Let's started with the cruise arriving at the port in Buenos Aires. We had a night there to allow the other people to go off on trips before disembarking. We decided to stay on board in the morning and do our chores, a shed load of washing and ironing. I decided to iron my arm for some reason, obviously because I had forgotten to do it, or all the alcohol iv'e consumed has finally taken it's toll. Anyway I came away from the experience with a nasty burn on my arm.
We got most of the packing done, had lunch and went down to the port office, where I at last got some decent wifi, yipee back on line again.
We went out for a walk for a couple of hours in the afternoon, but it was blisteringly hot. I was a huge culture shock being in BA after the quiet wilderness of the Antarctic and the slow pace of Montevideo.
As with most port areas it was run down, very poor with seemingly lots of homeless people and a few sad drug addicts Not a good introduction to BA, but we it already seems much poorer than in Chile. Or should I say a few enormously rich people and a lot of poor people. We shall see.
Our lovely view from the ship
Poor Rod looked a bit horrified, and for the first time I felt a little uncomfortable. Anyway we decided to start our BA adventures when we get back from Iguazu Falls and not judge BA on today.
Our last night on board was brilliant. We shared a bottle of wine with Antonio and Mercedes in their cabin. So glad we managed to catch up with them before getting off. We have agreed for all of us to continue with the Spanish and English lessons respectively when we get back home, and go and see them later in the year in Ibiza.
Lorraine, Trevor, Kate, Margaret and Richard, the mottley table crew, got together for our last meal and more laughs. It was a pleasure meeting them, and I hope we will not lose contact.
Next Day
It's time to go, we had a leisurely breakfast, sat on the top deck with Lorraine and Trevor, until called to get off. All went well getting off the ship and into the customs hall. Then, complete and utter chaos and bedlam. the other guys who had left 45 minutes before us were still trying to find their luggage. It was a mess, but at last we spotted our case and shuffled through customers, into a heaving arrivals hall.
At last we spotted a card with our name on it, and our saviour Pablo led us our to the car. Everywhere was heaving, but we left the port eventually and heading out to the domestic airport. We spent the whole journey shutting our eyes as cars pitched themselves in from of ours, or buses swimming across the front of us.... eek. But we arrived safely, which seemed quite peaceful in comparison.
Again we were impressed with LAN, we were checked in, bags gone and through security in 15 minutes, half an hour on the wifi, and then we were boarding for our next adventure. We had tea and an Alfajour, a biscuit stuffed with Dulce de Leche and covered with chocolate.... OMG.
So now we are sitting our our veranda in our tree house in our jungle retreat having a beer.... it's hell! Okay we are in the jungle, in fact we are at the edge of town really, but it does feel that way. It is hot and sticky and there are some Toucans bobbing around in the tree next to us, oh I've been bitten already, even with the chemical warfare liberally applied.
We had dinner on the terrace at the hotel restaurant, escalope and salad, yum and a Caiperina, rum and lime.
Slept like a log.
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