 | Del Valle Iberlucea and Pedro de Mendoza |
| Sunday 23-09 | Belgrano - Paisaje Cultural de Buenos Aires | 15:00 | Av. Juramento and Vuelta de Obligado |
| Wednesday 26-09 | La Boca - Paisaje Cultural de Buenos Aires (In English) |
10:00 | Del Valle Iberlucea and Pedro de Mendoza |
| Saturday 29-09 | La Boca - Paisaje Cultural de Buenos Aires | 11:00 | Del Valle Iberlucea and Pedro de Mendoza |
| Saturday 29-09 | Belgrano - Paisaje Cultural de Buenos Aires | 11:00 | Av. Juramento and Vuelta de Obligado |
| Saturday 29-09 | La Boca - Paisaje Cultural de Buenos Aires | 15:00 | Del Valle Iberlucea and Pedro de Mendoza |
| Saturday 29-09 | Belgrano - Paisaje Cultural de Buenos Aires | 15:00 | Av. Juramento and Vuelta de Obligado |
| Sunday 30-09 | La Boca - Paisaje Cultural de Buenos Aires | 11:00 | Del Valle Iberlucea and Pedro de Mendoza |
| Sunday 30-09 | Belgrano - Paisaje Cultural de Buenos Aires | 11:00 | Av. Juramento and Vuelta de Obligado |
| Sunday 30-09 | La Boca - Paisaje Cultural de Buenos Aires | 15:00 | Del Valle Iberlucea and Pedro de Mendoza |
| Sunday 30-09 | Belgrano - Paisaje Cultural de Buenos Aires | 15:00 | Av. Juramento and Vuelta de Obligado |
Argentines Win Salon in Tango Contest
Dante Sanchez and Ines Muzzopappa beat 36 couples to claim the top prize of $2,250 in the salon contest.
"This is unbelievable! It's our first time in the tournament," Sanchez said, after performing on Sunday before 3,000 spectators in the Argentine capital.
Javier Diaz and Cecilia Favaro placed second, followed by Maximiliano Cristiane and Marisel Gacomini _ all of Buenos Aires.
On Saturday, Argentines Fernando Gracia and Natalia Tonelli Attori won the stage dancing category. Hiroshi and Kyoko Yamao, two Japanese dancers who placed third in that category, came in sixth in salon dancing.
The stage tango category is characterized by balletic, acrobatic choreography, while salon tango has less flashy but more popular moves common to the dance hall parties known as "milongas."
The 10-day showcase of Argentina's famously mournful dance featured 479 pairs from 154 cities worldwide. Eleven couples were from Japan _ the largest country contingent outside Latin America.
Copyright. Associated Press.
Tranvía del Este in Puerto Madero
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Advice for your First Day in Buenos Aires - Transportation from Ezeiza Airport:
If you have not made a reservation prior to your arrival, you will find several transportation booths located outside the customs area.
Rates below are in Argentine pesos.
Minibuses:
Rate: around $29. Manuel Tienda León is a bus company which provides transportation to the city. You can buy a ticket in the reservation booths located in the arrival hall. They also offer remis service (car service). More info: http://www.tiendaleon.com/home/home.asp.
Taxi:
Rate: around $55 (some taxis might charge you the highway toll fee). Probably the best and easiest way to get to the city. There are reservation booths when you exit the custom area.
Car Service (remises):
Rate: around $50/$60 (some remises might charge you the highway toll fee) This service should be used if you already have a reservation and the driver will be waiting for you at your arrival.
Public Transportation:
Rate: around $1.35
If you are on a budget and are not carrying many luggages, this is your best option. It will take you about one hour and a half to get to Buenos Aires downtown. The fare is paid in the bus, ONLY with coins so make sure you have coins (at least $2). The bus number is 86, you can ask for the exact location of the bus stop in the information desk. You should tell the driver where you are going (for instance: Centro or Plaza de Mayo). Keep the ticket in case an inspector asks for it.
Tip 1: Always confirm the price before making a reservation.
Tip 2: As soon as you exit the customs area, you will approached by many men offering car or taxi services to the city. It is strongly recommended that you DO NOT accept any of these offers. These people are not authorized to carry passengers and usually take advantage of tourists.
Advice for your first day in Buenos Aires - Money
Money
The currency in Argentina is the peso. Although the U.S. dollar is the most common foreign currency, shops usually accept only pesos. Be prepared to pay in cash as not all shops accept credit cards. For instance, if you want to buy a coffee or soda in a bar or a chocolate in a kiosk, they will probably ask you to pay cash. If you will use the buses (colectivos) you should keep coins handy as buses have automatic ticket dispensing machines that work only with coins.
You can convert your currency in hotels, casas de cambio (money-exchange houses), some banks, and at the Buenos Aires airport. When you exit the customs area in Ezeiza, you will find a Banco de la Nación branch just at your right.
Tip 1: The easiest and best way to get cash away from home is from an ATM (automated teller machine). You will find plenty of them, usually one every 5 blocks or less.
Tip 2: DO NOT exchange your money with people on the street. This activity is illegal and you might end up getting false pesos or dollars.
Welcome to Buenos Aires Blog
We will post plenty of suggestions: activities, sightseeing, restaurants, transpotation, most visited attractions and much more!
We encourage visitors to post review of places they have vistited in Argentina. All comments are appreciated!
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