Buenos Aires Trip-Thanks To All
Dec 29th, 2008, 05:11 PM
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Buenos Aires Trip-Thanks To All
I returned back to L.A. last night from my 8-day Buenos Aires trip and would like to thank all of you who helped out with the planning. I had a great time and hope to return at the end of August as I already have a frequent flyer ticket for then which is when I had originally planned to go. This December trip was totally spur -of- the- moment when a $557. (base price) round trip airfare popped up , from L.A. to Buenos Aires, on American Airline. Plus, I really wanted to go during the Argentine summer. The weather was perfect. It felt like it was between around 75-85F.
As for my tours, I booked all of them through eternautus.com
I booked two private tours and two group tours.
1) Images of South America-group tour US$25. We were 11 people.
2) Paris of South America Walking Tour-group tour US$15.00. We were 3 people.
3) Palermo Viejo Walking Tour-Private Tour-US$91.00
4) Peronism Tour-Private Tour- US$166.00
All of the tours and guides were absolutely wonderful and spoke flawless English. The guide named Martin was exceptional. I had him for the two private tours.
The one tour that really stood out was the Peronism Tour which I will remember if I live to be 100.
I highly enjoyed all of the tours that I took through this company and it was worth the US$297. that I paid for the four tours that I took. I paid in U.S dollars, each day, that I met with the guide. I had exact change as they can't give change.
To book the tours, one must use a credit card and they only take American Express. Then if one wants to pay cash in either dollars or pesos, then it's OK. Or the tour(s) can be charged on the credit card. If a tour is not canceled within the time frame of cancelation, then the credit card will be charged. For those who do not have American Express cards, then the costs of the tour(s) can be paid through Western Union and one other means of payment that I can't remember off of the top of my head.
As for my accommodations: I stayed at the Hollywood Suites and Lofts apartments at Nicaragua 5490 between Juan B. Justo and Humbolt. The building just opened last year and is ultra modern...very Architectural Digest in style.
I had a 600 square-foot loft, with around 20-foot ceilings and a glass window the whole width and height of the apartment. I also had a large terrace with a dining table and two chairs and a view of the river in the distance. It was a very nice apartment. It was located in Palermo Hollywood. I liked both the building, staff, and neighborhood a lot. The kitchen was fully equipped. I was there for 5 nights.
The only thing I didn't like was the sound of the train. Buenos Aires is the noisiest city I've ever been in...traffic noise, train noise, siren noise, barking dog noise. And I always travel with foam earplugs, but two nights before Christmas, I got zero sleep, as the train traveled ALL night. And then Christmas Eve, fireworks went off, in my neighborhood from midnight until after 4:00AM. I thought the neighborhood was going to burn down...fireworks in a densely populated area with lots of trees. Scary.
I also stayed at the Melia Recoleta Plaza Hotel in the heart of Recoleta on Calle Posadas, a 3-block walk from the Patio Bullrich shopping complex and about a block from the Park Hyatt Hotel. The hotel was very nice and the location very good for shopping. I also enjoyed my stay there.
So, thanks again for all and I had no problems. The taxi drivers were all nice. I only took Radio Taxis as suggested and if I needed one I flagged a Radio Taxi on the street, not suggested, but I had no problems and I needed to get around. Sometimes, I'd also go to a hotel and have them get a taxi.
I used a remis twice, from the airport into Buenos Aires with Manuel Leon Tienda Company and from Buenos Aires back to the airport with a company that the hotel has used for years which was very good. The company was taxiactitours.com.ar. The telephone number for English speakers is: (15) 6178.1690. One can also hire a private car and driver from them. Happy Travels!
As for my tours, I booked all of them through eternautus.com
I booked two private tours and two group tours.
1) Images of South America-group tour US$25. We were 11 people.
2) Paris of South America Walking Tour-group tour US$15.00. We were 3 people.
3) Palermo Viejo Walking Tour-Private Tour-US$91.00
4) Peronism Tour-Private Tour- US$166.00
All of the tours and guides were absolutely wonderful and spoke flawless English. The guide named Martin was exceptional. I had him for the two private tours.
The one tour that really stood out was the Peronism Tour which I will remember if I live to be 100.
I highly enjoyed all of the tours that I took through this company and it was worth the US$297. that I paid for the four tours that I took. I paid in U.S dollars, each day, that I met with the guide. I had exact change as they can't give change.
To book the tours, one must use a credit card and they only take American Express. Then if one wants to pay cash in either dollars or pesos, then it's OK. Or the tour(s) can be charged on the credit card. If a tour is not canceled within the time frame of cancelation, then the credit card will be charged. For those who do not have American Express cards, then the costs of the tour(s) can be paid through Western Union and one other means of payment that I can't remember off of the top of my head.
As for my accommodations: I stayed at the Hollywood Suites and Lofts apartments at Nicaragua 5490 between Juan B. Justo and Humbolt. The building just opened last year and is ultra modern...very Architectural Digest in style.
I had a 600 square-foot loft, with around 20-foot ceilings and a glass window the whole width and height of the apartment. I also had a large terrace with a dining table and two chairs and a view of the river in the distance. It was a very nice apartment. It was located in Palermo Hollywood. I liked both the building, staff, and neighborhood a lot. The kitchen was fully equipped. I was there for 5 nights.
The only thing I didn't like was the sound of the train. Buenos Aires is the noisiest city I've ever been in...traffic noise, train noise, siren noise, barking dog noise. And I always travel with foam earplugs, but two nights before Christmas, I got zero sleep, as the train traveled ALL night. And then Christmas Eve, fireworks went off, in my neighborhood from midnight until after 4:00AM. I thought the neighborhood was going to burn down...fireworks in a densely populated area with lots of trees. Scary.
I also stayed at the Melia Recoleta Plaza Hotel in the heart of Recoleta on Calle Posadas, a 3-block walk from the Patio Bullrich shopping complex and about a block from the Park Hyatt Hotel. The hotel was very nice and the location very good for shopping. I also enjoyed my stay there.
So, thanks again for all and I had no problems. The taxi drivers were all nice. I only took Radio Taxis as suggested and if I needed one I flagged a Radio Taxi on the street, not suggested, but I had no problems and I needed to get around. Sometimes, I'd also go to a hotel and have them get a taxi.
I used a remis twice, from the airport into Buenos Aires with Manuel Leon Tienda Company and from Buenos Aires back to the airport with a company that the hotel has used for years which was very good. The company was taxiactitours.com.ar. The telephone number for English speakers is: (15) 6178.1690. One can also hire a private car and driver from them. Happy Travels!
Dec 29th, 2008, 06:43 PM
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It is: http://www.eternautas.com/en/default.aspx
I'm glad you had a great time, Guenmai. Looking forward to having you back in late August.
I'm glad you had a great time, Guenmai. Looking forward to having you back in late August.
Dec 29th, 2008, 08:37 PM
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As for the Peronism tour. It was just great to be picked up by the guide and have a car and driver, then we could sit back in the back seat and discuss politics and history.
The first stop was Plaza Mayo, which I had already been to on on the Images of Buenos Aires Tour, but my guide, Martin, had other things to point out like when the planes flew over and dropped bombs to get Peron out of office. Plus, the guides, with this company, had black and white photos of actual events and photos of Buenos Aires back in the day. So, it was easy to really imagine going back in time.
Then we also saw the plaque in memory of the 300 and something people who died in that bombing.
After that we went to the Confederacion General del Trabajo building which was really interesting to me.
We met with a man, who was around 80 or late 70s , and knew Eva Peron. It was just the tour guide, myself, and the Senor, So, he started telling me the history, in Spanish, and whatever I didn't get, was translated by the guide. Then we went upstairs, in the elevator, and into a room that had articles on the wall about Eva Peron. The Senor then opened her office and we followed him in.
I wasn't expecting to see a shrine to her...the huge photo of her on the wall, the long wooden table with the upstanding cross on it, and the wall lined with articles on her 14-day funeral and other articles. It kind of made the hair stand up on my arms. Plus, I didn't know that her remains had been stored in that room for 3 years. It was all quite interesting to me and I didn't know about this building until we got there.
After I asked many questions, we went downstairs to the auditorium and I looked at the workers' mural on the wall and we discussed workers' rights and human rights and some other topics.
Then the Senor congratulated me on our new president and said that they were so happy. He then walked us out and unlocked the front door for us and escorted us out. It was just a very magical moment for me. I wasn't expecting it all. And I like to hear history from older people. My own father is in his very late 80s and has lived a lot of history and I like hearing about it from the horses mouth, so to speak.
We then discussed the building across the street and how it had been transformed into an engineering school after Peron had been ousted. My guide's mother is an engineer and attended that school. He described the inside of the building as his mother has described it to him. We didn't go in.
I was impressed how the CGT building looked as if it had been frozen in time. It reminded me of buildings when I was very young. I'm in my early 50s. It was a definite step back in time, but to a time that I can identify more with unlike in many countries that I've been in throughout the world where guides go on and on about ancient history. Plus, I can definitely relate to workers' rights and equal rights.
After we left that area, then we went on to the Evita Museum which I found architecturally beautiful as I have always been very much interested in architecture. Buenos Aires, to me, was an architectural paradise. Happy Travels!
The first stop was Plaza Mayo, which I had already been to on on the Images of Buenos Aires Tour, but my guide, Martin, had other things to point out like when the planes flew over and dropped bombs to get Peron out of office. Plus, the guides, with this company, had black and white photos of actual events and photos of Buenos Aires back in the day. So, it was easy to really imagine going back in time.
Then we also saw the plaque in memory of the 300 and something people who died in that bombing.
After that we went to the Confederacion General del Trabajo building which was really interesting to me.
We met with a man, who was around 80 or late 70s , and knew Eva Peron. It was just the tour guide, myself, and the Senor, So, he started telling me the history, in Spanish, and whatever I didn't get, was translated by the guide. Then we went upstairs, in the elevator, and into a room that had articles on the wall about Eva Peron. The Senor then opened her office and we followed him in.
I wasn't expecting to see a shrine to her...the huge photo of her on the wall, the long wooden table with the upstanding cross on it, and the wall lined with articles on her 14-day funeral and other articles. It kind of made the hair stand up on my arms. Plus, I didn't know that her remains had been stored in that room for 3 years. It was all quite interesting to me and I didn't know about this building until we got there.
After I asked many questions, we went downstairs to the auditorium and I looked at the workers' mural on the wall and we discussed workers' rights and human rights and some other topics.
Then the Senor congratulated me on our new president and said that they were so happy. He then walked us out and unlocked the front door for us and escorted us out. It was just a very magical moment for me. I wasn't expecting it all. And I like to hear history from older people. My own father is in his very late 80s and has lived a lot of history and I like hearing about it from the horses mouth, so to speak.
We then discussed the building across the street and how it had been transformed into an engineering school after Peron had been ousted. My guide's mother is an engineer and attended that school. He described the inside of the building as his mother has described it to him. We didn't go in.
I was impressed how the CGT building looked as if it had been frozen in time. It reminded me of buildings when I was very young. I'm in my early 50s. It was a definite step back in time, but to a time that I can identify more with unlike in many countries that I've been in throughout the world where guides go on and on about ancient history. Plus, I can definitely relate to workers' rights and equal rights.
After we left that area, then we went on to the Evita Museum which I found architecturally beautiful as I have always been very much interested in architecture. Buenos Aires, to me, was an architectural paradise. Happy Travels!
Dec 29th, 2008, 11:22 PM
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Hi Guenmai,
Glad you had a great time in BA! Sorry about the noise. I'm deaf and never had to worry about fire crackers going off as I sleep. We plan on going to Ghana in November and decided to skip the others as you suggested.
Anyways, running off to Guatemala in March and then plan our trip to Ghana.
If you go back to BA, think about flying into BA and out of Montevideo?
Landineen
Glad you had a great time in BA! Sorry about the noise. I'm deaf and never had to worry about fire crackers going off as I sleep. We plan on going to Ghana in November and decided to skip the others as you suggested.
Anyways, running off to Guatemala in March and then plan our trip to Ghana.
If you go back to BA, think about flying into BA and out of Montevideo?
Landineen
Dec 29th, 2008, 11:48 PM
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I'm glad you're just sticking to Ghana...a lot less movement and Africa can be tiring.
If I get back to BA in August, I already have my frequent flyer ticket issued, to fly in and out of BA. I want the least amount of movement as possible. When I go on vacation, I'm tired before I Ieave home and want LOW stress. I move around enough at home going to and from work, sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and doing a million things.
Happy Travels!
If I get back to BA in August, I already have my frequent flyer ticket issued, to fly in and out of BA. I want the least amount of movement as possible. When I go on vacation, I'm tired before I Ieave home and want LOW stress. I move around enough at home going to and from work, sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and doing a million things.
Happy Travels!
Dec 31st, 2008, 08:53 AM
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I forgot to add that before I left, I posted if anyone knew if Buenos Aires had one of those tour bus systems, like other major cities of the world, where one low price is paid and the bus goes to all of the major sites. No one knew.
While down there, a few days ago, I noticed a huge bus parked at St. Martin across from the Marriott Plaza Hotel. I curiously checked it out and wrote down the website.
It's: lopentour.com.ar
It's too bad I found out at the end of my stay as I would have taken it for 1 day. Plus, the weather was beautiful.
These kinds of buses are good for both getting the layout of the city and deciding what areas, of interests, to return to later. Happy Travels!
While down there, a few days ago, I noticed a huge bus parked at St. Martin across from the Marriott Plaza Hotel. I curiously checked it out and wrote down the website.
It's: lopentour.com.ar
It's too bad I found out at the end of my stay as I would have taken it for 1 day. Plus, the weather was beautiful.
These kinds of buses are good for both getting the layout of the city and deciding what areas, of interests, to return to later. Happy Travels!
Jan 6th, 2010, 11:26 PM
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Seeksocean: I wrote two separate Buenos Aires trip reports for the same trip. One report was a general one to those on this forum and the other was one to the Asia forum folks, as several posters there had asked me to report back. So, if you want the more detailed report, then you need to type my screen name in the Search box and pull up the one entitled, "O.K.Don't Bite My Head Off-Guenmai's Trip Report". Happy Travels!
Jan 7th, 2010, 08:31 AM
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Chrisk13-The check in at EZE I explained in detail in my "other" trip report mentioned above. See my January 07th post.
And as far as flying back into LAX, there was no problem. Happy Travels!
And as far as flying back into LAX, there was no problem. Happy Travels!
