The Price Is Right.....Come On Down!!!

I haven't blogged for a while on this site as Robyn has been entertaining everyone with her adventures and my duties were more focused flying portion of the trip.

Anyway, our last full day in B.A. and we decided to tackle the shopping district early after breakfast. Robyn and I headed out on our own this morning as we only had a couple of things to pick up while Kelly had her shopping list and Dave arranged for a sea container to get her purchases home LOL.

On the way to the B.A. train station we passed by the Falkland Island Memorial honouring the Argentina armed forces who lost their lives during the conflict with Great Britain. Interesting enough it faces the Tower of the Inglis which from a distance is very spectacular but once you get nearer you can see the vandalism that has taken place and the site is now protected by a large gate.

The train station was enormous and we watched a couple of commuter trains unload at the same time. I estimated there were up to 7000 people coming off the trains combined which makes you realize how busy this city is. Outside the station the 16 lanes of traffic is a testament to the scale of the city and the sheer fact that there are very few accidents is amazing.

It seems that traffic lights, speed limits, sidewalks (motor cycles use them) and non existent lane use are only used as a suggestion as the way to get around the city. Try delivering the morning bread in this environment!

The simple rule is to keep moving and this includes the pedestrians who challenge buses and cabs to the right of way. In retrospect the people of this city have figured a way to resolve grid lock on their own with no road rage, very limited honking of the horn that North American drivers couldn't even begin to comprehend. The mobile billboard holders are another neat concept and do it in such a way that the traffic is not hindered was so ever.

We headed into the shopping district and met the French F3A Team as they recognized my Duralite Flight Systems hat and asked if I flew aeromodels. We then exchanged greetings and congratulated them on their World Team Championship.

The shopping area has numerous "hidden" side malls that branch off the main pedestrian area that offer many surprises. This is one of the ones we found with fabulous architecture and Christmas decorations.

A quick siesta then another round of shopping in the afternoon then it was onto our last feast of beef at our favorite paparilla. You want beef? You got beef!!!