Puerto Madero and Costanera Sur

20070715_BA_puerto_madero

Puerto Madero is very new. So new in fact, half of it is under construction. Though it is well-supplied with up-market restaurants, furniture stores and hairdressers, it lacks the basic suburban amenities - supermarkets, banks, bookshops, public transport,etc. I expect my next purchase to be a granny trolley on wheels so I can trundle my vegetables home from across the tram tracks.

East of Puerto Madero is the giant nature reserve of Costanera Sur - several square kilometres of pampas grass and wetland, bordered by the Rio de la Plata (see pictures). First time I ever saw a river I couldn't see across. If the air was clearer and I was standing on something taller I could probably see Uruguay.

Costanera Sur is crawling with wildlife - mostly wearing jogging suits and toting IPods, but I did see a few non-human denizens. Lots of birds - egrets, hawks, woodpeckers, and at least one coypu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coypu).