Just Back from Argentina
Dec 19th, 2009, 11:04 PM
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Just Back from Argentina
I've just returned from Buenos Aires, Ushuaia, and El Calafate...and have some tips for my Fodors friends. I'll stick to the highlights and lowlights!
-LAN: What a mess of an airline! We flew out of Miami direct to Buenos Aires. The line in Miami, even with bags checked from other city already and "pre-boarding" done online...THREE HOURS LONG. All we needed was the actual boarding pass, which we couldn't get online. Really glad MIA has mojito bars.
Then after confirming all our flights AND getting an email to pre-check in for our flight from Ushuaia to El Calafate, we got to the airport...and that flight no longer existed! Poof! We had to take another airline (thank goodness there was a flight!). I'm still waiting for my refund from LAN for that flight (and that was a 1 hour phone call during which they hung up on me TWICE).
-Buenos Aires:
We liked it...didn't love it. It is a big city, of course, and different areas will appeal to different travelers. Florida St was a disappointment because I envisioned more cafes, a wider street, and better shopping. It was extremely crowded, actually quite dirty, and sadly had a lot of children begging...right at wallet level...which is always uneasy. There's an odd assortment of lingerie stores and men's clothing boutiques. Wait until 6pm and sellers start spreading out blankets with jewelry on the street. Also underwear, toys, DVDs, hats, kittens...
Do stop at a Havana store...there's one on every block...for a yummy chocolate cookie treat. So addictive. You'll want to save room to bring a box (or 4 or 5) home.
Palermo is a nice area with boutiques and cafes that will appeal to younger shoppers.
Calma Chica had a good selection of fun hobo-style leather purses and satchels.
Recoleta was pretty, but really for the serious shopper with lots of funds. The cemetery is a must-see.
La Boca is colorful, but beware of dog poop everywhere!
We liked the Botanical Garden- a nice respite and, for cat lovers, gatos everywhere that the city takes care of...
We had a very nice dinner at Las Casas Lilas in the Puerto Muerdo area- nice steak and grilled chicken, but BEWARE the mosquitos! This was actually a problem all over the city.
For leather coats try Silvia y Mario just off San Martin Square. It took my husband 3 fittings and two for myself, but we have nice jackets that we love.
We saw the tango show at Cafe Tortoni- it was more "show" than dance, but it was plenty for us and entertaining. I've read reviews about poor service at the Cafe, but our waiter was excellent and our dinner (hamburger, pizza, beer, and other drinks) was tasty.
We tried to walk as much as possible, and never felt threatened at all. That said this is not a great walking city. We used the subte (metro) with no issues, but the system doesn't have automatic ticket machines, so you have to stand in line to get a ticket from an actual teller. We used taxis a lot, but they were cheap, and everywhere.
It was in the upper 80's in early Dec in Buenos Aires.
Ushuaia:
We enjoyed our stay at Hosteria Jarke. It's on a hill, but it wasn't too bad! The reviews on other sites, like tripadvisor, are accurate.
You MUST do the penguin rookery trek with Pira Tours. This is the only tour company that actually walks on the penguin island. It is 250 pesos pp, and the company kiosk is located on the tourist pier, one block south of St Martin.
We did a 3 hour boat tour with Rumba Sur, also located on the tourist pier. Large boat that went to sea lion colony, bird colony, and light house. It was pleasant for us, but the wind was strong and the sea was churning, and some people got sea sick.
We also enjoyed a half-day tour of the National Park. This you can book via any travel agency in town. We used "All Patagonia". There's a GREAT tourist info center across from the tourist pier with tons of helpful staff.
The small bus tour went to the "post office at the End of the World" which was super cheesy, but fun. You can pay to have your passport stamped with an "End of the World" stamp. We sent ourselves a postcard as well, but still haven't received it. The tour also went to a bay, a lake resort, and the end Rt 3, allegedly the longest N-S road. Parts of the tour were great, but our guide took us on a muddy trek to point out fungus and tree lichen, which we didn't find interesting at all. Others in our group found it fascinating.
La Negra Chocolates on St Martin was yummy (try the mint or the el calafate treats!)
Tante Sara cafe was good and always busy.
Tia Elvira had great food (husband liked the king crab).
DO NOT EAT at the Irish Pub on St Martin...it was horrible (and there's no Guinness!)
Husband highly recommends Cape Horn beer...which was all over Ushuaia.
Everything you read about Ushuaia's weather is true. It would be sunny for 20 minutes and then rain...but it was ALWAYS very windy. It was below freezing the day we did our penguin tour, and if you are in the wind and on the water, don't underestimate layers and a good hat.
El Calafate:
LOVED Hosteria Los Hielos.
It is just outside town in a beautiful setting.
It you take a glacier trek, you'll be the last folks picked up, which is a time-saver.
El Calafate, in general, gets downplayed in the tour books. But it is really a cute tiny town, with a nice main street of restaurants and shopping. It was actually cleaner and nicer than Ushuaia.
WARNING: Come to El Calafate with cash! The ATMs were all out all over the the first day. Apparently it was a festival day, but also apparently this happens a lot.
Unfortunately I was very ill during this part of the trip, and we did not get to glacier trek.
Note: Hielo Y Adventuras does NOT give refunds unless you have a doctor's certificate. I had to have a doctor called to my hotel and got a certificate, but they did not give my husband a refund for his trek.
Hosteria Los Hielos has a wonderful staff that helped with the dr situation.
When I was able to get out of bed, the front desk helped find us a bus tour to at least SEE the glacier balconies. The main bus station has buses that leave at 9, 930, 1, and 2. The buses take you to the balconies and you have about 4 hours before you return.
This is definitely a DO. I would certainly say the trek or the day-long boat tour would likely be a great experience as well. Just seeing the glacier is amazing at the balconies.
It was beautiful, sunny, and in the 60s in early December in El Calafate. But the night air was chillier.
Back in Buenos Aires, if you fly LAN to return to the states, be sure to have LAN stamp your boarding pass for tax purposes. You do NOT have to pay the exit tax, which is around $20 pp...and rising!!! Rush hour traffic is horrible, too, so be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to get to the airport.
Overall we enjoyed Argentina! It's a great country with such varied experiences to offer!
-LAN: What a mess of an airline! We flew out of Miami direct to Buenos Aires. The line in Miami, even with bags checked from other city already and "pre-boarding" done online...THREE HOURS LONG. All we needed was the actual boarding pass, which we couldn't get online. Really glad MIA has mojito bars.
Then after confirming all our flights AND getting an email to pre-check in for our flight from Ushuaia to El Calafate, we got to the airport...and that flight no longer existed! Poof! We had to take another airline (thank goodness there was a flight!). I'm still waiting for my refund from LAN for that flight (and that was a 1 hour phone call during which they hung up on me TWICE).
-Buenos Aires:
We liked it...didn't love it. It is a big city, of course, and different areas will appeal to different travelers. Florida St was a disappointment because I envisioned more cafes, a wider street, and better shopping. It was extremely crowded, actually quite dirty, and sadly had a lot of children begging...right at wallet level...which is always uneasy. There's an odd assortment of lingerie stores and men's clothing boutiques. Wait until 6pm and sellers start spreading out blankets with jewelry on the street. Also underwear, toys, DVDs, hats, kittens...
Do stop at a Havana store...there's one on every block...for a yummy chocolate cookie treat. So addictive. You'll want to save room to bring a box (or 4 or 5) home.
Palermo is a nice area with boutiques and cafes that will appeal to younger shoppers.
Calma Chica had a good selection of fun hobo-style leather purses and satchels.
Recoleta was pretty, but really for the serious shopper with lots of funds. The cemetery is a must-see.
La Boca is colorful, but beware of dog poop everywhere!
We liked the Botanical Garden- a nice respite and, for cat lovers, gatos everywhere that the city takes care of...
We had a very nice dinner at Las Casas Lilas in the Puerto Muerdo area- nice steak and grilled chicken, but BEWARE the mosquitos! This was actually a problem all over the city.
For leather coats try Silvia y Mario just off San Martin Square. It took my husband 3 fittings and two for myself, but we have nice jackets that we love.
We saw the tango show at Cafe Tortoni- it was more "show" than dance, but it was plenty for us and entertaining. I've read reviews about poor service at the Cafe, but our waiter was excellent and our dinner (hamburger, pizza, beer, and other drinks) was tasty.
We tried to walk as much as possible, and never felt threatened at all. That said this is not a great walking city. We used the subte (metro) with no issues, but the system doesn't have automatic ticket machines, so you have to stand in line to get a ticket from an actual teller. We used taxis a lot, but they were cheap, and everywhere.
It was in the upper 80's in early Dec in Buenos Aires.
Ushuaia:
We enjoyed our stay at Hosteria Jarke. It's on a hill, but it wasn't too bad! The reviews on other sites, like tripadvisor, are accurate.
You MUST do the penguin rookery trek with Pira Tours. This is the only tour company that actually walks on the penguin island. It is 250 pesos pp, and the company kiosk is located on the tourist pier, one block south of St Martin.
We did a 3 hour boat tour with Rumba Sur, also located on the tourist pier. Large boat that went to sea lion colony, bird colony, and light house. It was pleasant for us, but the wind was strong and the sea was churning, and some people got sea sick.
We also enjoyed a half-day tour of the National Park. This you can book via any travel agency in town. We used "All Patagonia". There's a GREAT tourist info center across from the tourist pier with tons of helpful staff.
The small bus tour went to the "post office at the End of the World" which was super cheesy, but fun. You can pay to have your passport stamped with an "End of the World" stamp. We sent ourselves a postcard as well, but still haven't received it. The tour also went to a bay, a lake resort, and the end Rt 3, allegedly the longest N-S road. Parts of the tour were great, but our guide took us on a muddy trek to point out fungus and tree lichen, which we didn't find interesting at all. Others in our group found it fascinating.
La Negra Chocolates on St Martin was yummy (try the mint or the el calafate treats!)
Tante Sara cafe was good and always busy.
Tia Elvira had great food (husband liked the king crab).
DO NOT EAT at the Irish Pub on St Martin...it was horrible (and there's no Guinness!)
Husband highly recommends Cape Horn beer...which was all over Ushuaia.
Everything you read about Ushuaia's weather is true. It would be sunny for 20 minutes and then rain...but it was ALWAYS very windy. It was below freezing the day we did our penguin tour, and if you are in the wind and on the water, don't underestimate layers and a good hat.
El Calafate:
LOVED Hosteria Los Hielos.
It is just outside town in a beautiful setting.
It you take a glacier trek, you'll be the last folks picked up, which is a time-saver.
El Calafate, in general, gets downplayed in the tour books. But it is really a cute tiny town, with a nice main street of restaurants and shopping. It was actually cleaner and nicer than Ushuaia.
WARNING: Come to El Calafate with cash! The ATMs were all out all over the the first day. Apparently it was a festival day, but also apparently this happens a lot.
Unfortunately I was very ill during this part of the trip, and we did not get to glacier trek.
Note: Hielo Y Adventuras does NOT give refunds unless you have a doctor's certificate. I had to have a doctor called to my hotel and got a certificate, but they did not give my husband a refund for his trek.
Hosteria Los Hielos has a wonderful staff that helped with the dr situation.
When I was able to get out of bed, the front desk helped find us a bus tour to at least SEE the glacier balconies. The main bus station has buses that leave at 9, 930, 1, and 2. The buses take you to the balconies and you have about 4 hours before you return.
This is definitely a DO. I would certainly say the trek or the day-long boat tour would likely be a great experience as well. Just seeing the glacier is amazing at the balconies.
It was beautiful, sunny, and in the 60s in early December in El Calafate. But the night air was chillier.
Back in Buenos Aires, if you fly LAN to return to the states, be sure to have LAN stamp your boarding pass for tax purposes. You do NOT have to pay the exit tax, which is around $20 pp...and rising!!! Rush hour traffic is horrible, too, so be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to get to the airport.
Overall we enjoyed Argentina! It's a great country with such varied experiences to offer!
Dec 20th, 2009, 01:24 PM
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I appreciated your read regarding BsAs, and as you stated we visitors will perhaps have a different take than yours. One that I'd like to cite is there are other areas for great shopping than on Florida Street. When I was there 3Xs, I did not encounter any beggars. I stayed in the center of the street and walked and looked and ignored the hawkers, and when I deemed it necessary to go into any shop, that I just did and continued to enjoy immensely. I loved the Galleria P. though; it's an architectujal and cultural treat!
Recoleta is my preferred barrio, but if I manage to visit again in April 2010, I definitely want to take in other parts of Palermo (There are about four segments with distinct names.) as well as other barrios in this city which are not as frequented by visitors.
And as far as walking goes, I did not quite understand that you stated this city is not one for walking. It's just the opposite.
Again, I appreciated your take and perception and thank you for reporting. Continue to do this in conjunction with your travels.
Recoleta is my preferred barrio, but if I manage to visit again in April 2010, I definitely want to take in other parts of Palermo (There are about four segments with distinct names.) as well as other barrios in this city which are not as frequented by visitors.
And as far as walking goes, I did not quite understand that you stated this city is not one for walking. It's just the opposite.
Again, I appreciated your take and perception and thank you for reporting. Continue to do this in conjunction with your travels.
Dec 21st, 2009, 07:32 PM
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Eddwarm-
I think the beggars, sadly, are a sign of the economic times. I've spoken with friends who have visited Buenos Aires previously and not encountered this at all. But we saw them and encountered them in Microcentral and the port areas. Of course you will find this in any large city, but the children around Florida St seemed especially aggressive. Common sense and watchful eyes on purse and wallet were enough to make us feel secure, but visitors should just be aware this exists. There was also a noticable police presence all around Florida St.
As for walking...we thought you could pleasantly stroll in Palermo (which does indeed have several neighborhoods within itself) or Recoleta, but getting to and from different areas was difficult. It is a very spread out city and we did not find it pedestrian-friendly. The sidewalks are in bad shape in many areas and there's so much traffic that you have to concentrate on getting through intersections quickly...instead of admiring the architecture, etc in front of you. There are lots of parks and green spaces, though, that are lovely. The Botantical Garden is lovely and clearly a lot of thought has gone into the revitalization of the port...which is great (minus the Hooters restaurant!)
I think the beggars, sadly, are a sign of the economic times. I've spoken with friends who have visited Buenos Aires previously and not encountered this at all. But we saw them and encountered them in Microcentral and the port areas. Of course you will find this in any large city, but the children around Florida St seemed especially aggressive. Common sense and watchful eyes on purse and wallet were enough to make us feel secure, but visitors should just be aware this exists. There was also a noticable police presence all around Florida St.
As for walking...we thought you could pleasantly stroll in Palermo (which does indeed have several neighborhoods within itself) or Recoleta, but getting to and from different areas was difficult. It is a very spread out city and we did not find it pedestrian-friendly. The sidewalks are in bad shape in many areas and there's so much traffic that you have to concentrate on getting through intersections quickly...instead of admiring the architecture, etc in front of you. There are lots of parks and green spaces, though, that are lovely. The Botantical Garden is lovely and clearly a lot of thought has gone into the revitalization of the port...which is great (minus the Hooters restaurant!)
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