La Boca

Tuesday, January 15 – Day 27

I joined a school excursion to an area called La Boca after class today. This is an old, poverty stricken barrio centered next to a shipyard, and was originally settled by immigrant dock workers. The legend is that the people were so poor, they relied on leftover scraps of wood, metal, and paint from their work to build their homes. It has now turned into somewhat of an eclectic artist community. La Boca is also home to BA’s premier futbol team, the Boca Juniors. I went on the school trip because everyone says that it’s ok to go during the day if you are with someone that knows the area, but do not go there at night under any circumstances. Hmm. After walking around a bit, I’d say that I certainly agree with that. Our instructor told us that after a tour last week, one of her students wanted to walk over to see the futbol stadium on his own (about 4 blocks) and got mugged.

In other news, a worker strike shut down construction on the casino project in Puerto Madero. They say that happens occasionally, without warning.