Adios Argentina

So I'm sitting in the airport waiting to catch my flight back home.

It was a pretty uneventful day so this post will probably be short.

After breakfast I went back to my room to pack up my things.  My pack has never looked so full! But I guess that's what happens when you have a bunch of winter clothes and a big jacket.  Or maybe that's just me justifying why my bag is so full when it's really because I bought a *few* things!

I had to check out of my room by noon. But I was ready a little earlier so I just checked out and had the lobby hold my bags.  I walked back down to Santa Fe and got the last of my purchases but at least this wasn't only for me, I got something for my sisters (and me).

I decided that I should stop walking around or I will just end up spending more money, so I went back to my hotel to journal in the lobby and kill time online.

My taxi came around 4 and I was at the airport with plenty of time to checkin, eat and get to my gate. Now it's back to journaling and killing time online.

The picture of the building below is in Buenos Aires right by the Obelisk. There are 2 large portrits of Evita (one on each side) and they were just put up 2 years ago. My one tour guide told us that it cost more to have both portraits put up than it did to build the entire building. 

Ok, that's it from me. Next stop Newark, then home.

Thanks for following and for all of your support.

Now, where to next????

Buenas Noches, Buenos Aires

What an exhausting day!

After grabbing some breakfast at my hotel I took a taxi to Calle Florida and San Martin Plaza where I was to meet for my full day tour to Tigre Delta.

Again I was with a small group: just one lady from Rome, and a young couple from Germany.  Our guide took us first through San Martin Plaza.

You really only need to be in Argentina for like 5 minutes to know that José de San Martin is kind of a big deal. He's the Argentine libererator with monuments just about everywhere. Oh, and you can't forget being on money!

We walked down to the train station to take us to San Isidro where we walked around the cobbled streets to see some of the old colonial houses and the San Isidro Cathedral. The whole area was beautiful and you could definitely feel that things were more relaxed here compared to Buenos Aires city.

We took one more train that took us into Tigre where we would tour the delta's waterways. 

We first stopped at the Puerto de Frutos where there is a large handicrafts market and a bunch of places to eat. We ate as a group and the food was good but the portions are so large. 

The time on the boat was probably my favorite.  It was a beautiful sunny day and it is so nice and relaxing to be on the water.  We cruised along the water catching glimpses of the houses built up on stilts. We also saw (but didn't stop at) the Museo Domingo Faustino Sarmiento. Which is this little yellow house, protected under glass, that was the island getaway of the former president who built it out of fruit boxes.

After arriving at the port back in Buenos Aires, we each went our own way. I walked back to Calle Florida and did the *last* of my shopping before heading back towards Ave. Santa Fe and my hotel. 

My feet are exhausted and now I need to shower and pack.
Tomorrow probably won't be very exciting, but my flight doesn't leave until 8pm, so you never know.

Best part of the day, ok so maybe not the best part but it was pretty funny, was when I saw three separate people with the mullet hairstyle with dreadlocks in the back.  Not a good look.

Buenos Aires, good air

So I think I am feeling a little worn down from my last few late nights.  I took the opportunity this morning to sleep in and see if I can get feeling a little better before I come home.  It's not that I feel terribly sick, I just don't want to feel worse.

After breakfast I coordinated a city tour.  It was a really good tour even though we stopped at some of the places I've been already.

The group I was with was small and the guide was great.  I was most looking forward to going to La Boca because I haven't yet been to that neighborhood.

We stopped to walk around Caminito, which is named for the Tango song that was written by Filiberto. The block-long road shows a bunch of different murals of him and soccer star Maradona (I'm sad to say for my soccer loving friends that I didn't know who he was).  The bright bold colors on the buildings and the street side tango dancing complete the whole Caminito identity. 

I think for everyone else in the world La Boca is known for their Boca Juniors soccer team and we didn't miss a drive by their stadium La Bombonera.

The tour was a great way to spend the day because it was so nice outside. I loved soaking up the sunshine!  I capped the night off with a little shopping and some dinner!

Back in BA

Well I'm a little bummed because I had this whole draft saved and it's gone now...and it's 1:35 am.

Anyway, I clearly made it out of Ushuaia.

I'm back in the same hotel in Buenos Aires that I stayed in before and it's nice to have some comfort with my surroundings.

Nishat came to stay with me yesterday and since it was her last night in town we went out for dinner and then out for some drinks and dancing.

Her flight was early this morning and it was sad to say goodbye.  She was the last of my Antarctica goodbyes.

This morning the hotel moved me to a different room because they had a big group coming in and they needed the beds.  So now I have a huge room with a king sized bed and a beautiful balcony.

I spent the day shopping in the Palermo SoHo area and found some good stuff.

I also had organized a dinner and tango show at Señor Tango.  The show was great. They came out with two big horses and continued to mix in Cirque Du Soleil acrobatics with the tango.  The best part for me though was the music (not much of a surprise coming from a band geek).  They ended the show with a performance of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" and they showed an Evita slideshow in the background.  It was good.

Of course I was the last one dropped off and I'm sooo tired.

Goodnight!

Buenos Aires Day 2

My legs felt a lot better after I woke up.  I slept until 8am but finally got going around 9.  The breakfast at the hotel is impressive.  So much to eat, fresh fruit, croissants, cereal, pastries, etc. 

I had to hotel send a taxi to bring me to the area of San Telmo.  They have a big Sunday market that I wanted to check out. 

It felt like a big flea market with all of the little stands set up. There was a band and a couple doing the Tango right in the center of the plaza.  The couple dancing was kind of funny. They were a little older and over animated but it was fun to watch for a bit and I'm definitely not one to judge their technique.

I was just kind of roaming around the market and I was approached by a huge camera crew of some people on a travel show teaching foreigners how to tango. I didn't want to do it because they looked a little over the top but I did it anyway and they taught me a basic 8 step Tango.

I did only a little shopping and the relaxed in Starbucks for a while.  There were a lot of people coming to the area as the afternoon came. I decided to walk over to the Plaza de Mayo.  It's impossible not to be impressed with the grandeur of the Casa Rosada. The pink hued presidential palace is on one end of the Plaza and it's balcony was the site of Perón's speeches to his followers below. 

I went on a tour and met a nice Canadian couple.  It was nice to have someone to talk with for a while. I had been feeling like I hadn't spoken with anyone because they all speak spanish.  The tour brought us through some massive rooms and we were able to go out onto one of the balconies.  Not the one actually used by the president or Evita but rather the one Madonna used for the movie Evita.

Around the side of Casa Rosada is the Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas Públicas which still has chipped marble walls on the outside from where navy planes strafed the Casa Rosada in a 1955 coup attempt.

The tour had lasted an hour and then I walked with the Candian couple to Puerto Madero, right along the riverfront. There are a lot of trendy shops, bars and restaurants.  The pedestrian Puente de la Mujer bridge is a beautiful site.

I took the evening pretty easy because I have a 4 am wakeup call for my flight to Ushuaia in the morning.

Buenos Aires

Well I made it to Buenos Aires with no real problems.  The flight from Houston felt long but probably only because I didn't sleep well.

My hotel is really nice compared to some of the hostels I've stayed in. I'm staying in the Recoleta area of B.A. I was able to check in right when I got here and although I was tired, I didn't want to waste my daylight in the hotel room.

I spent the day exploring most of the Recoleta area. I walked everywhere to help give me a better sense of location.  
I found myself at the Recoleta Cemetery.  This is the famous cemetery where Evita Perón was eventually laid to rest. Inside the walls of this huge cemetery are lavish mausoleums. The people who lie here were wealthy and include presidents, military, artists & literary figures. 

It was pretty impressive to see some of these mausoleums. They are quite extravagant and at the same time some are completely crumbling away.

I also walked through the Basilica Nuestra Señora del Pilar. It's an 18th century church that's right next to the cemetery.   It had this remarkable silver altarpiece that was the work of Argentina's most famous silversmith.

The Recoleta Mall had some cute shops and actually overlooks the cemetery from the McDonald's balcony.

Plaza Francia had this cute crafts fair going on so I walked around there and also over to the Plaza Naciones Unidas (United Nations).  The Flower sculpture was a gift to the United Nations in 2000. It's petals actually open with the sunlight and close when it sets.

All in all it was a great first day. My legs are shot, I feel like I did when I walked around NYC all day.

I got back to my room around dusk. I was exhausted and I didn't want to walk anymore. It was hot and muggy out, but it felt great to wear a tanktop and soak up some sunshine!

Tomorrow should be a good day. Can't wait!