Trip to San Justo

Due to a trip we had to take to the town of San Justo, yesterday my partner and I went to the bus stop that was going to take us there. Line 88 buses depart from one of the corners of Plaza Miserere. It was already late afternoon, with unbearable heat, a terribly heavy day. We arrived at the stop and saw a waiting line starting from the first line 88 bus that was parked. We reached the end and I asked the person at the very back of the line, a lady who replied, "No, this one goes via the highway (ruta), you have to take the other one." I never found out what "goes via the highway" means, the truth is that we had to approach "the other one." The other one was another bus parked right behind, a few meters further. It had another waiting line, but shorter. The passengers were already boarding, so we decided to wait for the next one. Good choice. These buses get packed, they don't have air conditioning, and whoever doesn't get a seat is squeezed in however they can. It is a long trip—long in the sense of tiring—lasting a little over an hour, an hour and twenty minutes, an hour and a half. It also depends heavily on traffic; during rush hours the journey goes slower due to heavier traffic, so the delay in arriving is greater.

Fifteen minutes later, the next bus departed. Conveniently seated at the back, we could see how some people couldn't take it anymore and sat on the steps of the back door, which remained closed the entire trip.

Other passengers endured the heat with whatever they could, from water to stay hydrated to hand fans to minimally cool themselves by blowing air.

Line 88 has around 14 to 22 branches. But as for the "first stage," what would be Capital Federal, there are two routes: some branches go via Rivadavia and others go via Alberdi. We took the one that goes along Av. Rivadavia.

Seen from above, the route is simple: a giant L.

During the journey, heading straight down Av. Rivadavia, you can't see much: a couple of well-known squares, a church—reasons that I will leave to comment on another time. The route crosses several neighborhoods of the Capital Federal. From the bus, you can catch a glimpse of a small triangular square with a monument in it.

It is the Vicente Bellini Square, named in honor of an opera composer. The square is surrounded by Medina and White streets and Av. Rivadavia. And a sculpture can be seen inside it. It is the work La Cautiva by sculptor Santiago José Chierico (1891-1974). A work made of bronze and placed in 1939.

The route of the 88 continues, crossing the border at Av. General Paz. It enters Ciudadela and continues straight along Av. Rivadavia, which runs parallel to Av. Maipú first and then Av. Gabriel Ardonio, until it reaches the intersection with Av. de Mayo. There it turns left and continues straight along that avenue. We are now in Ramos Mejía. Finally, we get off at the intersection with Av. Presidente Perón. Already in San Justo, right there is UNLAM (Universidad Nacional de la Matanza).

In the photograph, looking from the inside out, in the foreground is what is known as "the fountain," a set of piled stones where a tiny bit of water usually falls. A few meters further back is the flagpole with the national flag, and in the background you can catch a glimpse of the university entrance, with its columns and the inscription in large, visible letters above. At night, the lettering area lights up in green, the color of the university.

In the following photo, you can see a work of art placed shortly after entering the university. I don't know the name of the work, what it is made of, or the occasion for it, and I didn't find anything to mention either.

Only the photo can be appreciated. The figure of a whole can be clearly seen, but no more than that, nor what meaning it has or was given by its author.

Once the required paperwork was done, for the return trip, right there across the street, we boarded the line 174 bus. This bus took us directly to Liniers, where we made another line transfer.

Along the route, coming from Ramos Mejía, the bus passed the intersection of Paso and Gral. Julio Argentino Roca streets. On that corner is this small, simple brick monument with a flower bed at the bottom containing a Virgin. I couldn't quite see which one it was, but from the photograph taken from Google Street View, it appears to be Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. It has a plaque, but it cannot be read. What seemed strange to me is the location, right on the sidewalk; there is nothing in sight that gives a clue as to why it was placed there. You only see it from the bus.

Returning, having passed through Ciudadela again and once the bus enters Capital Federal—already in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Liniers—the last thing you see is another small religious monument in a small triangle right at the intersection of the two avenues, Gral. Paz and Rivadavia. On one side, you can see the figures of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Luján, and next to her the figure of Saint Cajetan, whose church is located just a few blocks away.
In the very last corner, to one side, stands a flagpole with the national flag.

On the opposite side, the same monument is painted with the same figures and, in the middle of both, the figure of Christ.

Next to it, three benches can be seen—a somewhat strange place (I say this because of the incessant circulation of vehicles) for someone to go sit there, but there they are.
And the end of the journey.