Prologue
The the official name of the intersection was "Corner between Calle 9 and Carrera 15", a name so easily forgettable and uninteresting for what was pretty much seen as the heart of the La Catedral Barrio, the very centre of Callao, capital of the Federal Republic of Corrientes. La Catedral was named after an eponymous Cathedral, built by the Thaumanticans when they first founded the city of Callao, along the estuary of the Catatungo river, named San Jose, after the protector of toilers and labourers, the Cathedral itself disappeared in 1730, when Callao was devastated by a huge fire, and was never rebuilt, as the centre of the revived city was moved a few hundred metres down the river, where Calle 1 meets Carrera 1, the traditional "Kilometre 0" of Callao is situated, in front of Casa Azul, the headquarters of the government and the presidency. Even so, La Catedral evolved, becoming first a rundown barrio, then after independence transforming into the main headquarters of the bourgeoise of Callao, which had led the revolution for the independence, and by the 1880s, transforming into a neighbourhood known for its libertine life and for its bohemian atmosphere, a place which attracted artists, students and even radical politicians. During the golden age of the centralist republic of the late 1880s, when coal was discovered in the highlands just north of the city, the population grew, as jobs were easy to be found, and the bourgeoisie prospered, gentrifying the city, building Gallo-Germanian inspired mansions, tramways being laid all over the city, and more and more people just came over, finding La Catedral as the place to be if one wanted to enjoy life, live well and sometimes escape the social and moral norms.
In the late 19th century, the old bourgeoisie's mansions in La Catedral turned into theatres, hostels for students and other people in need of cheap accommodation, cabarets, eateries, and even bordellos. At that time, there was a fashion for rich artists from Gallo-Germania to travel the world, and Callao, with La Catedral specifically was on everyone's minds. The geographic position of Callao made it perfect to be a gateway to Occidentia, as it stood on the Thaumantic Coast, right on the estuary of the huge Catatungo river, which made transportation very easy into the heart of Corrientes. La Catedral's positioning was perfect for it to welcome all the immigrants and sailors, becoming the heart of the immigrant community in the city, bringing all the flavours of the world's cuisines along its streets, as the influx of workers also meant an increase in the demand for quick meals, bringing forth a revolution of street foods from all over the world.
Nowadays, La Catedral is still one of the hearts of Callao, for such a huge city, at about 13 million inhabitants, one of the megacities of the western hemisphere, has more than one, but it is said that La Catedral beats the strongest. Facing the Thaumantic Ocean, not the Catatungo River, La Catedral became the prime spot for tourists in Callao, with its wide golden-rosy sand beaches and the warm turquoise waters of the Cristal Sea, part of the Thaumantic Ocean, it clearly became a magnet as it seemed to have it all: the history as it was the nucleus of colonial era Corrientes, the sea and even the mountains, as the Sierra Dorada crawls to the east up to the sea.
Along the coast runs the Calle 9, a wide boulevard, along which high rise hotels and hugely expensive apartment buildings can be found. The area is quiet usually only between 6am and 9am, as it is a centre of the local nightlife, with clubs and bars functioning from 8pm to the sunrise. During the day, starting at 9am, tourists and locals start filling its rosy beaches, as specially designed double decker busses used for sightseeing have their starting points along the boulevard, with small cars, rickshaws and even horse drawn coaches for the tourists create a charming albeit chaotic atmosphere, from where one can see in the distance, along the peaks of the Sierra Dorada, the Christ the Liberator Statue, built in the 1950s, standing tall on the mountain peaks, with its arms wide open, so as to bless the city.
Behind the flashy hotels, the still medieval to early modern layout of the old colonial city can be found, with very thin streets, where a modern vehicle can't even enter. A labirinth of pathways mostly, filled with colonial buildings with their typical wooden balconies, which provide the backdrop for many wishing to relive the atmosphere of the Thaumantic Empire in the late 1700s. The whole historic and architectonic patrimony, of course attracts tourists, so a strong service economy has been built catering for them and to keep it alive, the locals have been creative and started building handmade small three wheeled automobiles from modified motorcycles, to carry the necessary freight to keep their businesses alive. During the early morning, these transformed vehicles can be seen buzzing everywhere along the small streets.
But the very centre of La Catredral was the corner between Calle 9 and Carrera 15, which was popularly known as Cuatro Esquinas, or Four Corners. Everyone in Callao knew where the Four Corners where. Probably because of the many telenovelas set in the city, and their popularity, probably nearly everyone in the Tiburan speaking world heard or seen at least once the four corners. On one side corner, stood the Mercado del Pais, a huge country market, with stalls on the ground level and eateries on the upper level, very known and loved by everyone from the Districto Capital. On another corner stood the Comisaría nº 13, the No.13 Police Station, hosting both Federal and Municipal Police Units. Diagonally from the Police Station was the Gata Blanca, the White Cat, a brothel with a huge history, functioning for nearly 150 years, and on the other side of the road stand the row of bars and restaurants catering most to tourists, but the most important one, which was seen as the crown jewel standing right on the corner was the bar owned by Yolanda Prats Tejedor. The establishment, called La Plata, was an institution in itself. It was much more run down than the other ones catering for tourists, but the cheap prices for booze made it the perfect place for locals.
The Four Corners were the heart of La Catedral, where everything in Callao was brought together.
The the official name of the intersection was "Corner between Calle 9 and Carrera 15", a name so easily forgettable and uninteresting for what was pretty much seen as the heart of the La Catedral Barrio, the very centre of Callao, capital of the Federal Republic of Corrientes. La Catedral was named after an eponymous Cathedral, built by the Thaumanticans when they first founded the city of Callao, along the estuary of the Catatungo river, named San Jose, after the protector of toilers and labourers, the Cathedral itself disappeared in 1730, when Callao was devastated by a huge fire, and was never rebuilt, as the centre of the revived city was moved a few hundred metres down the river, where Calle 1 meets Carrera 1, the traditional "Kilometre 0" of Callao is situated, in front of Casa Azul, the headquarters of the government and the presidency. Even so, La Catedral evolved, becoming first a rundown barrio, then after independence transforming into the main headquarters of the bourgeoise of Callao, which had led the revolution for the independence, and by the 1880s, transforming into a neighbourhood known for its libertine life and for its bohemian atmosphere, a place which attracted artists, students and even radical politicians. During the golden age of the centralist republic of the late 1880s, when coal was discovered in the highlands just north of the city, the population grew, as jobs were easy to be found, and the bourgeoisie prospered, gentrifying the city, building Gallo-Germanian inspired mansions, tramways being laid all over the city, and more and more people just came over, finding La Catedral as the place to be if one wanted to enjoy life, live well and sometimes escape the social and moral norms.
In the late 19th century, the old bourgeoisie's mansions in La Catedral turned into theatres, hostels for students and other people in need of cheap accommodation, cabarets, eateries, and even bordellos. At that time, there was a fashion for rich artists from Gallo-Germania to travel the world, and Callao, with La Catedral specifically was on everyone's minds. The geographic position of Callao made it perfect to be a gateway to Occidentia, as it stood on the Thaumantic Coast, right on the estuary of the huge Catatungo river, which made transportation very easy into the heart of Corrientes. La Catedral's positioning was perfect for it to welcome all the immigrants and sailors, becoming the heart of the immigrant community in the city, bringing all the flavours of the world's cuisines along its streets, as the influx of workers also meant an increase in the demand for quick meals, bringing forth a revolution of street foods from all over the world.
Nowadays, La Catedral is still one of the hearts of Callao, for such a huge city, at about 13 million inhabitants, one of the megacities of the western hemisphere, has more than one, but it is said that La Catedral beats the strongest. Facing the Thaumantic Ocean, not the Catatungo River, La Catedral became the prime spot for tourists in Callao, with its wide golden-rosy sand beaches and the warm turquoise waters of the Cristal Sea, part of the Thaumantic Ocean, it clearly became a magnet as it seemed to have it all: the history as it was the nucleus of colonial era Corrientes, the sea and even the mountains, as the Sierra Dorada crawls to the east up to the sea.
Along the coast runs the Calle 9, a wide boulevard, along which high rise hotels and hugely expensive apartment buildings can be found. The area is quiet usually only between 6am and 9am, as it is a centre of the local nightlife, with clubs and bars functioning from 8pm to the sunrise. During the day, starting at 9am, tourists and locals start filling its rosy beaches, as specially designed double decker busses used for sightseeing have their starting points along the boulevard, with small cars, rickshaws and even horse drawn coaches for the tourists create a charming albeit chaotic atmosphere, from where one can see in the distance, along the peaks of the Sierra Dorada, the Christ the Liberator Statue, built in the 1950s, standing tall on the mountain peaks, with its arms wide open, so as to bless the city.
Behind the flashy hotels, the still medieval to early modern layout of the old colonial city can be found, with very thin streets, where a modern vehicle can't even enter. A labirinth of pathways mostly, filled with colonial buildings with their typical wooden balconies, which provide the backdrop for many wishing to relive the atmosphere of the Thaumantic Empire in the late 1700s. The whole historic and architectonic patrimony, of course attracts tourists, so a strong service economy has been built catering for them and to keep it alive, the locals have been creative and started building handmade small three wheeled automobiles from modified motorcycles, to carry the necessary freight to keep their businesses alive. During the early morning, these transformed vehicles can be seen buzzing everywhere along the small streets.
But the very centre of La Catredral was the corner between Calle 9 and Carrera 15, which was popularly known as Cuatro Esquinas, or Four Corners. Everyone in Callao knew where the Four Corners where. Probably because of the many telenovelas set in the city, and their popularity, probably nearly everyone in the Tiburan speaking world heard or seen at least once the four corners. On one side corner, stood the Mercado del Pais, a huge country market, with stalls on the ground level and eateries on the upper level, very known and loved by everyone from the Districto Capital. On another corner stood the Comisaría nº 13, the No.13 Police Station, hosting both Federal and Municipal Police Units. Diagonally from the Police Station was the Gata Blanca, the White Cat, a brothel with a huge history, functioning for nearly 150 years, and on the other side of the road stand the row of bars and restaurants catering most to tourists, but the most important one, which was seen as the crown jewel standing right on the corner was the bar owned by Yolanda Prats Tejedor. The establishment, called La Plata, was an institution in itself. It was much more run down than the other ones catering for tourists, but the cheap prices for booze made it the perfect place for locals.
The Four Corners were the heart of La Catedral, where everything in Callao was brought together.