Argentine Precious Stone

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Rhodochrosite

Rhodochrosite is a manganese carbonate mineral with chemical composition MnCO3. In its (rare) pure form, it is typically a rose-red color, but impure specimens can be shades of pink to pale brown. Rhodochrosite is Argentina's "national gemstone".

Famed for its banding, ranging from light pink to bright red, Argentinian Rhodochrosite is a truly unique gemstone. In ideal specimens of this stone, the banding crosses the surface of the stone in a zigzag pattern, with a sharp contrast between colors.

Inca Rose

Throughout our trip in South America we saw several merchants selling the local semi-precious gem.  These images were taken at Buenos Aires International Airport while waiting for our return flight.

As you can see the gem can be carved into many shapes, including my favorite (you guessed it) - Penguin.

As with any gem, expect to pay a premium based on the quality of the stone used for the setting.   A decent grade stone used in an earring will cost around $125 US at most jewelers.  If you are looking for something special for yourself or a gift, you'll want to check these gems out during your visit.

 

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Inca Rose Gems

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Experience The Salty Dog

SALTY DOG GASTROPUB EXPERIENCE

Princess Cruises has partnered with award-winning chef Ernesto Uchimura—inaugural chef of the original Umami Burger restaurant and founding chef of Plan Check Kitchen + Bar in Los Angeles to bring The Salty Dog Gastropub experience to the Wheelhouse Bar on board select ships. The Salty Dog Gastropub is now available on Crown Princess, Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess.

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Your meal includes Ernesto's "Dip Sticks", a savory new appetizer from Chef Uchimura, plus three gourmet plates chosen from a menu featuring selections such as Pale Ale Pork Cheeks, Wild Mushroom Saute, Beef Short Rib Poutine and a variety of other small bites inspired by pub favorites.

Meet "The Ernesto"

The Salty Dog Gastropub introduces "The Ernesto," a uniquely crafted rib eye burger created exclusively for Princess by burger expert Chef Uchimura. Ingredients: Fresh ground rib eye and short rib patty, grilled pork belly, cave aged gruyere, caramelized kimchi, beer battered jalapeno, charred onion aioli, smoked salt & pepper brioche bun.

You can exclude any items that you don't want to make it a custom burger. Cruise Critic awarded The Ernesto the Best Burger at Sea. We haven't tried them all, so we still have to keep trying burgers at sea before we decide.

And of course you’ll find Princess Cruises signature Seawitch craft beers, international beers and ciders, plus wines by the glass and classic cocktails prepared with premium spirits to quench your thirst.

In addition to our quest for penguins and the best burger at sea, we are also seeking the best Chocolate Martini at sea.   The one pictured here was excellent.   Notice the artistic design of the chocolate on the glass as well.

The cost to dine at The Salty Dog was $12 per person on this particular sailing on Crown Princess.  The price my vary on other ships, but it was worth it for the experience.  Our waiter was very attentive. There was music and dancing in the adjacent dance floor of the Wheelhouse Bar.

Editor Note:  As of March, 2023 the cost has increased to $18 but it is worth it for the experience.

 

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Salty Dog Gastropub

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La Boca Shopping

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Caminito 

La Boca is a neighborhood, or barrio of the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. It retains a strong European flavour, with many of its early settlers being from the Italian city of Genoa. The colorful neighborhood sits at the mouth ("boca" in Spanish) of the Matanza-Riachuelo River. As one of Buenos Aires's 48 barrios, La Boca is located in the city's south-east near its old port. 

Camino literally means ‘way’ or ‘walkway’ in English, and the -ito or -ita ending tagged onto Spanish nouns means little or small. And so Caminito is often translated as either ‘little walkway’, ‘little road’, ‘little path’, or ‘little street’.

Shopping Stop

Before heading to the airport, we made a stop at a popular shop on Caminito Street. As in most places where a popular tourist attraction sits in the middle of an economically disadvantaged neighborhood, La Boca can be dangerous for visitors who stray off the tourist path.

The photos to the left show the interior of the shop where we would meet.  There wasn't any need to go anywhere else since the store had quite the variety of merchandise as well as a cafe. We just got a bottle of water at the cafe - we figured we'd have plenty of time at the airport.

 

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Debark Tour

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La Recoleta Cemetery

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Buenos Aires
Debark Tour

Until 1822, Buenos Aires residents who passed away were buried on church grounds. After a while, this practice became problematic for reasons of space and hygiene. Eventually, in November of that year, Governor Martin Rodriguez banned the traditional practice, and instituted the city’s first official cemetery on the grounds of a monastery. The cemetery fell into disrepair and was completely renovated in 1881. The name was changed to its present one, Cementerio de la Recoleta (Recoleta Cemetery) in 1949.

When Argentina’s wealthy and powerful rest for eternity, they do it in style. La Recoleta cemetery is one of the world’s most extraordinary graveyards, with over 6,400 grandiose mausoleums resembling Gothic chapels, Greek temples, fairytale grottoes and elegant little houses. The exclusive cemetery is the last stop for the country’s most celebrated (and controversial) presidents, intellectuals, army generals and entertainers, and a
popular attraction for visitors to Buenos Aires. This cemetery is perhaps BA's top attraction.

Eva Perón (1919 – 1952) 

No one goes to Recoleta cemetery without a visit to Evita’s grave. By Recoleta standards, however, it is quite nondescript. Three years after former First Lady Perón died of cancer in 1952, her body was removed by the Argentine military in the wake of a coup that deposed her husband, President Juan Perón. The body then went on a transatlantic odyssey for nearly twenty years before finally being returned to the Duarte family mausoleum in Recoleta Cemetery. She now lies in a crypt five meters underground, heavily fortified to ensure that no one can disturb the remains of Argentina’s most beloved and controversial First Lady.

 

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La Recoleta Cemetery
Metropolitan Cathedral
Debark Tour

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