Our Last Days in Buenos Aires

Posted on March 8, 2012 by travelbynatasha

We were boarding the ship on day 4 in Buenos Aires so we took advantage of the free internet at the hotel before checking out.   Anyone that has cruised before knows that internet access is expensive on board (obviously a real money-maker for the cruise lines) and often erratic.  We ate lunch on the Puerto Madera waterfront one more time, this meal visiting a Brazilian style restaurant, Rodizio.  There is a salad bar and side dishes, but the focus is on the wide variety of meats which are brought to you and carved table-side .  You must come hungry.  There are several restaurants like this in Houston now, but we loved the Argentine beef and wanted to take full advantage of it while we were still in port.  Love meat?  (I am raising my Texas-bred hand)  There were nine meat offerings-I had to stop at 5.  I did somehow find room for the dessert pancake with dulce de leche  (a wonderful caramel filling my sister-in-law introduced me to) inside.

We were sailing from the new cruise terminal, still unfinished when we were there.  You check in at one building and then are transported by bus to the ship.  This is not such a big deal when you are getting on and then sailing shortly after.  However if you are staying in port a couple of days, the transfer back and forth to the terminal takes up valuable touring time.

Photo©Jean Janssen

On day 5 in Buenos Aires, after the shuttle to the terminal we took a cab to the barrio of La Boca, passing the large soccer stadium.  I grew up on Texas football, but soccer (football outside the USA) is extremely popular in South America and the stadium was listed as a tourist attraction.  During my lifetime, I have seen the popularity of soccer grow exponentially in the United States.  They are building a huge soccer stadium in Houston right now (78 days until the opening) and the Houston Dynamos are currently our most successful professional sports team.

some of the painted houses of La Boca
Photo©Jean Janssen

La Boca is a rough area of the city and I recommend visiting during the day.  We were there to see the painted houses on and around El Carninito (meaning little pathway).  This traditional alley is a street museum.  In the 1880s the Spanish and Italian immigrants who lived in this area used paint left over from the shipping barges to color their metal houses.  Tourists and photographers flock here now. I took a lot of pictures and Boris enjoyed the shopping.  It is tourist pricing, so you can certainly do better elsewhere.  However, it was convenient.  I bought a pair of short boots made from the skin of an animal that looked like a very large rat.  They are trimmed in leather and are amazingly soft.  Animal skin/leather of an infinite variety is found in Argentina. Budget accordingly.

traditional grill in La Boca
Photo©Jean Janssen

We were there too early, but if you time it right La Boca is a wonderful place to have lunch at a sidewalk cafe, many featuring a free tango show.  It is also a great stop to try the traditional Argentine bar-b-que.

Apparently Boris wanted to get his shopping in that day because after La Boca, we took a cab back to the central part of the city where Florida street begins.  This is the main pedestrian shopping street in Buenos Aires and is closed to vehicles.  People were still on holiday and the street was packed.  I found it was wonderful shoe shopping, not surprising given the high quality leather available in the area.  We stopped at had a light lunch in a historic Buenos Aires cafe, Cafe Richmond, on Florida.  The traditional cafe was very large and had a glassed-in smoking area in the back.  I had expected to find lots of smokers in Buenos Aires, but did not.  We were glad we went while we had the chance.  It was announced in September that the cafe was closing to make way for a Nike store.

Galerias Pacifico
Photo©Jean Janssen

At the end of Florida street is Galerias Pacifico, a beautiful building in the French style built in 1889.  The economic crisis on the 1890’s meant part was sold for offices and the building was also later used as a train station.  The cupola, with its mural paintings, was completed in 1945 and restored in 1992.  Due to the season, a very tall Christmas tree was under the murals adding to the beauty of the setting.

a photo with the three wise men
Photo©Jean Janssen

Under the Christmas Tree, you could get your picture taken with the 3 wise men (much like the photos with Santa available in our American malls).  I was impressed at how the country retains the religious meaning of the holiday.  The decorations found throughout the city were simple and mostly based on a religious theme.  Inspiring!  The decorating had a much less commercial and secular feel than I find at home.

Oh did I mention that Galerias Pacifico is currently a mall?  We were only here for the views; the shopping is very expensive.

Galerias Pacifico
Photo©Jean Janssen

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Time to Tango

Posted on February 27, 2012 by travelbynatasha

Evita Museum in the barrio of Palermo
Photo©Jean Janssen

January 1 started out as our least exciting day in Buenos Aires.  (It would end with one of our highlights.)  A holiday and the morning after much celebration, things were closed.  We started the day headed to Plaza Italia in Palermo in the hope that we could enjoy the park-the zoo, Botanical Gardens, Japanese garden, and the Eva Peron museum were all closed.  However, the plaza was very busy; a road rally across South America was starting that day.  We did not realize they were leaving from Avenue Sarmiento (which was closed to traffic), although several of the teams were staying in our hotel and we spoke to a few on the elevator.  The rally was very popular and lots of Portenos were there to see all the vehicles and the rally start.

Metro Stop at Plaza Italia
Photo©Jean Janssen

Palermo is the largest neighborhood in Buenos Aires, incorporating several barrios, and the Metro stop at Plaza Italia has been declared a national monument.

We went back to the Puerto Madero waterfront for lunch.  We got in some pool time in the afternoon before getting dressed for the Tango Show.

Our show venue-the historic Chanta Cuatro Restaurant
Photo©Jean Janssen

There are lots of options for tango shows in Buenos Aires and it is worth doing some internet research to determine what you are looking for-an intimate setting, a large-scale show, traditional tango, or a show that includes other entertainers.  Boris made the final call for us and we opted to go to the Carlos Gardel Tango Show.  Many of the shows include a hotel pick-up and dinner in the price.  Our driver arrived at our hotel late and then could not find our reservation.  Fortunately, Boris had our confirmation and they found us a seat in a booth in the side section.  Boris was not happy about the location, but I rather liked the private setting and thought our view was great.  Those seated in the center of room sat in long rows.  There was also balcony seating.  The food was wonderful.

The show itself featured singers and dancers of all ages.  Some of the dances were comedic, some contemporary tango, and most were traditional.  You must see a tango show while in Buenos Aires.  You will be inspired to learn.  It was certainly the highlight of the day and the perfect way for us to start off the new year.

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A Cemetery and Fireworks

Posted on February 24, 2012 by travelbynatasha

After lunch on the plaza, we went by cab from San Telmo to Recoleta, transferring Buenos Aires’ barrios as the portenos had done in response to a yellow fever epidemic.  Well, the portenos did not include the cab part.  (The inhabitants of Buenos Aires are called portenos or people from the port.)

Photo©Jean Janssen  In the Recoleta cemetery, Buenos Aires, Argentina

In Recoleta we visited Buenos Aires’ top tourist attraction, Cementerio De La Recoleta.  A cemetery as the top tourist attraction?  Take a look at the photographs and you will see why.  I took more pictures there than anywhere else in the city.  Boris and Rocky got so tired of waiting for me, they planted themselves in the center until I finished.  To be honest, I wasn’t finished; Because they were done touring, I just stopped taking pictures.

I have been to the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris (“reputed to be the world’s most visited cemetery”) in the winter, complete with black crows and mist.  But visiting the Recoleta cemetery in the summer in the bright sunshine, one got a completely different feel.  The crypts are tightly packed in and there is very little green space, but the beauty and variety is astonishing.  You could wander in here for days.

Photo©Jean Janssen Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires

Most head straight to the Duarte crypt to see Eva Peron’s final resting place.  There was a long line which Boris stood in.  I followed a tour guide around the other side and got a shot of Boris by the crypt without the long wait.  I was far more intrigued by the detail on the other mausoleums.

Photo©Jean Janssen

Photo©Jean Janssen

Photo©Jean Janssen

We also took the time to visit the cemetery church, with its beautiful wood split panel doors.  Surrounding the cemetery on three sides were large plazas.  Knowing the tourists would come, craft market booths were lined up along the pathways.  Boris got a working telephone modeled after the original phones designed to be mounted on the wall.  (Since our return, the phone has worked intermittently.)  I was enticed by a hand-knitted poncho with a flower closure.

Recoleta is a very upscale barrio.  The shopping is wonderful and very expensive (unless you stick to the craft market and bargain).  There are also lots of sidewalk cafes catering to tourists.

On the way back to the hotel we passed by Plaza San Martin and the English clock tower (Torre Monument) in the barrio of Retiro.

This is the part of the blog where I vent.  (Husbands beware!)  Boris had certain dining spots he did not want to miss in Buenos Aires, all good choices by the way.  So, he made reservations for every night we were in Buenos Aires except New Years Eve, probably the only night we absolutely had to have them.  Don’t get me started.  The concierge wanted to laugh at us when we asked about availability.  We ended up ordering pizza and cheap champagne (cheap as in quality, not price) from room service which was backed up for over an hour and a half.  I took a bubble bath while I waited for the food and drinks to arrive.

The saving grace was the location of our hotel.  Our room was on one of the upper floors and the fireworks were shot over the waterway outside our hotel window.  Warm and toasty from my bubble bath (and still pretty mad), I pouted and decided to stay inside.  Good call.  The fireworks exploded literally outside our window.  It was an amazing sight. We saw others in the distant sky and still more reflected on the glass of the building across the street. Don’t tell Boris, but it ended up to be a fabulous evening.  Rocky and I enjoyed the fireworks and were able to just crawl into bed afterwards.  Boris missed them-he was long asleep, having enjoyed his champagne and worn out from being yelled at.

Puerto Madera waterfront the next morning
Photo©Jean Janssen

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“Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”

Posted on February 23, 2012 by travelbynatasha

Day Two (New Years’ Eve) in Buenos Aires found us with time to explore.  From our hotel in Puerto Madera, it was an easy walk over the bridge to the Government House, commonly known as Casa Rosada.  (Yes, it is pink.)  The front of the building faces the sea.  When constructed it was on the waterfront, but now Puerto Madera lies between it and the water.  This part of the building is under construction and is fenced off.  It is the other side of the building which is perhaps more famous.

Natasha in front of Evita’s balcony
Photo©Theodore F. Crane

Evita’s balcony is on the back side facing the Plaza de Mayo.  The Government building itself is gated so you can only get so close.  I was amazed at how much trash there was in the Plaza, actually everywhere in the city.  I wasn’t sure if it was the holidays so there hadn’t been normal trash collection or if this simply was how the city usually looked.

The Cathedral
Photo©Jean Janssen

Also along the plaza was the Catedral Metropolitana with its neoclassical columns.  I would never have guessed it was a church from the outside.   The most interesting spot inside was the tomb of General Jose de San Martin, an Argentine hero.  There was a large crowd of tourists taking pictures near the tomb, making it easy to visit the rest of the Cathedral uninterrupted.

Boris at Cafe Tortoni
Photo©Jean Janssen

Boris wanted to visit the Cabildo, the town council building, but it was closed for the holiday.  We walked down the lovely tree-lined Avenue de Mayo stuck our head into Cafe Tortoni, the oldest  and most famous cafe in the city.  It was packed with tourists.

Avenue de Mayo
Photo©Jean Janssen

Photo©Jean Janssen

We decided to head to the barrio (district) of San Telmo, once the premiere location in the city, until a yellow fever epidemic drove people to higher ground in Recoleta (another barrio of Buenos Aires).  Along the cobblestone streets, we saw a single family home with two bathrooms and one kitchen that had been converted into a tenement house for 23 poor families (about 100 people).  A private investor had purchased the property and restored it back to the original configuration.  It is unfurnished and is now used to host functions.

touring San Telmo
Photo©Jean Janssen

The rivers that intersect in San Telmo were on the bottom floor of the property.  They also filtered water into cisterns to hold fresh water up to one year, using turtles to eat the mold.  Later streets were built over the rivers.  We were able to walk through the old tunnels passing under several of the adjacent buildings.

Mercado San Telmo
Photo©Jean Janssen

The city’s antique shops are concentrated in this area of the city.  We went though the Mercado San Telmo which has been operating since 1887.  The building has a beautiful original glass ceiling-very french.

 Plaza Dorrego
Photo©Jean Janssen

We had lunch outside in Plaza Dorrego under the trees and umbrellas where Tango dancers performed for tips.  They were very good.  There was also a craft market on the Plaza where we found some wonderful handmade knives.

Photo©Jean Janssen  Iglesia Nuetra Denora de Belen

Our last stop in San Telmo was Iglesia Nuestra Senora de Belen, a former Jesuit school and later a Bethlemite church.  The church towers were remarkable.  We noted that like in the Cathedral, the stations of the cross were paintings, rather than the statues or carvings we are used to seeing in other churches.

Photo©Jean Janssen

The building next door was bricked in and had a prison plaque.

Photo©Jean Janssen  

On the walk to San Telmo, we passed through another section of the city Montserrat and visited the oldest church in the city, Iglesia San Ignacio de Loyola.  With its dedication to St. Ignatius, it is no surprise that it is a Jesuit church.

And this was just the first half of our day…

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Arriving in Argentina

Posted on February 20, 2012 by travelbynatasha

Just before the new year 2011, we took the overnight flight from Houston to Buenos Aires (10 1/2 hours).  Medication is a wonderful thing; I slept most of the way.  Be prepared, those entering Argentina do not queue.  The lines at immigration were horrific with everyone jockeying for position.  There is a $140 “reciprocity” fee for Americans (since we charge Argentines to enter the US).

reindeer topiary on the lobby elevators
Photo @Jean Janssen

We stayed at the Hilton on Puerto Madero.  This is the newest section of the city with the priciest real estate.  It is reclaimed land (which was once under water).  Much of Puerto Madero is covered by a nature preserve.  The Hilton is a wonderful hotel with a beautiful glass-front lobby which still contained a multi-story Christmas tree.  Each of the four glass elevators had a lit reindeer topiary on top.

Frequent travel has its privileges and we took advantage of Boris’ club membership in Hilton and had enjoyed complimentary use of the Lounge with free drinks, a buffet breakfast, evening cocktails and hors d’oeuvre.  The Lounge looks out on a wonderful (and popular) swimming pool on the 7th floor.  It was very windy which helped keep me cool.  (You will note that there are no pictures of me at the pool.)

Photo ©Jean Janssen  Dining at Cabana las Lilas

Our first night we had dinner on the Puerto Madero waterfront at Buenos Aires’ most famous parrilla, Cabana Las Lilas.  I found the food wonderful.  I am a Texas girl raised on a diet of meat, potatoes, and white bread, so I have eaten my share of beef.  I had what was perhaps the best rib eye I have ever had.  There was so much food.  The guidebook called it overpriced.  You certainly didn’t need to eat as much as we did, but none of the three adults in our party regretted any of the five courses and multiple bottles of wine we had for $200.

My sister-in-law is from Argentina and we were aware of their custom of eating late.  At most of Buenos Aires’ restaurants the first seating is at 8 pm and they really do not begin to fill up until about 10:30 pm.  Cabana Las Lilas was an exception.  There was a long wait for a table at 8pm if you didn’t have reservations.  We did and they seated us immediately.  Needless to say, we made up for the lack of food on the flight over.

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Who am I?

Posted on February 17, 2012 by travelbynatasha

@Theodore F. Crane

I am a retired attorney who loves to travel.  Several years ago I began working on a Century Club membership achieved by traveling to 100 countries.  Today, at 49 years of age the count is at 82.  Many were visited on land based trips.  Some were cruise ports.  Some were dive sites.  Most have been fascinating.

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Winter in South America

Posted on February 16, 2012 by travelbynatasha

Just west of Cape Horn

Snow birds may head to Florida, but why not South America during our winter when the southern hemisphere is enjoying its summer?  Ever been to Disney World in January or February and seen all the groups of Brazilian and Argentinian teens?  They are on their summer break.

I had never been to South America until January of 2011 when we visited Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile via cruise ship.  We enjoyed breathtaking scenery, partied with the penguins, and (almost) sailed around Cape Horn.

At a Chilean rookery
@Jean Janssen

It all started with a Tango in Buenos Aires where we spent five days before boarding the ship.

Buenos Aires
©Jean Janssen

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India in April

Posted on February 15, 2012 by travelbynatasha

Singapore Skyline

Continuing my quest to reach 100 foreign countries visited, we are going to India in April.  It will be the cruise approach, which hopefully will limit my health concerns.  I consider this a teaser trip.  If I love the taste of India, we will go back on a land based trip.  We will start out in Singapore, flying from Houston via Tokyo.  I have been to the airport in Singapore-easily the best airportin the world-many times, but have never ventured into the city.  We arrive around midnight and check in for a few hours before some local sight seeing.

Orchid Garden in the Singapore Airport

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Bonaire in March

Posted on February 13, 2012 by travelbynatasha

Next month I am off to Bonaire for scuba diving.  It has been over a year since I have been diving and I am excited and nervous at the same time.  (Which is the point of scuba diving in the first place.)  Bonaire is part of the ABC islands, of which Aruba is probably the most well know (thanks to Natalie Holloway).  I am what is known as a Princess Diver.  In other words, I can do it all myself but why if someone wants to do it for you.  Princess diving works best while boat diving with the guide and crew right there.  Bonaire is mostly shore diving, so we’ll be out on our own without an entourage.

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