The wonderful
thing about the cruising life or just travelling in general is all the
unplanned places or unexpected experiences that come your way on a day to day
basis and when you are not expecting these events to take place you have no
high expectations. The golden rule is to try and avoid having high expectations
about places you plan to visit , that way you can never be disappointed .
But l digress
, our time spent in Tigre is a classic example . We were planning on crossing
the Rio de la Plata to visit Uruguay and discussing this with our friend Sarah
she suggested that maybe we should think about a visit to the town of Tigre
which is situated on an island formed by rivers and streams and lies in the
Parana River Delta , which by the way is the only river delta in the world that
flows into another river and not directly into the sea .
We took the
scenic option and caught the Tren de la Coste Train which runs up the coast
from Buenos Aires to the town of Tigre . Our first sight of Tigre was their
huge amusement park and casino that stands opposite the train station but as we
walked into the town the river came into view and a whole new world appeared .
Vintage motor
launches built out of mahogany loaded with passengers cruised up and down the
canal and once we had reached the town’s ferry dock we realized how important
a means of transport they are as the town is connected to the Parana River
Delta System which is a multitude of rivers and streams all finally flowing
into the Atlantic Ocean .Further down the canal we discovered some fairly large
coasters tied up alongside the wharves so there are obviously deep channels in
these rivers .
While walking
around the waterway we noticed many English style rowing clubs dotted along the
banks with tracks leading from their clubhouses to special slipways fitted with
wooden battens to protect their boats from damage on the concrete . The most
popular boat is a classic vintage wooden sculling boat complete with sliding
seats and these come in various sizes from singles to eight man configurations .
Effortless to row with their clear varnished hulls with men and women , young
and old getting their daily exercise while having time-out on the water , magic
stuff .
We decided to
do the tourist thing and went on a river tour on one of the classic boats and
discovered a whole new world of riverside communities living alongside these
waterways , some in grandiose homes while others living in humble riverside shacks
surrounded by lush vegetation . Most of the riverside properties had private
jetties as a boat is by far the most effective way of getting about .
Tourism is a
big part of Tigre’s economy and there are museums , pubs/restaurants and
antique shops alongside the waterways and apparently over the weekends the town
is packed with people who travel up from Buenos Aires to unwind and enjoy the
beauty of the waterways .
We had never
heard of the place a couple of days before visiting it , so it was a
wonderful surprise to learn of its existence and then to experience this
different waterworld .
