"PUENTE NICOLAS AVELLANEDA ..." a Buenos Aires Travel Page by mtncorg

La Boca is the immigrant heart of BsAs. And the heart of La Boca is the old iron bridge across the Riachuelo River – the old and new Puente Nicolas Avellaneda. The old bridge was such a neighborhood icon that when it came time for a successor bridge, the old one was left in a state of permanent ‘up’ and the new bridge was given a superstructure reminiscent of old.

Along the Riachuelo, you can walk along the broad avenue, sitting when you want along the many benches. Watching life drift by.

And when you come to the old bridge itself, which no longer goes anywhere, you can watch the timeless dinghies below, as they cross the river, time after time.

The boats taking people across, journey after journey.

Across the street from the old bridge, an old building stands. Scenes from an earlier La Boca, active and filled with life, engraved in stone above on its front.

Stone dockworkers struggle to offload ancient ships, supporting an old balcony at the same time.

Back at the bridge, the dinghies continue ferrying. Scattering only when the rare barge makes it way along the river, moving freight on the river in the keeping with the past.