DAY 42 Feb 23 - Buenos Aires, Argentina

Nobody really knows the origin of Tango. Some people talk about it having African roots but the fact is this type of dance is exclus-ively "Porteño" from Buenos Aires. Some think it is a mix of different style of music.

It is said that Tango appeared around 1880 when the city had very few places of entertainments. During this time brothels were flourishing across the city. Most of the women that were working in those brothels were European migrants; Spanish, French, Italians, Germans and Polish. The customers were also migrants from Europe who left their families and wives behind to make a fortune. They were trying to find comfort in the arms of the prostitute.

The competition was hard, the brothels started hiring musician to entertain the patrons. The people then started to dance to the music. These performances became quite successful and very popular. This is supposed to be the origin of the Tango.

It is said that the first Tango composer was a man called Juan Perez who wrote a song titled "Dame la lata" (give me the tin) around 1880. Soon the Tango was to be danced outside of the brothels. Firstly in dance academies of Buenos Aires but only danced by men. Soon women joined the men in the dance, adding more life to the Tango.

Today we intend to take a tour organised by our Travel Agent, CSI. The plan is to leave by bus and travel the 20 odd miles north east of Buenos Aires to the Tigre Delta. The area is named after the fierce jaguars and tigers that once roamed these parts. It is a vast area where thousands of islands and inlets, water channels, rivers and backwaters form a sub-tropical wonderland. It's an historical monument and a favourite spot for day trips, weekend getaways and cruises around the delta waterways, as indeed we will be doing later today.

Last night's trip to Buenos Aires's most exclusive watering hole turned out to be at a very fine venue indeed. The old converted home, The Mansion, was now part of the top notch Four Seasons Group of hotels.

A couple of buses were laid on to take the approximately 60 suite passengers from the ship. It was pouring as we disembarked and then boarded the buses, HAL umbrellas in hand. We immediately hooked up with our new friends from Australia, Peter and Rhonda, whose cabin is four down from our one and whom were just in front of us as we exited the ship.

After the short drive to the venue, through BA's slow moving rush hour traffic, we were met with the most wonderful sight.

The stairway up to the entrance to the hotel was lined with the beautifully turned out, all in full dress uniform, officers of the Prinsendam. At the foot of the stairs stood Captain Albert and his wife Leslie accompanied by our Hotel Manager Françoise, to greet us individually as we alighted from our carriage. It made one feel quite special in ascending the lined staircase, full of mainly familiar and friendly faces, and then be handed a refreshing glass of cold Champaigne to start the evening.

We soon recognised a few faces of passengers that we knew included Mary Ellen and Bruce, who of course are part of our dinner table crowd and next door neighbours John and Barbara. Henk, our CSI host, had been invited but on his own because his wife Lucia was off leading a Tango Show tour with CSI clients.

As well as exchanging some early evening banter with a few of the ship's officers, we saw Frank Buckingham and agreed to share a table with him when dinner was called.

The imma-culately turned out officers mingled with the crowd. I exchanged some infor-mation with the Captain over the heightened interest in cruising in the Antarctic as a result of blogs. He said that his daily blog had produced significant interest from people now contemplating this bottom of the world adventurous cruise.

I added that my own blog covering the same subject had also attracted inquisitive attention.

At dinner we had a fine table crowd that included not only Frank (pictured here above with Maria) but also Françoise and Cruise director Tom and his lovely wife Tina shown in this picture.

Peter and Rhonda were also there thankfully, not only for their splendid company but also because I had found that my camera would not function as I had left the battery on charge in the cabin on board the ship. Another doghouse occasion I'm afraid.

My charming seating partner Rhonda immediately came to the rescue and said that I could use her little point and snap Cannon as much as I wanted and she would arrange for me to get a copy of its content once back on board. Of course I obliged by taking a picture of them with Hotel Manager Françoise as a memento of the evening.

Thank you Rhonda and well done Australia for coming to the rescue of a 'pom' (a slightly derogatory term the Aussies have for people from my country)!

The service for the meal was outstanding with what must have been some of BA's finest young ladies in beautifully tailored trouser suits and white blouses looking after us.

In particular, one of these young beauties could well have been a spectacular Tango dancer, my now active imagination suggested.

The table wine flowed freely and the conver-sation and quite consid-erable banter that had developed between a few of us made for a lovely occasion.

Unfortunately the tenderloin of beef, a specialty of Argentina, was just too dry for me to digest, so I missed out on what this country is so famous for, its beef. Nevertheless it had been great fun at our table.

After dinner we moved into an adjourning comf-ortable drawing room where a mixed choir of some 18 persons accompanied by a string quartet awaited us.

Their performance was first class and surprisingly, considering we were in Argentina and the Falklands was becoming an issue again, they finished this most enjoyable concert with a rendition of Elgar's 'Land of Hope and Glory'. Wonderful stuff.

Before departing this excellent and posh establishment, Maria and I had a couple of liqueurs, a Cointreau for her and Drambuie or two for me, to round off a most enjoyable night.

Well done HAL, you do know how to organise grand events with your great attention to detail.

On the way home the bus took us on a little tour of the City before depositing us back at the dock gates at around 11.30, well past our bed time.

Some of the sites we passed we had visited earlier in the day while sightseeing with our international friends. I show above the unfinished BA Theatre (Opera house) which is shortly due to open after many, many years of slowly being refurbished.

Outside the Cathedral and by the park where the mothers of missing people meet every Friday, it would appear there is a permanent police water cannon presence plus supporting riot control equipment on other police vehicles. I suppose this is just in case, as demonstrations have been known to become quite violent here in Argintina.

Near by is a temporary tented section within the park, where for the last year veterans of the Falkland War (Malvinas) have been protesting against the way they are deprived of a pension and for other grievances attributed to the war.

As we entered the docks a whole host of crew were leaving for a night on the town as no doubt their evening's ship duties were now completed and behind them.

We saw our Maître D' Andrie and his lovely girl friend Annette, leaving for no doubt some well earned time-off in the city plus our dear cabin steward Deden accompanied by his friends presumably relishing their time ashore. These sojourns for the crew of course are only possible when the ship has its occasionally overnight port stays.

At 9.20 this morning we assembled for our day long trip up to the Tigre Delta suburb of BA. This was the only tour we had booked through CSI, our travel agent. Some 29 people, clients of CSI, were on board and friend Henk was our host for the day.

By 10.00 we were leaving the main part of BA behind and moving north through some lovely parts of the City. The streets were quite narrow and in the main tree lined like the suburbs of so many European cities.

We stopped at a cathedral on route that had recently been completely refurbished inside and outside. It had been built in the European Gothic style.

It was a chance to get the camera out again after the mishap of last nigh. Henk posed for a picture with the two of us outside the main entrance to the church.

It was now on to the Delta region about thirty minutes away. Once there we alighted from our transport and headed to the boats.

Then suddenly, as if out of nowhere, appeared our four Canadian friends accom-panied by last night’s comp-anions, Peter and Rhonda. They had just completed a boat ride through the Delta and said it had been very enjoyable.

Our cruise through the waterways of the Delta was interesting as we passed many waterside properties, some very nice while others were less that desirable and many were quite dilapidated. A high proportion was for sale, which perhaps showed what was happening to the local economy.

After an hour or so we reached our lovely restaurant where we were to have lunch. This establishment was on one of the islands and had seating outside over looking the water.

We dined with an engaging Dutch couple, Henk and the bright and knowle-dgeable young lady called Sol, who was our delightful guide for the day. We had a great lunch and unlike last night thoroughly enjoyed my beef.

The weather today was perfect so we took advantage of this by sitting on the back of the boat. Again there was plenty to see as we wound our way back to where we had started the cruise earlier in the day.

By 4.30 we were back onboard the Prinsendam in time for another mandatory boat drill. If passengers are on board for more than a month at a time they must again go through the ship’s safely procedures.

Tonight the ship held a BBQ party on deck and we joined up with our lovely Canadian friends for a very enjoyable meal.

Just before the meal, the massive Costa Magica cruise line, pulled out of its moorings and headed to where I do not know.

We soon followed suit and at 7.00 sharp we edged away from out mooring heading for Montevideo where we are due in the morning.