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We slept all night like babies. There was a big terrible thunderstorm through Buenos Aires last night. We didn't hear any complaints from the folks that bused out to the Tango Show last night though. The only negative comment we heard about it was how late they were out. I suspect the overnight flight had the most to do with that complaint though. We saw lots of tree branches down today though as remnants of last night's storm. I think it only made us sleep better.
We slept all night like babies. There was a big terrible thunderstorm through Buenos Aires last night. We didn't hear any complaints from the folks that bused out to the Tango Show last night though. The only negative comment we heard about it was how late they were out. I suspect the overnight flight had the most to do with that complaint though. We saw lots of tree branches down today though as remnants of last night's storm. I think it only made us sleep better.
We were up before the alarm clock went off this morning and off to buffet breakfast. I had cherries, coffee, a piece of bacon and 3 small pancakes with dulce de leche on them. I am not sure what Clay had but I remember a pile of bacon, sausages and potatoes. I think he wanted to get eggs cooked to order but there was a long line that was moving very slowly for that and it did not seem like a good idea, so he didn't. The meeting was one of our tour directors with a microphone hollering over restaurant noise in a room too small to seat us all. Kind of a circus. The good news is that they delivered letters to our rooms while we slept that contained all the information that we needed.
We got assigned the last flight of our group's 3 flights. Lucky! The first 2 groups will get a tour to the Park at the end of the world tomorrow in Ushuaia. Since we arrive in the afternoon, we get our same tour on departure day since we’ll be the last flight again. It also means that while the first 2 return flights come back to the BA hotel, we will just stay at the EZE airport. They tell us we can still store a bag at the hotel and that they will return it to us at the airport on the 27th. So, that is the plan. Other things she told us were to buy postcards in Ushuaia if we want to mail them from Antarctica. She says that the one post office we visit in Antarctica often sells out. So that was good advice to have. The last advice was that we must have our checked luggage at or less than 33 pounds as it is strictly enforced. But that our carry-ons could actually number 2 and she had never had hers weighed. She claimed she routinely carried a 22"x14"x10" roll aboard plus her boots in the laundry bag from the hotel. Since we each have a much smaller and lighter carry-on bag plus my purse, we have put my boots in a laundry bag and that gives us 2 small bags each to carry on. She says that on the off chance we get some rule enforcers that we can just put our boots on and hand carry our shoes. That is the plan. Oh, they handed out cards for us to take to the H. Stern on the corner of the hotel to get a free charm. It has stars on 1 side and a bolas on the other. I asked and they said in Rio they have a silhouette of Sugarloaf. I will have to check mine when I get home! Well, I haven't found it, if I got one. I did find small boxes with 3 native stones in each instead of a charm from Rio. But, I did find one from Manaus and it has a lilypad!
Our checked bags have to be out in the hall tonight at 10pm. We are supposed to leave our stored bag just inside the room's door when we leave tomorrow. We are supposed to report to the Grand Hall at 5:15am for coffee, tea and to pick up our snack packs. We can eat the snack packs at the airport or on the plane, but they say if we arrive with any of the food at Ushuaia airport that it will be confiscated. They say the import of fresh food to Ushuaia is restricted. Who knew?
At 6am we depart the hotel on a bus. Our flight is AR1896 at 8:35 from EZE. We are scheduled to arrive in Ushuaia at 12:10pm. We embark Le Boreal at 4:30 pm and we set sail at 6pm.
Today at 9am we set out on about 5-6 buses on a city tour that lasted until 1pm. It drove us through BA’s barrios or neighborhoods. We went from the city center’s grand public buildings to the parks of Palermo, Plaza de Mayo, and Puerto Madero, to San Telmo and La Boca, we saw the Casa Rosada and Recoleta Cemetery. It was a speedy look at the high points and a good refresher for us. We got helado at Plaza de Mayo.
From 1-5 pm we had to provide our baggage plans and get our specialized tags. By 1:30 we went out to walk to the Teatro Colon. It was covered with scaffolding when we were here in 2008. The cost was $110Argentine per person for us as foreigners. It was about an hour-long guided tour. It was as amazing as any other opera house tour we have ever done. Glorious!
On the walk back we stopped at another locally recommended restaurant called La Chacra. We still don't know what that word means. Okay, I have Googled it since we got home and it means a small farm. I guess that makes sense. The place had a stuffed cow out front. Inside, the walls were lined with stuffed animals. There was a stuffed and saddled horse right inside the door. It had a little ladder behind it and it was very popular with the waiters and local diners and tourists alike. You know what is coming, right? It was very good food, similar though different than yesterday. It was about twice the price.
On the walk back we found a synagogue. Interesting. What is the story with the live long and prosper, Vulcan hands?
We also stopped for another ice cream since we had passed a Freddo shop. That is what we had last time here. It was good. Better than this morning's.
We got back to the room about 5pm. We are in for the evening. Clay went down to use the treadmill again this evening. I am typing and packing. I will go for now. Tomorrow we sail! Antarctica here we come!
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