Finally, we’re off!
We ‘Ubered’ (is that a verb now?) to PIT, breezed through check-in and security, and enjoyed an early lunch at Bar Symon.
Our route is PIT to Atlanta, then direct to Buenos Aires. The Atlanta leg was uneventful until we approached the airport for landing. Just feet from touchdown the pilot abruptly aborted and pulled off. We were told a warning light came on for the braking system and he would need to do another pass then land on a longer runway in case the brakes failed. After a 15-minute lap around Atlanta we landed – a little rough but ok. Before deplaning, there was a visual check to make sure the tires hadn’t blown out. Nice start!
After a 4-plus hour layover we board for our redeye to Buenos Aires. We had booked the two aisle seats hoping that no one would grab the middle. We weren’t that lucky though as it’s a full flight. A very nice woman was our seat mate and Dick swapped the middle with her so we could sit together. We arrived in Buenos Aires on time and made it through immigration/customs and baggage claim in less than an hour. Amazing. We are met by Florence (guide) and Ariel (driver) from ‘Say Hueque’, a local tourist firm, and arrive at our hotel at 9:30 am. We are staying in Palermo Soho, a very Bohemian neighborhood with lots of restaurants and nightlife. Fortunately, the room is ready and we have a couple of hours to freshen up and unpack before our city tour with Florence.
Florence and Ariel took us on a nice tour of the city including the high rent ‘La Recoleta’ barrio and ‘La Boca’ – home of the tango and corrugated tin houses used by early immigrants. Very cool. It’s a national holiday so things are quite lively. We also have our first taste of the official Argentina snack food (the empanada) – yummy. A real surprise was a tour of the lovely opera house whose acoustics are rated third in the world by M.I.T no less. It’s a beautiful building, reminding us of Heinz Hall inside. Florence took us to the ‘Plaza de Mayo’ where each week the ‘White Scarf of the Mothers’ march to protest the ‘disappearing’ of 30,000 people after a military coup in the mid 1970’s. A sad tale. The Casa Rosardo (Pink House) sits on the plaza and is the seat of government and the office of the President. Its famous balcony is where Juan and “Evita” Perón addressed the masses during the late 1940s and early 1950s.
One of the first tasks when landing in a foreign country is obtaining local currency. Normally, we withdrawal from bank ATM in the same network as our home bank. Good exchange rates, no extra fees. NOT in Argentina! ATMs there give the government mandated rate –196 pesos per USD now. Florence gives us a tutorial on how to work the underground peso exchange. The ‘real’ market for exchange is some 375 peso / USD. And, that’s what everybody uses! Pesos at that rate are known as ‘Blue Dollars’ and are exchanged on the street or at a clandestine financial house known as a ‘cueva’. Big, big difference. Unregulated, illegal, but tolerated. Florence took us to a “Blue Dollar” booth at one of the La Boca markets. It’s right next to the public bathrooms. Gotta love it.
At the end of our touring day, Florence & drop us at the ‘Miravida Soho Hotel & Wine Bar’ for a wine tasting and snacks. There were 8 of us at the tasting (all Gringos) and an enthusiastic sommelier. A great way to finish the day. It was a good one, but very busy and, suffice it to say, we were tired and ready for bed.
