Time to Fly

Looks like flight is a go. Taking off in an hour. Atlanta, here we come!

Leaving Buenos Aires? Looks Like a Go

Our plane, which flew overnight last night from Atlanta, has made it here and is sitting at the airport. Online our flight shows on-time, and it looks like we will fly today. Thank you, Mr Volcano, for cooperating. At least a little.

Buenos Aires is sending us off with overcast skies a rain showers. It's the first rain and the worst weather we've seen since we left home. That's okay: rain and clouds seem to fit with vacation's end.

Monday, and the Big Four-Zero, In Buenos Aires

Yesterday, Monday, was a low-key affair: a little birthday shopping, a little souvenir shopping, and a fabulous dinner. We circled back around last night for dinner at the same place we had eaten on night two. The steak wasn't quite as tasty, but it was still very good. The wine Philip ordered, a Patagonian Malbec, was incredible and the best of the trip. The hotel surprised me with a birthday cake, which was a really nice touch, one of many they've managed. A nice birthday.

Of course, we had expected to return home today, so our eyes are a little on the volcano, the wind direction, and flight schedules. Hopefully we can manage to get out tomorrow.

Mother Nature Insists I Remain On Vacation

Well, just got word from Delta that our flight for tomorrow night has been canceled. The airport closed yesterday and hasn't yet reopened. We've been rebooked to go out Wednesday night. Luckily, Philip had overbooked the room by a night originally and handn't altered the reservations, so we won't be seen roaming the streets without a place to sleep. Stay tuned!

Oh, on the way in from our day out, some woman came across the lobby, addressed me by name, and wished me a "happy birthday." She was the Guest Services Manager for the hotel. What's most impressive is that we hadn't met her. She somehow knew who I was; and she knew who between the two of us I was.

I'll suffer through another day here. :-)

Stuck in Buenos Aires?

Well, the winds have shifted direction and the volcanoic ash has swept back over Buenos Aires and has closed the airport and covered the city in a haze. I hope it sorts itself out soon! Time to fly tomorrow!

Sunday in Buenos Aires

Sunday was sleep-in day for us here in B.A. We roused a little late and were out by about eleven o'clock. We stopped for a quick coffee at the train station across the park from the hotel and then got the subway to the San Telmo market, a Sunday tradition here.

We went first to the indoor market. It was okay but nothing too special. On our way to our next planned stop we stumbled across the main attraction, the outdoor market. It was much better and pretty much lived up to my expectations. Highly recommended.

From there it was lunch, a quick visit to the National History Museum (not worth the trip, honestly), and headed back to the room, wrapping up our sightseeing by sundown.

Tomorrow, Monday, is our final day here. Tme flies!

Lesson Learned in B.A.: Don't Ever, Ever, Ever, Not Ever...

...be on vacation and leave your hotel room without something that will take a picture. We did just tonight on the way to dinner. Philip ordered "Suprema Chicken Maryland," under the "Bird" section of the menu at a restaurant here in Buenos Aires.

What came? Well, the unbelievable. There was a cutlet of chicken breast with the tiniest little leg sticking out its side. Atop this was a very, very thin slice of grilled ham. Topping it off was a pile of roasted red peppers. That was all on the left side of the plate. On the right side was a silver-dollar-sized dollop of [orange-colored] mashed potatoes, with a two-inch long potato chip stuck in it. Next to that was a small dish of grits with white cheese melted in them. In between these opposing sides of the plate was ... the pièce de résistance of the whole, hot mess: a whole banana, peeled, breaded, and deep fried.

We didn't--and still don't--know what to make of it. But, it was hilarious and worth the price of admission.

But, the moral of my post is, don't leave home without something to record such moments. I wish I'd had my camera!