On the road again

Both Sadie and I were very happy to see the end of the Drake Passage, but pleased to have chalked up adventure points for the final leg of the Antarctica experience.  I can say with absolutely no reservations that the past two weeks have been the most exciting, fulfilling, thrilling, splendid, glorious (and a whole bunch of other adjectives) of my travel portfolio. I felt quite emotional saying goodbye to the crew and fellow passengers, knowing we shared something quite extraordinary for a brief period of time.  We will each now go back to real life, but should we ever meet again, we will greet one another with a knowing look that words will not convey.  

Upon waking yesterday, Sadie discovered that her flight from Buenos Aires to Miami had been cancelled, and I swelled with pride as I watched her calmly deal with the situation and book alternative  flights to Miami and then on the NY.  She was not in the least bit phased, but only felt guilty that she might be letting her team at work down. The positive part of the situation for me was that it meant she would join me for one more night in Buenos Aires. 

The expedition company had a bus to take those of us leaving immediately to Ushuaia airport which resembled something like the last chopper out of Saigon.  It was writhing with various queues which no one could quite understand.  After 90 minutes of random queuing, I managed to check my bag which was 2 KG over the 15 KG limit.  For some unknown reason, I didn’t not get sent to another queue to pay for excess baggage when some of the other folks were forced to pay for even less overage.  Could it be the old lady factor at play again? Whatever, I’ll take it.  Another long queue to get through “security” which seemed pretty insecure and then on to the boarding area which we were told was gate 6.  This was confirmed by the monitor which also indicated the flight was pre-boarding.  A rumour then began to circulate that the Buenos Aires flight was actually leaving from gate 3, and the swarm began to drift in that direction.  I watched a complete moron berate the poor kid at the coffee kiosk for the weak communication and subsequent chaos, as if he was responsible for his entire country’s issues. Imagine yelling at your Starbucks barista because the District Line is crowded and late. I despair at times for the state of humanity. 

The 3.5 hour flight was uneventful and we found ourselves back in lovely Buenos Aires. Yet again, I experienced the elation of spotting my luggage on the conveyor. The temperature was, as you might imagine, relatively balmy.  Our hotel this time is in Recoleta, a neighbourhood that felt something like the Mayfair of the city.  I had a wander, whilst Sadie tried to deal with some of the hundreds of accumulated work emails. The streets were lined with lovely shops, and I fulfilled one of my shopping goals with the purchase of a stunning pair of Argentinian leather ankle boots.  They are such good quality, I may never need to buy another. Another benefit of old age? Does anyone else hey high from sniffing good leather?

Our local agent had recommended a nearby steakhouse that was off the tourist trail, and we headed there for dinner.  Given most locals don’t eat dinner until at least 8:30, we never have a struggle getting a table at 7.  We shared a beautiful filet with sides of creamed spinach and butternut squash. We had learned from our last over-order that this would probably still be more than we could eat.  They also served scrumptious fresh bread right out of the oven and we complemented the meal with a large glass of Malbec each. The total bill came to about $50.

We both slept like the dead in beds that still seemed to sway from side to side.  I think that may continue for a few more days. I’m off to the airport again for my flight to Bariloche. Sadie will stay and work from the hotel until her flight tonight.  I will miss her, but it was a privilege to have this time with her.

So, now begins the real next phase of my solo travel adventure.