Tag Archives: argentina

February 12, 2011

BsAs to El Calafate

By simply three cents

 Today we flew from Buenos Aires to El Calafate. It was about a three hour flight.

I could tell a story about the international airport and the very organized chaos, but I won’t. I can talk about the country’s domestic airline and that airport, how all three of our domestic flights were on time and that we had safe and uneventful flights. I could talk about the interior of the plane, and how it looks like it was from 1985. I could talk about the ashtrays in the arm rests or the food and drinks we were served but I won’t. Why? Because the view from the domestic flights were simply spectacular.

Here is a shot from the air…

We flew over so many different landscapes. We must not have been that high in altitude because I always saw the ground – at least for the time that I was awake! We were over water, over desert, over farmland and over mountains! Over all of that, we saw maybe one house! There’s a whole lot of empty land in Argentina. They say that most of the population lives in BsAs.

At one point we had been flying over the coast for some time and all I could think about were the unspoilt beaches. We hadn’t seen a town, and the beaches were clean, empty and not a soul in sight.

When we flew over the farmland, it’s the kind where you know someone did work. We saw big squares of different shades of green, yet no tractors, homes or people.

Flying over the mountains made me remember the move Alive.

If you look at a topographic map and trace your finger from BsAs to El Calafate you can see the different kinds of landscapes you fly over.

Here’s what it looked like when we touched down. We got nervous. After all we were going to be spending three nights here!

And here’s the view from the plane as we rolled towards the gate. I wasn’t worried about disembarking  the plane and walking onto the tarmac to get into the airport. It was the nothingness around us that surrounded me that concerned me.

Well worth traveling so far south. We found plenty to do and see in and around El Calafate.

This is sunset. Around 10.30pm! Very different from getting dark around 4.30pm in New York City!

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February 11, 2011

When in Buenos Aires…

By simply three cents

If I had to put a theme to our second day, it would be eating! And eat we did.

We started our day with our first breakfast in Argentina and it was self-serve in our hotel, with typical Argentine breakfast foods – croissants, jams, cheese and meats.

For lunch we received a recommendation in Puerto Madero by a guide on our city walking tour. We walked to a restaurant called Happenings. Puerto Madero is the up and coming barrio (neighborhood) in BsAs. The area was a shipping area but recently transformed into a modern hotspot with lots of restaurants, high-rise apartment buildings and very trendy, and beautiful, people.

Our table was right on the water, and the place was full of businessmen so we assumed it would be good. Portions were huge, the steak was juicy…

 

The gnocci were the biggest we had ever seen…

 

Needless to say the flavors of lunch did not disappoint.

After lunch, we took part in an Argentine tradition. Ice cream! The hot weather and strength of the sun did not allow for photos to be taken as we had to eat it before it started to melt!

Dinner, many hours later, was at restaurant de puertas cerradas – closed door restaurant – with no published address, and attendance by reservation only.

Basically, we pay to eat dinner at someone’s home, where they do all the cooking, and our dining companions are perfect strangers. To some, not an ideal situation…for us, it was a blast! We got to meet people from all over the world and eat fantastic food! Attendees represented the US – two of us and our chef. Our host was from Peru and the rest of the dinner party included travelers from Australia, London and Holland. By the time we finished our welcome cocktails, we had already learned so much about the travels of our companions for the evening.

Dinner is a five course meal. Dan, the chef, gets his inspiration from significant dates in history.  Our dinner happened to fall on the weekend of the founding of Georgia (the US state) and the day that Chile was proclaimed an independent republic. The menu was a combination of the two cultures, and very tasty! Here’s the link to the menu: http://casasaltshaker.com/20110211.htm

Here, you can see Dan’s write-up on how he decided to mix the food of two places in order to create a five course meal.
http://www.saltshaker.net/20110216/from-savannah-to-santiago-and-back-again

Here’s a photo of the pappardelle — a tie in from southern style mac and cheese, with a Chilean tilt of a cheddar salsa!

 

And the dessert, a Georgia peach inside an empanada with a South American favorite, dulce de leche, a caramel sauce. 

 

We only had a chance to take two photos of dinner but you will see photos from the rest of our meal in the link above. Buen apetito!

Leave a comment   |  tags: | posted in food, travel, travelogues

February 10, 2011

Freedom of Speech

By simply three cents

 

Getting from the international airport to the center of BsAs should take 45 minutes. Not the day we landed.

These would be protesters. In the middle of the highway. And yes, those are tree branches they used to make noise. They were also banging empty water bottles on the ground, which again, was a major highway.

Traffic was backed up and our driver spoke no English.

Our driver was trying to explain what was going on but since I didn’t know the word for picketer, and we couldn’t see anything but massive traffic, it wasn’t until we actually passed the people to realize what was going on. (He also called someone that would translate, so that helped us figure it out too.)

At one point, our driver got annoyed we were in traffic so simply drove on the grass. Not the shoulder because there was none. The grass. And not just slowly cutting ahead of cars, literally pedal to the metal and OFF ROADING. The engine growled, grass was burning and we were flying past the traffic!

When our cab driver decided to rejoin the traffic we went right past cops who simply stood and watched.

As for what they were protesting, we got mixed answers. Our cab driver thought the picketing was because of land rights. The people at our hotel told us that the reason for picketing the day before was because of an airport union issue.

Who knows but it was nice to see there is freedom of speech.

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February 10, 2011

Yippee!

By simply three cents

Note: this is definitely a scheduled post. I will not be blogging from the airplane.

Barring any delays or natural disasters, right about now we are probably getting ready to land in Buenos Aires! Even though I am just over a week out writing this, I am still so excited that we are this close!!

Once I make it onto Argentine soil, I will be able to cross off one of my (many) new year’s resolutions — make it to another continent! South America, I plan on falling in love with you. Don’t let me down.

Abrazos y besos

Leave a comment   |  tags: | posted in in and around the world, things that make me smile, travel, travelogues

February 9, 2011

And…we’re off!

By simply three cents

And we’re off! Heading to Buenos Aires (locals call it BsAs for short)! We left cold, snowy and icy New York for summertime in Argentina! This trip was my first time to cross the equator (except I was asleep both ways).

And speaking of sleep, I did get some. Our plane was two – aisle – five – aisle – two. We were in the three and four seats in the five. Two friends were on the aisles, and one moved over so the middle was empty. One of the girls and I took turns sprawling across that extra empty seat.

Not sure if this arrangement makes sense as I write this but long story short — even if I didn’t get a wink of sleep during the whole flight, the minute I stepped off that flight, I was AWAKE!!

BsAs is a city full of life and we had much to see, do, eat, drink and buy!

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February 8, 2011

24 hours to go!

By simply three cents

We’re getting really close! Flight leaves about this time tomorrow night! I’m probably running around the apartment packing last minute things into my bag.

Once I am back, I plan to upload one photo from each day I was gone. I’ll then blog about something memorable from that day thus attempting my first official foray into travel writing.

2 Comments   |  tags: | posted in in and around the world, travel

February 5, 2011

Ancestry

By simply three cents

No one seems to know much about where I came from. I have bits and pieces to work from. Has anyone out there been successful in tracking their ancestry? If you are related to me, even better. If you are related to me and live in a foreign land, seriously awesome.

Am heading to the birthplace of my great grandma later this week, and all I have is a copy of her original birth certificate (though I realize this is an awesome start). There’s an immigration museum in Buenos Aires but it would have been her parents that immigrated there. But lacking lots of info like possible years they came, from where (conflicting reports within my family) and how (I assume steerage on a ship unless there’s some kind of royalty lineage – doubtful).

Know I also have family that came from Eastern Europe and Russia but they had such common surnames that it’s going to be a difficult search. Trips to those lands will not happen in the dead of winter. Need to not be wearing an ushanka (google ‘big Russian hat’ – that’s what I just did) when I go to unearth the mysteries of my family history. Am thinking more like flip flops and a sun dress. Like I will be later in the week in BsAs 🙂

Let the sleuthing begin.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , | posted in in and around the world, wanderlust

January 30, 2011

Slow Food

By simply three cents

About a year ago I discovered an organization called Slow Food.

‘Slow Food is a global, grassroots organization with supporters in 150 countries around the world who are linking the pleasure of good food with a commitment to their community and the environment.’  — courtesy of slowfood.com

I tried to find a Slow Food group during my last international trip but there was not an organized group in Croatia at that time.

For my upcoming trip to Argentina, I found many Slow Food groups throughout the country. I chose to email just three members based in three different cities (actually one city and two towns) that I will be visiting, including Uruguay.

Not a few hours after I sent the emails, the woman who heads up the organization in Uruguay, told me there were no Slow Food events over the time period, as it is summer vacation. However, she told me that I could come and visit her and her farm and I would be most welcome. She also recommended a local entrepreneur who is part of Slow Food who runs a restaurant in the town we are planning on visiting.

I looked at her location on the map, and for the day trip, we just wouldn’t have time to spend 4 hours each way traveling to visit her. But, what a lovely woman to invite a perfect stranger into her home for a day. And for the local restaurant, she even gave me the website and the owners name. I found out a few days ago that Uruguay leads South America in cheese consumption. The restaurant’s website is not in English so I can only partially translate. But, it has an entire page dedicated to cheese, and there is a ribbon noting an award. I think we’ve got to stop by!

1 Comment   |  tags: , , | posted in food, in and around the world, things that make me smile, travel

January 19, 2011

Don’t cry for me Argentina, here I come!

By simply three cents

Argentina – here we come! The boyfriend, who does not have the wanderlust I do, agreed to a trip to Argentina! This is not without hesitation on his part (as with every trip). Super excited.

We have the international flights in and out of Buenos Aires booked and are working on the internal flights throughout Argentina, and places to stay. The trip is three weeks from today!

I know how the boyfriend travels, and he needs a rough (but confirmed) plan. He won’t take an active role in making the plan, he just needs one. Good thing that I enjoy doing the research (and have been on it for months!). I love a happy boyfriend, so a compromise of some planning and some spontaneity it is!

Can’t wait!

2 Comments   |  tags: , | posted in things that make me smile, travel, wanderlust

January 5, 2011

Winter Blues

By simply three cents

I suppose you can call it that. Or just a sense of perpetual wanderlust that sets in especially in the winter.

It’s the time of year when everyone (or maybe just me) seems to wonder…why do I live where I live? It’s cold. There’s snow. It’s dreary and a little depressing.

Right now, there are people who are living at the beach, leaving windows open for fresh (and warm) air, wearing short sleeves and even sporting bathing suits. Some call it living somewhere nice, some call it vacation and others may call it retirement.

In the meantime, I need a getaway to summertime. Where the living’s easy.

1 Comment   |  tags: | posted in wanderlust, winter