Trip Report: Buenos Aires
September 28 to October 8, 2007

My delay in posting my trip report is due to several reasons, most notably due to the fires in San Diego this past week. I want to thank everyone here for helping me plan my unexpected visit to Buenos Aires, and if not for this forum, I feel it could have been a disaster.

Instead, my trip was an incredible success. I was going for business reasons and was hopeful to integrate both business and pleasure. I did not do nearly enough on the pleasure/tourism side, partly because of business, partly because of the weather, and partly for health reasons. So here is my report, broken into parts, which should be prefaced by "I wish I could have stayed longer even though it was good to get home; and I CANNOT WAIT TO GO BACK."

PART ONE: GETTING THERE
(Fights, Hotel, Language)
I flew from San Diego to Dallas and then on to BsAs with American Airlines. I was unable to get a first class upgrade on the way over because the flight was booked, overbooked by at least 20. However I had a most enjoyable flight. A gentleman named Gabriel from BsAs was sitting next to me and we talked until he fell asleep, LOL. I have two pages of notes from him about where to eat and places to go. Since I was excited about the trip and am not really able to sleep on a plane, I watched him sleep soundly and was lucky if I dozed for 2 hours on this long trip.

I landed right on time in Buenos Aires early in the morning, 8:15 I think. There was some kind of construction going on in the airport near where the baggage claim was, with quite a lot of dust or smoke, so I found my bags and coughing and choking, followed the flow of people. Just FYI, I am female and traveling solo with a limited Spanish vocabulary.

I was a bit confused as to which line to go to, but being wedged in between two large Spanish speaking groups, I just walked through customs without any baggage check. I do not know if this is normal or not.

Now inside the vast entrance area of the airport, I did not see the bank I was NOT supposed to go to (Global Exchange), OR the bank I was supposed to use (Banco del la Nación). My hotel had arranged for a driver to pick me up, but there were so many people there I could not find my name, so I went outside to smoke and regroup. What a relief!!! I went back in and walked up to every person holding a sign and finally found my name!! Woohoo! They took my bags and I waited outside for about a half hour before I got in a car to go to my hotel, The Casa Bloody Mary, in Las Cañitas. I think it was about 9:30 in the morning. Note that I had not exchanged any of my US dollars yet. I was told I could pay the driver in US dollars, and I tipped the folks at the airport US dollars as well.

Once settled in my cab (actually it must have been a regular driver or remise because I did not see a meter and it was not a Radio taxi), I was happy to sit back and relax. The driver did not speak ANY English, but we managed the basics fairly well. He was a smoker, so we communicated that it was okay to smoke in the cab, which is not normally the case in BsAs. Good thing, because believe it or not, he could not find my hotel!! WE GOT LOST!!! Granted it is on a small street in Las Cañitas, but the hotel arranged for the transportation. What should have been a half hour ride max, turned out to be a two hour plus ride instead! I did not get charged for this extra time, but it was quite frustrating being lost in spite of the driver having a map on the front seat, and stopping to ask several people for directions. I had a free tour of the city. Only I had no idea where I was. Needless to say, I was more than happy to arrive at the Casa Bloody Mary (CBM), Volta 1867!! I think it was about noon.

The folks at the CBM are fantastic. I need to say this up front. I had made reservations with them online and they were very responsive from the beginning. I did not have to make a deposit. And they also set up a hair cut and manicure for me on the afternoon of my arrival. While finally checking in, I told them to cancel the appointments because I didn't think I could get into the right frame of mind given my state of exhaustion. A battle between beauty and the beast avoided, LOL.

Now is as good a time as any to say that after decades of travel to Mexico and a few semesters of college Spanish I had a very, very difficult time understanding the language of BsAs during my stay. It sounded Italian to me. Nonetheless, I did my best, speaking a mixture of English, Spanish and French (not on purpose, my high school French seemed to just slip out for some reason after all these decades), and was able to get by without any problems at all. Was I embarrassed when I buzzed the gate of my hotel and said, "Ici Michelle" or when I asked for a boleto when I meant a bolsa?? I was, but no one but me seemed to mind such linguistic lunacy.

So, back to the CBM. If you are looking for an inexpensive place to stay I highly recommend the CBM. The rate for a single room was $35 US, which included breakfast (unremarkable) and internet access, plus my room was cleaned every day (unexpected). The staff was gracious, kind, patient, and accommodating (I am sure I was a pain in the you-know-what). It is NOT the Hilton, nothing fancy but clean and VERY safe, I felt like I was a guest in someone's home, and that is what I wanted. If you look them up on line ( http://www.casabloodymary.com ) their site is fairly accurate. Note that their bar does not serve wines or cocktails; you can bring your own. You are allowed to smoke in your room but not in the public areas. Also note that internet access is from their computer only, but they are working on setting up Wi-Fi so you can use your own computer. Also, Room Number 4 does not have adequate space to hang more than a few items of clothing. Room Number 5 has hanging space (not quite a closet) but no dresser. These two rooms mentioned above are in a building outside of the main building and are small but nice and private. Decent sized bath and shower, plenty of hot water, etc. I enjoyed my stay there, once in Room 5 with the ability to hang my clothes. Asking about a closet is not something one would normally think about. The larger rooms in the main building seemed very nice; overall it was just a wonderful, home-like place to be. The only minor complaint is that I did not receive some of my phone messages. When the staff was unable to answer the phone, an answering machine took a message, and these messages were not relayed to me. Outside, the street was very quiet, yet just a stone's throw from the heart of Las Cañitas, walking distance to anything I think I could ever need. I'm crazy about Las Cañitas!!

Part Two to follow soon. Hope this isn't too long.
Michelle from San Diego

oops, that should say FLIGHTS up there, not fights LOL.

Hi, A very lively report. I enjoyed it.
This is the first time someone mentions this b&b, it has a funny name, does it not?, it reminds me either of the drinks, which are good, or of Queen Mary, someone I always felt sorry for, called Bloody by protestants because in those days under her watch they were the ones persecuted situation that was soon to be reverted as we all know. Thank you for report, I am glad yo enjoyed Bs AS.

Oh goody! Looking forward to more..we enjoy Las Canitas too..I am hooked on the eggs benedict and Bloody Marys at Novocento

Thanks, Graziella and Scarlett. I am disappointed in myself for not asking about the name of the B&B because it is certainly unusual. And I'm sure I walked by the Novocento but did not have the pleasure of dining there. Boy, a good bloody mary and eggs bennie sounds really good to me right now!

PART TWO: MY FIRST REAL DAY.
(City Tour, San Telmo, Taxi Cabs)

I need to say here that I was a bit concerned when I arrived at the CBM with no wi-fi and no closet! I contacted two apart-hotel companies via email late that afternoon, leaving them my number. I thought I would need to switch to a new location, but lucky for me, it all worked out. Interestingly, I never received a response via email or phone from these large, well known rental organizations. I do not know why, perhaps because it was Saturday?

The weather when I arrived was absolutely beautiful, and much to my dismay, I did not venture out; instead I slept through that stunning spring Saturday afternoon and all of the night. Sunday morning I was moved to Room Number 5, I started to adjust to the internet access that was available, and prepared to meet a local who had graciously offered to show me the city and the San Telmo Fair.

Unlike my first taxi driver, my friend found my hotel without a problem, LOL. We drove around what I think was the majority of the city, and he explained many historical and political facts along the way. Since it was a Sunday, most of the streets and businesses were very quiet so I would guess this is a good day to get a tour since traffic is very light. I was amazed at the vast size of the city, yet after my tour I was able to understand where I was when I went back in to the city during the rest of my trip. So I would definitely recommend a tour early in anyone's trip who is not familiar with the city.

We then went to the San Telmo Fair. Now, you must understand that I am not a shopper of goods, I am a shopper of sights. So I was delighted to just walk up the streets and people watch. I was not expecting the fair to be so large, and to see so many people!! It was great fun, and I would recommend it to anyone, but I can't tell you what to shop for! After stopping at a very populated resto/bar just in front of the main area of the fair for a drink, we walked over to see a Tango show on the square. We sat down right in front, just like the New York Times BA page, and I got some pretty good pictures.

For a light lunch, we went to a place called Mitico Sur. It was not very crowded, perhaps not a good sign, and service seemed slow. Food was unremarkable in this city's sea of very remarkable cuisine. In hindsight, we probably should have gone to a parrilla, but it is a good thing we did not!! I would have spent my ENTIRE time eating beef and gaining back the weight I recently lost!!

I then went back home (oops, I mean to my hotel), rested for a bit, and took a cab over to La Rural Convention Center. Here, I registered for a week-long convention, the main reason for my trip to Buenos Aires. After touring the large exhibit hall, meeting some wonderful people from around the globe, and having some rather awful convention center food (at this point I was wrongly worried about food in BsAs), I was ready to leave, along with 10,000+ other people!

There were so many folks trying to get a cab, I ended up walking about a half mile away to flag one down. No worries, except for walking in high heels in the dark on some cobble-like sidewalks, LOL. I found out then that a US $20 bill is NOT acceptable for the cab drivers, I am not sure why (smaller US bills usually are). I am compelled to tell you the following because I see people on this and other forums worried about taking taxis. And I saw many tourists on my trip with a panicked look on their face, wondering (out loud!!) if that was the "right" kind of cab to take.

I cannot guess how many cabs I took during my time in BsAs, but it was A LOT. I am happy to say I never had one iota of a problem. Calling them, hailing them, in front of hotels or any place else. I am in awe of these guys and the job they do! (The ride itself is a whole different story. OMG, talk about scary!! I did not know they made cars that were so small which seem to automatically shrink themselves into traffic lanes that do not exist!! Driving here requires some incredible skills!!!!)

During my stay, about half of the taxi drivers I met spoke some English, and when they did, I enjoyed listening to their stories. If I tipped them too much (usually always), they told me so and tried to give me the money back!! Imagine that!! I think the fares are too low and should be increased for tourists, not locals, which is probably not very good to say here on this forum. So that's my take on the cab situation. I would like to believe that rip offs are very minor exceptions to the rule. Just like anyplace else. Which makes me wonder: I'd venture to guess BsAs is in the top 10 cities for number of cab drivers per square block. Does anyone know what these stats are? I couldn't find any info in a google search.

Part three to follow soon. I am a slow writer, LOL.

LOL, I love the taxi remarks..I still cannot look out the front window when we ride in a taxi. I have though, stopped grabbing the door when the other taxis come straight at us..

I don't know how many there are but there are times I look out my window and that is just about all you see. Thank goodness, since we don't have a car here

Looking forward to more..and I hope everything is ok where your home is.

Thank you, Scarlett. My home is safe, our neighborhood was evacuated as a precaution. Many others are not so fortunate; the area of the fires is quite vast. It will be a while before they understand the full scope of it.

MichyB:
Enjoyable report! I am traveling solo&female like you to BA in mid-Nov (I meet up with my husband later in Santiago). My Spanish is limited, too. Oh well.

Did you arrange the airport pick-up directly with the hotel?

I was just going to take a cab from the airport, but now that I think about it, I should arrange pick-up.

PS
Glad to hear you are ok. I have family in San Diego and they had to evacuate. Thankfully they were able to return after 2 days and their house is ok.

Great and VERY ENTERTAINING report, MichyB!!!
Your "I CANNOT WAIT TO GO BACK" are the words I'm always hoping to find in a trip report!!!
Allow me to review some parts of your report, in order to help future travelers, such as Mistik321.
1) For airport/hotel transfer, particularly for a female first time solo traveler with little or no Spanish, I always suggest http://www.tiendaleon.com.ar/home/home.asp
as you can reserve online and prepay with your credit card. The fact that you "waited outside for about a half hour" and that "What should have been a half hour ride max, turned out to be a two hour plus ride instead!" shows that your hotel chose inadequate transportation for you.
2) An incoming tourist should NEVER leave the airport without some local currency in her purse/his wallet. As you say and we always suggest here, you should NOT use "Global Exchange". The Banco de la Nación or an ATM are the right places to go to. You need at least some change (meaning bills smaller than 50 or 100 pesos). If necessary, buy some small item at the airport's shops, to get change.
3) In a more entertaining vein, I simply LOVED your "I asked for a boleto when I meant a bolsa??" which you call "linguistic lunacy."
4) About your "I never received a response via email or phone from these large, well known rental organizations." in the second part of your report, I feel it would help this forum if you name them. Let's see if other readers agree.
5) I absolutely agree with you that Sunday morning is a great time to tour BA, "since traffic is very light", as you well say.
6) I'm very happy your experience with our cabbies was good. One reason may have been that apparently you didn't go to very touristy places. As I said in a recent thread, "a huge majority of BA's cabbies are great, hard-working fellows. But, like in any large town, there are a few bad apples and most of those tend to hang around touristy places, looking for targets for their scams."
7) I REALLY LOVED your "I think the fares are too low and should be increased for tourists, not locals". We should do that, just like they do for local flights. LOL!! JUST KIDDING.
More from yours truly about cabs in claire_david2's recent Trip Report
Does anyone wish to join me in clamoring for MORE, MORE input about BA from you?

Thank you, mistik312. I agree you should arrange for a taxi ahead of time, and with AV Rooster about exchanging money right away. I think I was fortunate in that regard. Oh, and the supermarket is a very good place to get change, as AV mentioned somewhere else on the forum. And I think you will be fine with a limited amount of Spanish because many people do speak English. I hope you enjoy your stay in BA, it is just a wonderful place!! And I am glad to hear your family is okay....maybe they are my neighbors since I was a refugee for (a long) two days as well.

And thank you, AV. Not having access to my computer at the time, my emails are not saved to tell you the names of the companies that never returned my calls, so I cannot say with certainty who they were. They were the big ones though, with big websites that appeared to have many apartments to rent.

PART THREE: SINGIN' IN THE RAIN!
(Isabel, AV Rooster, and other great people)

Safely back at my hotel, I had a restful sleep and woke up Monday to birds chirping in the foreground and city sounds in the background, and the sound of.... RAIN. A cab delivered me to the front gates of La Rural, where I spent the morning attending several sessions and trying to hook up with some influential people at the conference, with good success. I also grabbed some pizza before I left, I think it is called fugazza with thin crust, onions and cheese, and thank goodness, it was very yummy! (Made by Pizza Cero I believe.) The weather was nasty, but let up just enough for me to do a bit of shopping at the supermarket about a block from the CBM. No sooner than getting back to my room, the skies opened up and the storm began in ernest.

That evening I was going to take the Real Buenos Aires Tour with AV Rooster, but we postponed. I was also supposed to meet Isabel Llobet of Buenos Aires Tours ( http://www.buenosaires-tours.com.ar ). Thanks to suggestions I received on this forum, I had hooked up with Isabel a few weeks earlier, and she helped me plan a reception for some of the doctors who were attending the conference. She and I were going to meet at THE WINERY in Puerto Madero to see the venue and to give them a deposit for the event. Being a weather wimp from San Diego, these rains seemed really nasty to me, so I postponed this meeting as well.

It is here where I can begin singing my praises of Isabel and all that she did for me, a perfect stranger. Communicating online to begin with, I told her I needed to put on a cocktail reception as close to the Hilton in Puerto Madero as possible, and I did not know how many people would attend: maybe 25, maybe 50, maybe no one, LOL. Refusing to accept a fee because it was for a non-profit organization, she asked me all the right questions to understand my needs, scouted the area for possibilities, and reported back her results and opinions. We spoke together on the phone as well, and I felt like I had a new sister. We decided that THE WINERY fit the bill, so she worked with them to develop a menu of appetizers and wines, and negotiated the price as well. I was calling this Party: Impossible, but she made it possible. It was brilliantly executed! Words cannot express my gratitude for her tireless efforts which absolutely exceeded my expectations, and I am a picky person!! Later in the week, when we finally met, I insisted that I compensate her, but I get ahead of myself!!

So anyway, I spent Monday evening listening to the thunderstorm (I love that!), drinking some tasty but inexpensive Argentine Chardonnay, and watching reruns of CSI I think, in English with Spanish subtitles. I figured it was sort of a Spanish lesson, LOL.

Tuesday the weather was supposed to get better, and so I planned to go to the convention, to Puerto Madero to pay The Winery, and meet AV Rooster for the Real BA Tour. I did the work stuff at La Rural, got all my ducks in order for the rest of the day, and took a cab to The Winery. The people there were very very nice, we went over the plans for the event, and I made my deposit. Luckily, a girl, I think her name was Magalí, spoke some English and I felt confident that everything was in order. Isabel was working that day, but later I called to tell her everything was perfect.

I then walked across the street to the Hilton and had a tasty lunch there. I forget what they called it, but you could choose three different items from a long list, served in appetizer portions. I sat in the bar area, marveling at the hotel's largess, and smiled into my glass of Chardonnay happily thinking about my quaint (and inexpensive) hotel in Las Cañitas.

Although I took my time over lunch, it was still way too early to meet AV Rooster for the Real BA tour. Not having been to the train station yet, I took a short cab ride over to Retiro Mitre to check it out. I guess I am a bit strange, choosing a train station over other options. I think I had 2 hours to kill, so explored, and then stood outside to smoke a cigarette. A young and rather impoverished looking man who spoke no English approached me for a light (oh sure, a smoker without a lighter or matches??!). As I was trying to politely end the awkward conversation, his train which only cost 50 cents from what I could gather, gratefully took him on to his destination. A bit relieved, I entered a restaurant just around the corner, which seemed to be attached to the station. Sitting in the smoking section, I watched the passers-by and the big clock across the street to keep track of the time. My waiter was wonderful, although I'd swear he was Italian; maybe he was since the restaurant (I forget the name) was also Italian, I think.

Being a punctual person, I paid my bill and went outside to stand at the agreed upon place to meet for the tour, 20 minutes early. A friend from the convention met me there for the tour as well. We watched in awe as thousands and thousands of folks were leaving work and taking the trains home. I cannot imagine what rush hour would be like without this train service! We were enjoying the scene but became worried as it grew later and later. As it turns out, I did not follow instructions and was waiting in the wrong place!!! Just as we were deciding to give up and hail a cab, my friend and I saw AV. Boy did I feel like an idiot, and because of my mistake, we missed the cartonero train.

All was not lost, however. In spite of the mishap, we did get a tour of the suburbs (which I liked very much) and had dinner at a charming restaurant called La Bataraza. The food was like a home cooked meal and the company was great! We learned a bit more about Buenos Aires, and confirmed what we already knew: everyone goes out of their way to make us feel welcome!

Thank you so much, Isabel and AV Rooster!!

MichyB:
About your "As it turns out, I did not follow instructions and was waiting in the wrong place!!!", you should not feel too bad about it, because none other than the world-famous drdawggy, the most widely acknowledged TOP Internet expert on BA, once waited to take my tour by the copy of the Big Ben, ACROSS from the railway station, instead of "below the large clock IN THE HALL of the Retiro-Mitre railway station", as my instructions clearly indicate. He also missed my tour that time and insisted I had stood him up, until I prevailed upon him to reread my instructions. LOL!!!! He took my tour (twice, I believe) on later visits to BA.

AV, somehow in my head I remembered: ACROSS from the BIG CLOCK at the railway station.... I think once I saw Big Ben, I just didn't think there could be another clock, LOL. At any rate, it was great to finally find you. Once again, my humble apologies.

PART FOUR: WHERE DID THE TIME GO?
(Hail Storms, Hailing Cabs, Hail Buenos Aires)

On Wednesday I woke early to new thunderstorms and listened to the hail on the cold tile roof. Cabbed over to La Rural (again) for more conference stuff. I wasn't feeling too well, and the day is a bit of a blur. I would like to mention, though, that if you need a cab to pick you up at a certain time, regardless of the weather, make sure you call ahead of time, especially if you are not staying at a big hotel. When it is a busy time (morning and evenings) sometimes the wait can be a half an hour or more.

Thursday was my big morning at the conference, and the cocktail reception that evening. I was excited and nervous. The weather was cooperating and I was feeling better. I had asked the hotel to call me a cab for a 4:45 pickup to go to The Winery in Puerto Madero. Unfortunately, there was a staff shift change, and by 5pm, still no cab, so we had to call for another one. That stressed me out! It took about 40 minutes to get another one, and I was late to my own party!! Only two guests had arrived, and I knew them well, so no dramas.

The staff, service, food, presentation, wines and ambiance at The Winery reception were all superlative. A total of 25 guests showed up, and everyone raved about everything. The Winery is a wine store with a restaurant attached to it. Inside the restaurant, they arranged the furnishings to suit the environment, in a casual yet intimate setting. I cannot vouch for their regular menu, but the appetizers they served were outstanding and plentiful. Unfortunately, as the nervous-nellie hostess I did not get to sample them all! Four outstanding Argentine wines (2 whites, 2 reds) were served along with 7+ hot and cold appetizers, passed by the servers. The time of the event was scheduled 6-8:30 and guests left between 8:30 and 9:30. The Winery has several locations, see: http://www.winery.com.ar and of course, they come highly recommended!! The cost was a bit more than $26 per person US, which I feel is an outstanding price, skillfully negotiated by Isabel, who I mentioned early and must thank again! Isabel is a local travel agent and a member on fodors.com (screen name is milla, email is [email protected] ) and was unable to attend the event to see the results of her labor. I think her expectations would have been exceeded as well! This small gathering was attended by doctors from the U.S., Chile, Australia, Germany, France, Denmark, the UK, and maybe others that I cannot recall. Thanks Isabel for helping me with this important event to promote my non-profit to the top doctors in the world!!!

Ecstatic that my event went so well, on Friday I rested, and nixed the last day of the convention. I considered going to Recoleta but the weather was rather iffy, so I stayed close to home and hung out in Las Cañitas Friday and Saturday. As I said earlier, this barrio had everything I could want or need, except perhaps a translator, LOL. There are not a lot of tourists here that I could tell, which was evident in trying my best to speak with store employees and street vendors. Perhaps that is one of the reasons I liked it so much.

So I had been there for nearly a week already and had not eaten at a parrilla yet!!! Of course I had not done most of the things on my list! The hotel recommended a parrilla that I never did find, so I decided to check out the new kid on the block called "La Dorita" which was literally around the corner from the CBM. They have two other locations but had just opened up this one about a week before. Their website ( http://www.parrillaladorita.com.ar ) still does not list this new location, Arce 901.

One of the waiters spoke some English so he helped me figure out what to order (provoleta and bife de lomo), and I sat at the bar for full access to the sights. I was there for a very busy lunch hour, or should I say several hours. I chatted with a very nice woman sitting next to me, had a great time with the staff, and drank way too much of this really good champagne that was not on the menu (their chard was not very good). Well, I have no idea how La Dorita may rate amongst all the others, but I have never ever had better beef and still dream of it! Of all my regrets, the biggest is that I did not eat beef morning, noon and night. That steak is right there at the top of the gastronomic delights in my life. It was just served on a plank, all by its lonesome. Heaven with a bit of salt and pepper. My bar bill far outweighed my meal costs, and my wallet told me I over-tipped as usual. They do not take credit cards, BTW.

At the bar, they had all these rows of cute little brown things that are ceramic wine servers called penguinos (I guess that is how you spell it), so I guess they are something unique to Argentina? I did not get the full story, but I had to beg and plead to purchase one of them. They finally submitted and gave me one just to get me out of there I'm sure; and so I left stuffed and happy (borracha?) with my penguino. I thought the little guy would make a perfect gift to the hotel proprietor, so when I got back to the hotel I gave him the penguin. Much to my amazement, he collects penguinos. So there is more to learn about these birds.

That's nearly the end of my strange story. The last part (I promise, LOL) to follow soon.

PART FIVE: LAST DAY, LASTING IMPRESSIONS

On Sunday, I had arranged for a late check out since my plane left at 9pm, and was finally going to be able to get together with Isabel (see above). Since she is a travel agent, she took a tour of the Casa Bloody Mary and saw most of the 5 rooms. She can give you her professional opinion about the place in case you are interested. She and I talked and walked to a part of Las Cañitas I hadn't been to, and ended up directly across the street from the restaurant La Dorita, at a shopping mall. I was simply flabbergasted I had walked by this place many times but it was enclosed, and I forget what it was called, but I had no idea it was a mall!! It was not very big, but nice, and after a bit of window shopping, we went to the roof for a coffee and talked for quite a while. The day was just beautiful and I actually got sunburned!

There were so many things I did not do while in BA: Recoleta Cemetery and a Tigre Delta boat ride are musts on my next visit; but I didn't eat ice cream or pasta, take the train or ride the bus, see any of the museums, or eat enough red meat, LOL. The list of restaurants untried is vast! I did not go to an evening Tango, another sad thing; I think I would not prefer to do that solo. Although I never felt uncomfortable being single, I did not muster up enough courage to do the night life scene on my own. Although I am not a shopper, I did not even shop. The bottom line is I need to return for an extended stay since I guess I am a slow moving tourist. It was one of the best trips I've taken, thanks to the people there, all of them.

Isabel and I parted ways at the hotel gate, and I prepared for my departure. The hotel called for a car to pick me up about 4:30 I think. This was a private car, and I arrived at the airport in about a half an hour, although it seemed like he took a longer route through (more) parts of the city I had not seen. On this and other forums everyone always wonders about leaving, and paying the taxes and how long it takes, and so I did not want to take any chances and wanted to get there early. I guess I really lucked out, because with little effort, I paid my $18 tax with my credit card and checked in with American with nearly no lines at all. I don't think this is typical, but I am not sure.

The gods smiled upon me again when the girl told me my upgrade to first class (I used my AA miles) entitled me to use their Admiral's lounge. (They did not tell me this in Dulles, I had to ask.) So for about 3 hours, I had wi-fi access to my computer, free wine and food, and was able to smoke in the smoking section of the lounge. I was a happy camper, and as soon as I arrived home, signed myself up for American Express Platinum to get these privileges whenever I travel! My only other comment was that the first class food on American out of BA was probably the worst I have ever had, first class or otherwise; both dinner and breakfast were just disgusting. And I finally learned how to operate those danged (comfortable) seats in first class just before landing, LOL. Live and learn. As with most trips, I was glad to get home, and needed a vacation from my vacation.

Some comments:

The small mall you mention is called "El Solar de la Abadía".

About your "The bottom line is I need to return for an extended stay since I guess I am a slow moving tourist. It was one of the best trips I've taken,....": when should we expect you back? LOL!!!!

avrooster:
Do you have a website for BA tours?
I will be in BA next month, and interested in a city tour.
Thank you.

Hi, mistik 321!
My business is not at all tourism- related, so the answer to your question is that I DON'T have "a website for BA tours".
And if I did, it would be improper to promote it here.
Have a great time in our country.

Hello AV,

Thank you for the name of the shopping center, I knew it had 'sol' in there, lol. I have been examining my schedule to return, and I hope for another visit in your fall of 2008; otherwise I will have to sadly wait until 2009!

Mystic, there is a link to BA Tours in this thread that I posted, along with Isabel's email address.

Cheers!