Ola Buenos Aires!

My Monday morning was a much need relaxation break.  I had the hotel breakfast early then reorganized some of my belongings.  I am not used to traveling with two checked bags!  I have a lot of stuff for two different kinds of trips. I made several cups of hot tea.  Once the tea was very strong I added ice, cooled it, and enjoyed iced tea and even filled my water bottle with it for the ride to the airport later.

Cute little waffles!

I had a nice video chat with Karen and the puppies.  Wonton Noodle licked her phone screen when he heard my voice!  I caught up on the hometown news and all is well.  Christine brought me up to date about the kids and her new puppies.  She also reminded me that Jeff, my nephew, was coming that weekend to work with Maddie, my granddaughter on her new CD.  Katie had a few minutes to talk although she was at work.  We made plans for her to come to the house and visit and cook a few days after I get home.  My brother Doug sounded good on the phone and seems to be slowly recovering from his surgery.  I texted several friends and which them happy birthday or inquired about their activities.  Very refreshing after two weeks of travel and in anticipation of three more to go.

At a little before one I checked out and caught the hotel van to my next flight.  A large family was moving from India to Suriname so I was lucky I had pre-scheduled and confirmed so I could be squeezed in.  After we dropped them off we stopped and picked up Shirley.  She takes the bus to the airport and then catches a ride to work.  That is convenient.  She said, “Oh, Hi Miss Judy!”  We talked for a few minutes and I was then at Terminal J for Aerolineas Argentina. 

I know from experience that when you fly to South America on a Latin airlines the system is very different.  Only one flight can be checked in at one time by the entire staff of agents.  You cannot check in more than four hours before the flight.  My timing was perfect!  I got in the line and most of it was there for an earlier flight.  Everyone has multitudes, I saw one family of four with 20 bags, to check.  Much of it is wrapped in green plastic wrap upon arrival at the airport.  This is because there is so much thievery behind the scenes at the Latin American airports, although some may do it to protect the bag in general.  Cribs, big screen TV’s, even furniture and lots of mysteriously blue blanketed items are checked.  It is $100 per extra bag but it is cheaper to fly to the USA, shop in Miami, and buy extra suitcases which can then be sold or given as gifts back home, than to buy things in Buenos Airies or Lima or wherever.  And the wages in those places are heavily taxed.  80% on income and a 21% VAT even on food and services.  But higher education is free.  I believe there is a correlation there.  Tongue firmly in cheek!

 

Aerolineas Argentina planes are loaded from back to front.  So convenient.  I had a seat by the window in Row 15.  A gentleman was on the aisle.  After the doors closed he moved up to the empty row in front of us.  Later a young lady came to sit in the aisle seat but no one joined me at all.  On the BA flight the middle seat had been empty so two good lucks in a row!  But not so lucky on food.  Really weird cold Farfalle in a pink cream with cold peas scattered on top and breakfast was an Empanada that had a stack of queso in the middle but not toward the sides.

Ola Buenos Aires!

Immigration and customs was quick, and immediately by baggage claim was Nahja to meet my.  I was the only one of the group on this plane so once again I had a car and driver to the hotel.  I checked in before 5:30 am and my room was ready.  At 6:30 my included breakfast buffet seemed like a good idea.   I walked around near the hotel for awhile then sort of waited for Linda and Fred to arrive but they were delayed so Anna actually joined me first.  She very nicely had brought my newly ordered from Amazon walking stick (colorful cane this time) and a new case for my phone.  She even had a book light for me.  So sweet of her to remember I had mentioned along the way mine was broken.

Separate desk area which luckily had an American plug.  Our South America adapters did not work here.

Love a tub but never tried a bidet!

At 2:30 met the rest of the wide eyed but sleepy Enrichment Journeys tour group.  There are 37 of us plus our guide Cintia and Sergio who is teased to be called Lulu.   The tour of Buenos Airies Cuidad (city as opposed to the province that shares the Good Air name) was very much the same as the last time.  An explanation of the parts of the town, or suburbs.  How it is the name of both the town and the province so a distinctions is always made.  By the time we reached La Boca, the colorful home of the Tango it was raining.  So there were not artists, dancers or locals on the streets.  We walked over to look at La Plata the widest river in the world.  Where it flows between Montevideo and here there are 22 miles of shallow water with one narrow channel.  We will see lots of big ships as we sail away at the end of the week because most of the water is only 9 to 15 feet deep so the narrow channel almost creates a convoy like parade.  And yet these two cities support two major ports for both leisure and cargo travel.

Loved that many buildings had rounded corners and lots of flower boxes everywhere.

Casa Rosata.  Presidential offices not home.  Famous 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' balcony is small extended one on the left.

Spanish architecture reminds me of our own Southwest.

Pope Francis home church.

The tomb of San Martin.

Love the cove ceiling.

Back at the hotel by about 5:30 but off again at 7:30 for dinner at La Ventana and a Tango Show.  Downstairs we were seated at narrow tables for eight that were perpendicular to the stage.  For the performance we had to turn in our seats as the crowded restaurant did not even have enough space to allow for us to slightly turn the chairs. Both were quite delicious in different ways.  The dinner was the absolutely best steak I have ever had.  About two inches think and so tender you did not even need a knife to cut it.  The seasoning was perfect with just a little salt and pepper and cooked to a perfect medium temperature.  Dessert was Flan.  The show had a five person band and six dancers.  They would have all gotten a “Ten from Len!”  Some performed solo or in unison and some of the dances were solo couples and others were the three couples in perfectly matched steps.  A lady came out in a beautiful long dress to sing a couple of times and the band leader donned a red jacket to sing tango  music and do a modified sort of tango, mostly flipping his jacket from side to side.

Absolute best steaks ever at the LaVentana Tango Show!  This is my friend Fred.

No photos allowed of the show.  If a phone or camera raised up then a young man jumped in front of you and waved his hands around. Hopefully one of my friends caught a few and can add them into the comments below.

Several times we thought the show was ending only to go on and on.  About quarter to midnight our eight o’clock dinner theater experience ended and we were on the bus for a short ride to the Hotel PanAmericano on 9^th of Juli Boulevard.  It was indeed another long but lovely day.