Clearwater to Buenos Aires, Argentina...the start of our Antarctica Trip, 2016

Clearwater Beach to Miami to Buenos Aires, Argentina       January 1, 2016-January 4, 2015

After dancing the night away New Year’s Eve with friends Steve and Rose…at least till midnight….Larry and I drove a rented car to Miami on New Year’s Day and checked into a local hotel for a quick night’s nap….yes, up at 4:30AM to meet the hotel van for a 5:00AM ride to Miami Airport. Checking in at 5:30AM at Miami Airport, we found that the flight was delayed from 8:30 to 10:45…$#&*JIMINY CRICKETS#%*!....How we could have used those two hours  for more sleep.

 

The nine hour flight on Aerolinas Argentina was nonstop getting us to Buenos Aires at 9:45pm. After gathering luggage and going through customs with about a million other arriving Argentenians , we waited an hour for a taxi to take us on a 30 minute ride to Hotel  Emperador arriving about 12:30 am. This chicky who usually is in bed by 10:00 each night was in overdrive….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                         This place looked mighty fine!!!!!

Buenos Aires is known as the Paris of South America. The next two days were spent walking around Recoleta, the “Frenchiest” quarter of Buenos Aires. Lots of upscale shops and restaurants line the streets.

        Modern sky scrapers stood beside older European buildings with the classic balconies.

                                                      Argentinians have a  good sense of humor!

We especially enjoyed a lively chat with an equestrian shop owner who had some exquisite horsey items. We stopped for a water break in the Mercedes Restaurant. Everything is wide open with very little air conditioning. Although the temps were a toasty 88 degrees, there was a nice breeze that would cool you down on occasion.

Parks were everywhere….allowing citizens from the high rises opportunities to enjoy the tall green sycamore trees. Fig trees flourish here….They were the coolest coverings for the walkway.

                                                        Canopy of fig trees, never seen them this big! 

We also enjoyed a restaurant that cooked kid…as in Billy goat… the traditional way….staked up next to hot coals.

                                                      Traditional Argentina Barbecue

After returning from a midday hike, Larry said,” I got some sun”. Although we felt we had been in the shade for most of our midday cloud covered walk, his red neck and head top showed that the sun is quite strong in this part of the world….the hole in the ozone layer is only getting bigger allowing the stronger rays of sun to touch our tender skin.

                                       Police were spotted often...keeping the area very safe.

Can you imagine taking this many dogs on a walk?

 

 

A well known Argentinian architect built this flower to open and close with the solar power of the sun.

 

 

Law University, closed for summer break.

Art was everywhere.

Reminded us the dolphins in Clearwater and the Hokie birds in Blacksburg.

 

                                                                                                               Loved this unusual tree!

                    Blooming flowers were plentiful.   
                  

Our trip to Antarctica began on Tuesday, January 4, 2016 with a 5:00AM call to meet our group of 200 other adventurous souls  in the lobby for breakfast….coffee, tea, oj, croissants, pastries, apples, and bananas. We were whisked away on three buses for a 15 minute ride to the domestic airport where we boarded Lan Airline at 7:00 AM  for a 3 and a half hour flight into Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world.  Here the adventure toward Antarctica truly begins.