I wasn't sure how four months in South America would go. Would it feel too long, too short, or just right? Every trip has its ups and downs and for the most part it's been fantastic. Granted, I don't write about everything. When things aren't always 'rainbows and cotton-candy' I try to look for the 'travel brochure' spin to the story. Fortunately there haven't been too many of those times.
Today's post, on the other hand, required a fair bit of editing. A brief(er) moment, if you will...
It's easy to feel a bit sorry for yourself when you're sick at home in the comfort of your own bed. I don't have a bed today since I had to check out of the hostel and can't get on the boat until later this afternoon. I have basically been forced out to wander around aimlessly with suspect equilibrium, aided only recently by newly purchased decongestants. I managed to go from coffee shop to coffee shop but it's not the same. I really just want to be miserable in my own bed today and sleep this cold away. Wah!!!
Okay, I'm done whining now...
Even if I'm sick, I'm still about to embark in the adventure of a lifetime...within THIS adventure of a lifetime. How lucky am I?!?! There ya go...THERE'S the travel brochure spin! ;o)
As I walked down the streets today or sat among tourists in cafes, I've been attentively looking at people's faces. Somewhere in the crowds are about 75-100 fellow passengers out there also anxiously waiting to board the "Antarctic Dream". Will I see that stranger again on the ship?
I've been wondering what my new travel-mates will be like. Who are these people who share this desire to see the white continent? Will they stick to themselves or be welcoming and chatty? Will they be stuffy or down-to-earth? Will they want to borrow my penguin suit?!
I am always amazed at how anonymous everyone seems at the beginning of tours. I'm definitely going to take note of that "before feeling" I get this afternoon before the ice-breaks (Oh! Ha! I crack me up!). It's always so different to the way things are at the end of the trip. I'm really looking forward to meeting these new people!
And a list of things I'm also looking forward to includes:
-seeing and hearing the whales
-walking with the penguins in my penguin suit
-swimming at Deception Island
-not having a heart-attack while doing the polar dip (which apparently I can't not do...)
-visiting my 7th continent!
Bonus:
-seeing the Aurora Australis...that would be AMAZING!!!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Watch this space...
The Antarctic Dream sets sail from Ushuaia on February 25th and returns on March 6th.
I will take lots of pictures and write about it all. I will post my latest entries when I'm back in Buenos Aires. Until then...
I will take lots of pictures and write about it all. I will post my latest entries when I'm back in Buenos Aires. Until then...
The Antarctic Dream
I boarded the "Antarctic Dream" a little apprehensively. It's both exciting and daunting to be going on this journey. I think it's fair to appreciate that I'm going somewhere very inhospitable - Antarctica is the coldest, driest, highest and windiest place in the world. This is not an everyday journey and I am headed somewhere really special.
The Antarctic Dream:
They boarded us around 16h30. Over the next hour or so 70 others arrived, depending on when their shuttle bus arrived. I sat at an empty table and it wasn't too long before a couple of ladies traveling on their own joined me. It turned out that one of them, Jemma, was my new roommate.
They showed us to our rooms - simple but nice and clean with our very own porthole!
Then we had some time to settle in before we had the mandatory evacuation drill. In light of the recent Italian ship disaster, this was very much appreciated. It was good to know what the alarm sounded like, which lifeboat I was supposed to go to and to try on my life jacket ahead of time since straps are much better adjusted when not in a panic!
It was only after we'd settled back in to the dining area for a glass of champagne (nice touch!) and a welcome from the staff that we actually started to sail away from Ushuaia. Wow...next stop Antarctica!
The Antarctic Dream:
They boarded us around 16h30. Over the next hour or so 70 others arrived, depending on when their shuttle bus arrived. I sat at an empty table and it wasn't too long before a couple of ladies traveling on their own joined me. It turned out that one of them, Jemma, was my new roommate.
They showed us to our rooms - simple but nice and clean with our very own porthole!
Then we had some time to settle in before we had the mandatory evacuation drill. In light of the recent Italian ship disaster, this was very much appreciated. It was good to know what the alarm sounded like, which lifeboat I was supposed to go to and to try on my life jacket ahead of time since straps are much better adjusted when not in a panic!
It was only after we'd settled back in to the dining area for a glass of champagne (nice touch!) and a welcome from the staff that we actually started to sail away from Ushuaia. Wow...next stop Antarctica!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Martial Glacier
One thing I still had left to do in Ushuaia was to go and see the glacier, Glaciar Martial. It looms over the town and makes for an amazing backdrop in any photo of the town.
It was easy enough to get to. A 30$ cab ride and a 50$ chairlift took me as close as I could get without walking (although I should have walked up the hill, it really wasn't far).
View from the chairlift looking back to town:
The next bit was up to me. I got lucky with the weather and it wasn't overly windy. That would have been awful on the chairlift. As it was, the visibility was pretty good and in a place where the weather changes every few minutes, I am grateful that for the hour and a half that I was there hiking up and down, I had sunny skies and only a slight breeze.
View of the neighbouring mountains on the hike up:
I didn't go all the way up as there was snow covering part of the path and the ranger was turning people back. I went as far as I wanted to anyway which was just to peek around the last little corner...you never know what's hiding around it!
Me, as far as I went. People above me being told to turn around:
I wandered back down the hill to get some exercise and I honestly couldnt be bothered waiting to call for a taxi. I stopped for lunch at a fancy, and oddly empty, hotel to recharge my batteries and get clarity on where the path was. If the guy hadn't seemed so convincing I would have been suspicious as the trail was a bit tricky to follow in places. Thank goodness for the yellow stripes painted on the trees.
It didn't take long to get back into town and I headed back to the hostel for a rest. This cold is gaining strength. Hmmm. Later I wandered around a bit more, had a nice homemade salad back at the hostel and caught up some emails. I'm about to be cut off for nearly two weeks. Gasp...whatever will I do?! ;o)
It was easy enough to get to. A 30$ cab ride and a 50$ chairlift took me as close as I could get without walking (although I should have walked up the hill, it really wasn't far).
View from the chairlift looking back to town:
The next bit was up to me. I got lucky with the weather and it wasn't overly windy. That would have been awful on the chairlift. As it was, the visibility was pretty good and in a place where the weather changes every few minutes, I am grateful that for the hour and a half that I was there hiking up and down, I had sunny skies and only a slight breeze.
View of the neighbouring mountains on the hike up:
I didn't go all the way up as there was snow covering part of the path and the ranger was turning people back. I went as far as I wanted to anyway which was just to peek around the last little corner...you never know what's hiding around it!
Me, as far as I went. People above me being told to turn around:
I wandered back down the hill to get some exercise and I honestly couldnt be bothered waiting to call for a taxi. I stopped for lunch at a fancy, and oddly empty, hotel to recharge my batteries and get clarity on where the path was. If the guy hadn't seemed so convincing I would have been suspicious as the trail was a bit tricky to follow in places. Thank goodness for the yellow stripes painted on the trees.
It didn't take long to get back into town and I headed back to the hostel for a rest. This cold is gaining strength. Hmmm. Later I wandered around a bit more, had a nice homemade salad back at the hostel and caught up some emails. I'm about to be cut off for nearly two weeks. Gasp...whatever will I do?! ;o)
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Jail bird
To mooch. To faff. To be a right lazy bum! That's what was on the itinerary for today! Just as well, I'm getting a sore throat and I simply do not have time to be sick, thank you very much!
After taking full advantage of a late checkout from Hotel Alto Andino and dropping off some clothes at the lavadero (clean clothes...what a treat they'll be!) I wandered the two blocks downhill to Saint Martin, the main drag.
View from the hotel of the facing mountains:
When I checked in to the hotel on Tuesday they gave me a promotional package to a jewellery store. I nearly threw it out except I saw the words "free gift" and I looked more closely. Indeed all I had to do was go to their shop and collect my gift. It's worthy of mention because it happens to be a penguin pendant! How appropriate for "Operation Penguin"!
A penguin mural in downtown Ushuaia:
I'd heard the Maritime museum in the old prison was worthwhile seeing so I wandered there next. I enjoyed the first part the most as it had displays of maps from the 17th century onwards. I'm fascinated by old maps because they depict the world as they knew it at the time (before space stations!). They're inevitably wrong but often impressively close.
One of the prison wings in the museum:
There were different displays in each wing of the prison on two levels. One displayed local art, one was an Antarctic exhibit, one was on the history of Ushuaia and one was on the history of the prison. It was really interesting but as with most museum visits, I have a limit and then my eyes glaze over.
Fortunately, just as I was hitting my limit, Paul and Allison (from the tour yesterday) showed up and we went and had a coffee in the central pavilion of the prison, as you do. It was time for a break as I hadn't had lunch and was feeling woozy.
I pushed myself a little bit more and went to see the Yámana museum. The Yámana people were the aboriginals of the area, having settled here around 7000 years ago. It makes sense when you think about it - this was the last corner of the earth to be populated by man. It's a long way overland from Africa!
Worth mentioning is that these people braved the conditions here naked, save a loin cloth! It was explained that because they were nomadic, they were always building new homes and these homes weren't waterproof. Any clothes they would have worn would have always been wet, never drying and uncomfortable. They came to prefer the oils from their own bodies and those from whales or seals to protect them. Wow! And here I go and buy a hoodie and another pair of gloves! I'm such a baby!
One of the buildings off the main street with late afternoon lighting:
After taking full advantage of a late checkout from Hotel Alto Andino and dropping off some clothes at the lavadero (clean clothes...what a treat they'll be!) I wandered the two blocks downhill to Saint Martin, the main drag.
View from the hotel of the facing mountains:
When I checked in to the hotel on Tuesday they gave me a promotional package to a jewellery store. I nearly threw it out except I saw the words "free gift" and I looked more closely. Indeed all I had to do was go to their shop and collect my gift. It's worthy of mention because it happens to be a penguin pendant! How appropriate for "Operation Penguin"!
A penguin mural in downtown Ushuaia:
I'd heard the Maritime museum in the old prison was worthwhile seeing so I wandered there next. I enjoyed the first part the most as it had displays of maps from the 17th century onwards. I'm fascinated by old maps because they depict the world as they knew it at the time (before space stations!). They're inevitably wrong but often impressively close.
One of the prison wings in the museum:
There were different displays in each wing of the prison on two levels. One displayed local art, one was an Antarctic exhibit, one was on the history of Ushuaia and one was on the history of the prison. It was really interesting but as with most museum visits, I have a limit and then my eyes glaze over.
Fortunately, just as I was hitting my limit, Paul and Allison (from the tour yesterday) showed up and we went and had a coffee in the central pavilion of the prison, as you do. It was time for a break as I hadn't had lunch and was feeling woozy.
I pushed myself a little bit more and went to see the Yámana museum. The Yámana people were the aboriginals of the area, having settled here around 7000 years ago. It makes sense when you think about it - this was the last corner of the earth to be populated by man. It's a long way overland from Africa!
Worth mentioning is that these people braved the conditions here naked, save a loin cloth! It was explained that because they were nomadic, they were always building new homes and these homes weren't waterproof. Any clothes they would have worn would have always been wet, never drying and uncomfortable. They came to prefer the oils from their own bodies and those from whales or seals to protect them. Wow! And here I go and buy a hoodie and another pair of gloves! I'm such a baby!
One of the buildings off the main street with late afternoon lighting:
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Land of fire
I was certainly in need of my morning coffee when the bus picked me up at 8:40. I'm really of the opinion that alarms should never be set on a real holiday. That said, the lure of a guided tour of Tierra del Fuego was enough to justify the early start.
I was half asleep on the bus as we picked up people at their hotels. By the time we were done there were eleven of us headed in to Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego - the land of fire. It was a very short drive, less than 10km I believe, west of town to the national park.
The tour was designed with a 3 1/2 hour walk along the shores of Bahia Ensenada, followed by lunch and then an hour canoe trip to Bahia Lapataia.
The walk was lovely. Each little cove was equally beautiful and the forest was so pretty with many different kinds of vegetation. I would have taken more pictures but despite checking my battery the night before, it flashed the red "I'm dying" signal about an hour into the walk. Doh! It lied to me last night! At least I got a few shots early on and then I used up what was left at the end.
We experienced every kind of weather on the walk from sun, to gale winds, to rain, to snow. The sky opened up just as we sat down for lunch in a tent at the campground. Red wine, bread and cheese, hot chicken napoleana and brownies! Yum.
They got us into our wellies and rain pants after lunch...just before they told us another tour group cancelled their canoeing because of the winds! Our guides suggested going anyway but from a different launch point that would make it shorter. We all agreed we were game for that option.
It was perfectly safe it was just super cold. The winds were fierce and we paddled twice as far as we needed to as our 'steerers' needed some practice! Once we were cold we were cold and at that point it just became fun (kinda like with the spray snow the other night!)
After the canoe tour they drove us to the end of the road...literally. The end of most southerly road in the world.
I was half asleep on the bus as we picked up people at their hotels. By the time we were done there were eleven of us headed in to Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego - the land of fire. It was a very short drive, less than 10km I believe, west of town to the national park.
The tour was designed with a 3 1/2 hour walk along the shores of Bahia Ensenada, followed by lunch and then an hour canoe trip to Bahia Lapataia.
The walk was lovely. Each little cove was equally beautiful and the forest was so pretty with many different kinds of vegetation. I would have taken more pictures but despite checking my battery the night before, it flashed the red "I'm dying" signal about an hour into the walk. Doh! It lied to me last night! At least I got a few shots early on and then I used up what was left at the end.
We experienced every kind of weather on the walk from sun, to gale winds, to rain, to snow. The sky opened up just as we sat down for lunch in a tent at the campground. Red wine, bread and cheese, hot chicken napoleana and brownies! Yum.
They got us into our wellies and rain pants after lunch...just before they told us another tour group cancelled their canoeing because of the winds! Our guides suggested going anyway but from a different launch point that would make it shorter. We all agreed we were game for that option.
It was perfectly safe it was just super cold. The winds were fierce and we paddled twice as far as we needed to as our 'steerers' needed some practice! Once we were cold we were cold and at that point it just became fun (kinda like with the spray snow the other night!)
After the canoe tour they drove us to the end of the road...literally. The end of most southerly road in the world.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
54.5S
Carmen from Wanderlust Travel met me in the lobby of Hotel Babel at 9AM for my airport transfer. I have to say the tour package I signed up for is proving to be quite nice! They're taking good care of me and limiting the amount I need to think. It's nice to be taken care of from time to time.
It's a three and a half hour flight to Ushuaia from Buenos Aires. I had hoped to sleep on the plane but no such luck. Maybe I was too excited to arrive in Ushuaia, the world's most southerly city?
When I went to New Zealand in 2002, I made it as far south as I could there, to 45' south. It's amazing to think that I'm now at 54.5 degrees and in a few days will be even MORE south!
I arrived at the 'end of the world' and instantly had to accept that summer's over for a while! Brrrr! Out came the long johns, fleece and my ever faithful toque (how I do love that word!). I felt like hibernating but forced myself out for a walk along San Martin, the main shopping strip in town.
I got my bearings and made plans for the next day. I was going to stay at the posh hotel one more night and go on a tour into the Tierra del Fuego national park. I was eager to get out and do some hiking.
I had to think hard about how long I had here before the cruise started. It worked out to three full and two half days here. There were times throughout the day, particularly when I felt the cold, that I wished I was back in Buenos Aires tango dancing. Why had I booked my flight on the 21st and not the 23rd?!
As I had dinner on the fourth floor of my hotel, I looked out at the view of the harbour at sunset.
There were ships at the docks, a vast expanse of chilly waters leading to the Atlantic to the left and the Pacific to the right, and snow-capped mountains in the distance. It was then that it really hit me and I had a heightened awareness of how far away from home I am and what a truly special place I am in!
It's a three and a half hour flight to Ushuaia from Buenos Aires. I had hoped to sleep on the plane but no such luck. Maybe I was too excited to arrive in Ushuaia, the world's most southerly city?
When I went to New Zealand in 2002, I made it as far south as I could there, to 45' south. It's amazing to think that I'm now at 54.5 degrees and in a few days will be even MORE south!
I arrived at the 'end of the world' and instantly had to accept that summer's over for a while! Brrrr! Out came the long johns, fleece and my ever faithful toque (how I do love that word!). I felt like hibernating but forced myself out for a walk along San Martin, the main shopping strip in town.
I got my bearings and made plans for the next day. I was going to stay at the posh hotel one more night and go on a tour into the Tierra del Fuego national park. I was eager to get out and do some hiking.
I had to think hard about how long I had here before the cruise started. It worked out to three full and two half days here. There were times throughout the day, particularly when I felt the cold, that I wished I was back in Buenos Aires tango dancing. Why had I booked my flight on the 21st and not the 23rd?!
As I had dinner on the fourth floor of my hotel, I looked out at the view of the harbour at sunset.
There were ships at the docks, a vast expanse of chilly waters leading to the Atlantic to the left and the Pacific to the right, and snow-capped mountains in the distance. It was then that it really hit me and I had a heightened awareness of how far away from home I am and what a truly special place I am in!
Carnavale craziness
Today was my last tango lesson from the package that I got through the school. I hoped it would go better than the last lesson. Thank goodness it was.
It helped that the teacher was Pablo, one of Margaret's favourites and I see why. He's an excellent lead and picky on technique (in a good way), not to mention easy on the eyes! I managed to follow him and the other men in the class and felt great. THAT's how it's supposed to go, where I can close my eyes and relax and listen to the music. I even got taught a few new kicks and turns that made it even more fun. I still have lots to learn but I finished this session with a smile.
Margaret and I had dinner in San Telmo since she'd stayed there when she first arrived and knew of a good restaurant. We met at 20:30 at Origen. That's early for Argentina but apparently not for that restaurant. We managed to sneak in our order before the kitchen closed and we had to be done eating by 21h. Odd, but it was SO good that we didn't mind.
That gave us more time to go and check out the carnavale festivities I'd heard we're happening nearby on San Juan.
The 'before' shot:
We wandered through the crowds to get a view of the bands and got 'snowed' several times. It turns out you can't just watch the performers, you have to participate in the shenanigans! It boiled down to "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em".
In many spots there were people selling cans of spray snow, 1 for 10$, 2 for 18$. I have no idea what is really in the cans but it's odourless, not slimy and Margaret confirmed that it doesn't taste like much. In any case, these aerosol cans can't be good for the environment. We tried to ignore that fact and bought five cans between the two of us.
We began slowly, only retaliating when attacked. That strategy changed in short order and we too began attacking unprovoked. Our main opponents were groups of teenaged boys. Occasionally 'big kids' (adults if you will) and very young children would point their cans at us and spray too. Everyone had a mischievous grin and without fail, whenever I would burst out laughing I'd get a burst of the snow in my face. Bad form boys and girls! Argh!
By the end of the evening my eyes were so raw from the foam and my cheeks were sore from laughing. There's nothing like bonding with the locals while acting like a child and wreaking havoc waging a snow-in-a-can war! That's the stuff memories are made of!!!
We were quite the sight when we showed up at the hotel!
The 'after' shot:
Despite our alarming appearance, Mariano let us in and even got us some towels to dry off. We sat in the courtyard and he poured us the first of a couple of glasses of wine. We had a nice time just hanging out and both Margaret and I commented on how much fun we'd had. All good!
It helped that the teacher was Pablo, one of Margaret's favourites and I see why. He's an excellent lead and picky on technique (in a good way), not to mention easy on the eyes! I managed to follow him and the other men in the class and felt great. THAT's how it's supposed to go, where I can close my eyes and relax and listen to the music. I even got taught a few new kicks and turns that made it even more fun. I still have lots to learn but I finished this session with a smile.
Margaret and I had dinner in San Telmo since she'd stayed there when she first arrived and knew of a good restaurant. We met at 20:30 at Origen. That's early for Argentina but apparently not for that restaurant. We managed to sneak in our order before the kitchen closed and we had to be done eating by 21h. Odd, but it was SO good that we didn't mind.
That gave us more time to go and check out the carnavale festivities I'd heard we're happening nearby on San Juan.
The 'before' shot:
We wandered through the crowds to get a view of the bands and got 'snowed' several times. It turns out you can't just watch the performers, you have to participate in the shenanigans! It boiled down to "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em".
In many spots there were people selling cans of spray snow, 1 for 10$, 2 for 18$. I have no idea what is really in the cans but it's odourless, not slimy and Margaret confirmed that it doesn't taste like much. In any case, these aerosol cans can't be good for the environment. We tried to ignore that fact and bought five cans between the two of us.
We began slowly, only retaliating when attacked. That strategy changed in short order and we too began attacking unprovoked. Our main opponents were groups of teenaged boys. Occasionally 'big kids' (adults if you will) and very young children would point their cans at us and spray too. Everyone had a mischievous grin and without fail, whenever I would burst out laughing I'd get a burst of the snow in my face. Bad form boys and girls! Argh!
By the end of the evening my eyes were so raw from the foam and my cheeks were sore from laughing. There's nothing like bonding with the locals while acting like a child and wreaking havoc waging a snow-in-a-can war! That's the stuff memories are made of!!!
We were quite the sight when we showed up at the hotel!
The 'after' shot:
Despite our alarming appearance, Mariano let us in and even got us some towels to dry off. We sat in the courtyard and he poured us the first of a couple of glasses of wine. We had a nice time just hanging out and both Margaret and I commented on how much fun we'd had. All good!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
The wheels on the bus go round and round
My week is up. Matu was a lovely hostess and Lula was a sweet dog. It was an interesting experience to stay in a 'homestay'. Not only was it the cheaper option but it also gave me further insight into the daily life of Argentinians. I said goodbye to Matu and Lula this morning when the taxi showed up to drive me to my new hotel, the Babel Hotel, as recommended by my friend Steve.
The hotel is a brilliant lavender colour - hilarious. It is a funky boutiquey hotel and very 'gezellig'! Here's the view from my room:
Mariano is the name of the concierge and my check-in probably took an hour! We talked about this and that mostly in Spanish - I did good. Now that school is done I just have to push myself to try speaking more and more. Mariano's a very sweet kid and I hope to chat with him more tomorrow. Apparently he tango dances and heaven knows I need a partner with a sense of humour!
I walked past the city tour bus stop around 13h and decided I needed to fuel up. The lines were terrible (those bloody tourists are everywhere!!!) and I was feeling a bit hungry. I wandered through the cobbled streets of San Telmo and happened upon several markets. Apparently Defenisa street is THE place to be on a Sunday. Very cute. After this morning's workout (aka packing attempts) however, I forbade myself from buying anything!
The Sunday market on Defensia:
Many major cities I've been to have the hop-on-hop-off buses. Megan and I did one in Barcelona most recently. They're a good way to get around. I mainly use them for reconnaissance work - to check out the sites and decide where I want to go back to.
When I went back to the bus stop after lunch there wasn't a line. The bus came shortly afterwards and when I got on to buy a ticket the guy said he didn't have any more tickets to sell me. Sorry.
I went back to the hotel, which is fortunately very close by. Mariano printed my ticket for me and back I went. I couldn't believe the lineup that had materialized in the fifteen minutes I was gone. Frig. Two busses went by, took on a small handful of those in the line and drove off with me still in line. In the end it took fifty minutes to get on and I was trying oh so hard not to be cranky about it. It's mid-February and that's the middle of summer here. There are tons of tourists around, (mostly from Brazil it seems); it's busy! At least it wasn't stinking hot...
When I got on, I happened to choose a seat whose audio wasn't working so I spent the first 50 minutes looking out the window asking myself what I had done to anger Karma recently.
In the end It all worked out and I saw some very varied parts of the city. We went from rundown slums to areas of colonial grandeur to shiny new buildings and neighbourhoods. I had been mostly seeing grey concrete but there are several beautiful parks that I intend to go back and check out. Thumbs up on BA from this reporter! ;o)
South America's first skyscraper:
The multicoloured buildings near the Boca district:
The hotel is a brilliant lavender colour - hilarious. It is a funky boutiquey hotel and very 'gezellig'! Here's the view from my room:
Mariano is the name of the concierge and my check-in probably took an hour! We talked about this and that mostly in Spanish - I did good. Now that school is done I just have to push myself to try speaking more and more. Mariano's a very sweet kid and I hope to chat with him more tomorrow. Apparently he tango dances and heaven knows I need a partner with a sense of humour!
I walked past the city tour bus stop around 13h and decided I needed to fuel up. The lines were terrible (those bloody tourists are everywhere!!!) and I was feeling a bit hungry. I wandered through the cobbled streets of San Telmo and happened upon several markets. Apparently Defenisa street is THE place to be on a Sunday. Very cute. After this morning's workout (aka packing attempts) however, I forbade myself from buying anything!
The Sunday market on Defensia:
Many major cities I've been to have the hop-on-hop-off buses. Megan and I did one in Barcelona most recently. They're a good way to get around. I mainly use them for reconnaissance work - to check out the sites and decide where I want to go back to.
When I went back to the bus stop after lunch there wasn't a line. The bus came shortly afterwards and when I got on to buy a ticket the guy said he didn't have any more tickets to sell me. Sorry.
I went back to the hotel, which is fortunately very close by. Mariano printed my ticket for me and back I went. I couldn't believe the lineup that had materialized in the fifteen minutes I was gone. Frig. Two busses went by, took on a small handful of those in the line and drove off with me still in line. In the end it took fifty minutes to get on and I was trying oh so hard not to be cranky about it. It's mid-February and that's the middle of summer here. There are tons of tourists around, (mostly from Brazil it seems); it's busy! At least it wasn't stinking hot...
When I got on, I happened to choose a seat whose audio wasn't working so I spent the first 50 minutes looking out the window asking myself what I had done to anger Karma recently.
In the end It all worked out and I saw some very varied parts of the city. We went from rundown slums to areas of colonial grandeur to shiny new buildings and neighbourhoods. I had been mostly seeing grey concrete but there are several beautiful parks that I intend to go back and check out. Thumbs up on BA from this reporter! ;o)
South America's first skyscraper:
The multicoloured buildings near the Boca district:
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