Visiting Buenos Aires, Argentina - Always Fun!
It was an easy flight from Chicago to Washington, DC but then a long 5-hour layover until our 12-hour flight left for Buenos Aires with a 10:00 am arrival the next day. Around 4-5 planes (Air France, Iberia, American Airlines and United) land at the same time. That creates one of the longest lines through immigration we've ever seen. Once through, we took a Manuel Tieda car for the 40-minute trip into downtown Buenos Aires. This was a mistake - more costly than a taxi. Take a taxi. Just as safe and less expensive.
Picked the Sheraton Libertador in the heart of town for four nights because it had one of the best room rates and included breakfast. The Sheraton was a madhouse with conferences and only two elevators working because they are in the process of remodeling the hotel, but an extremely wonderful staff who always had time to answer questions with a smile.
A fast unpack, change to lightweight clothes and out for a walk. Down Florida street (pedestrian only) ...View image...and over to Puerto Madero along the docks. Puerto Madero is lined with restaurant after restaurant including an ice cream chain called Freddos, found all around Buenos Aires....(all I kept thinking of for the next two weeks was the line from the Godfather, "Freddo...you broke my heart..").
I had forgotten all about the so-called "holy trinity" (other than Evita Peron) in Buenos Aires: Diego Maradona and Ernesto "Che" Guevara. These three images appear on refrigerator magnets, billboards, t-shirts and tattoos throughout the country.
Portenos, as the people of Buenos Aires are called, eat very late. Usually not before 9:30 pm. On our last trip in 1986, Portenos strolled into restaurants pushing baby strollers after 11:00 pm while we sat there, trying to prop open eyelids with toothpicks. They still eat late but not the restaurants serve all day. Very convenient for us old party poopers. We just call it a very late lunch or very early dinner and eat around 4:00 pm. Selected Sorrento Restaurant with its special lunch menu and gorgeous outside, inside and 2nd floor dining levels overlooking the docks and great for people watching. At the moment, the Argentine Peso converts approximately 3.12 Pesos=$1.00 US Dollar. The 42 Peso menu included three courses with choices. A starter/appetizer, main course, dessert, glass of Champagne and included service and tax for $42 Pesos. The Argentine Peso was very confusing for us because they also use the $ sign. Were never quite sure if a price was in Pesos for Dollars and asked over and over again. Just to give you an idea of what we ate for $42 Pesos=$13.50: oysters in Bechamel sauce; ex-Marine had a steak; I had a huge piece of Merlanza (Hake); and profiteroles for dessert. Added and 1/2 bottle of wine, bottled water and the entire bill ran $32 for two people. Impossible to eat a meal of this quality for this price at home.
Argentina is the world's beef capital. Prepare to eat lots of beef. Seafood is also plentiful and due to the large population of Italians who immigrated during the 1920's, you certainly can't go wrong with the wonderful pasta!
Now in a food coma along with jet lag, a leisurely walk back to the Sheraton and bed...
