This day was almost (but not quite) lost to the simple logistics of travel. The primary objective was to fly from Iguazu to Buenos Aires. Simply completing the trip exhausted most of the day — and us.
The good news was that we got to sleep in — for me, that means a little past 6:30 a.m. (old habits die hard, even in retirement). Mary managed to sleep even a little later than that — also unusual for her. The breakfast room was crowded, as a big pharmaceutical company (which shall remain nameless here) was holding a sales meeting for at least a few hundred of their representatives. We ate, still had plenty of time to pack, and even to take another walk on the resort’s nature trail before boarding the bus.
Again we waited on the bus, first for Brazilian immigration to check us out, and on the other side of the bridge, for their Argentinian counterparts to check us in. From the border, it was only a half hour ride to the airport. But the line to check in for the flight was long and moved very slowly. We needn’t have worried, however, as the flight was then delayed by nearly an hour (no explanation given). The 2 hour flight was pleasant enough, but not even so much as a glass of water was offered. By the time we arrived at our hotel it was 3:30 p.m., and room assignments took a little more time.
By 4 p.m., however, we had embarked on an orientation walk around the hotel with our tour leader. It’s a nice neighborhood, right in the heart of old downtown. The cemetery where Eva Peron is buried is almost literally across the street, as is a very nice shopping mall. Many nice restaurants are just around the corner.
Our first task was to find an ATM. Argentina’s economy has been chronically bad, but has been especially strained in recent months. Inflation is running almost 50% per year. Getting enough cash for just the next few days involved quite a wad of bills — and we tend to spend far less than most travelers. The ATM fee was also rather high. But we succeeded in getting the transaction completed.
Next, we walked quickly for about seven downtown blocks to find “El Ateneo,” a very famous book store that occupies what used to be an opera house. The ornate ceiling, balconies, and even the boxes once occupied by the wealthiest audience members now hold shelf after shelf of books. The basement is full of music, including a wide selection of vinyl records, and more tango CDs than one will probably find anywhere. We had to hurry through, as the store was about to close for the day, but even managed to discover a small section of “libros en ingles” (books in English) before departing.
Back at the hotel, we only had a short time to freshen up before departing for a home-hosted meal. This is a favorite feature of OAT trips. The company pays locals to welcome small groups of travelers into their homes and prepare a meal.
Our host for the evening was Rodrigo, a 23-year-old university student and IT tech who lives with his parents in a tiny apartment on the 6th floor of a downtown building. Although his mother, Raquel, did the cooking (and did it quite well), and his father, Orlando, was unmistakably the head of the table, Rodrigo was the one who spoke English. All translation went through him. It was a very good experience.
So, although much of the day was spent only sitting on buses, in airports, and on planes, we managed to see a bit of Buenos Aires and meet some new friends. Tomorrow we will have time for more.
The good news was that we got to sleep in — for me, that means a little past 6:30 a.m. (old habits die hard, even in retirement). Mary managed to sleep even a little later than that — also unusual for her. The breakfast room was crowded, as a big pharmaceutical company (which shall remain nameless here) was holding a sales meeting for at least a few hundred of their representatives. We ate, still had plenty of time to pack, and even to take another walk on the resort’s nature trail before boarding the bus.
Again we waited on the bus, first for Brazilian immigration to check us out, and on the other side of the bridge, for their Argentinian counterparts to check us in. From the border, it was only a half hour ride to the airport. But the line to check in for the flight was long and moved very slowly. We needn’t have worried, however, as the flight was then delayed by nearly an hour (no explanation given). The 2 hour flight was pleasant enough, but not even so much as a glass of water was offered. By the time we arrived at our hotel it was 3:30 p.m., and room assignments took a little more time.
By 4 p.m., however, we had embarked on an orientation walk around the hotel with our tour leader. It’s a nice neighborhood, right in the heart of old downtown. The cemetery where Eva Peron is buried is almost literally across the street, as is a very nice shopping mall. Many nice restaurants are just around the corner.
Our first task was to find an ATM. Argentina’s economy has been chronically bad, but has been especially strained in recent months. Inflation is running almost 50% per year. Getting enough cash for just the next few days involved quite a wad of bills — and we tend to spend far less than most travelers. The ATM fee was also rather high. But we succeeded in getting the transaction completed.
So, although much of the day was spent only sitting on buses, in airports, and on planes, we managed to see a bit of Buenos Aires and meet some new friends. Tomorrow we will have time for more.
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