Trip Report Bariloche, Buenos Aires, Iguazu & Rio in 2 weeks
Sep 8th, 2009, 03:13 AM
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Trip Report Bariloche, Buenos Aires, Iguazu & Rio in 2 weeks
DH & I are 50-something budget travelers. We traveled with 32 ski club members to Argentina & Brazil. We flew AA from Chicago to Miami then LAN to BA & Bariloche. I had my first Havanna alfajore on the flight to Bariloche. Yum! (DH preferred the lemon cream filled cookies.) Thanks to everyone on this board I knew to change money at the Banco de la Nacion at Eze. Also during my two week travels on AA, LAN & TAM (9 flights total) there did not seem to be any rhyme or reason to the weight & carry on restrictions. On LAN domestic flights in Argentina we were allowed to carry bottles of wine onto the airplane! On LAN from Santiago to Miami our carry on bags were searched and liquids were confiscated. One woman in our group bought a bottle of wine in the duty free shop in Rio de Janiero only to have it confiscated in Santiago. I was overweight on my bag but never hassled or charged extra. Yet one member of our group was put through the wringer for being overweight. Nowhere but in the States was I required to take off my shoes.
<b>Day 1 - Bariloche</b>
When we arrived in Bariloche it was snowing. It was a great beginning for a ski trip. We stayed at the Edelweiss. DH & I could not believe how big & nice our room was. We are more used to budget ski hotels. However, there was a problem with the room. It was too cold. A quick trip to the front desk & within 5 minutes the staff had installed a space heater & given us extra blankets. We were as warm as toast for the rest of our stay. I brought the South American electrical adapter from my adaptor set. It turned out to be the wrong one. I should have brought the UK adaptor! Another trip to the front desk resulted in my securing an electrical adaptor. Since we were tired from the trip (over 24 hours) DH & I decided to nap before dinner. When we finally got up none of the rest of the group were around. So after checking the map we went off to El Boliche de Alberto’s for dinner. We arrived exactly at 8 pm. The restaurant was completely empty. I stuck my head in the door to ask the senora, “Abierto?” When she indicated that the restaurant was open we went inside. By 8:30 pm the restaurant was full and people were waiting for tables. We had proveleta, salad, fries, beef de chorizo and copa de Alberto for dessert. It was an amazing meal! We had one order of each & it was more than enough for two people. With a bottle of Alamos Malbec the total bill was $50 US.
<b>Day 2 - Bariloche</b>
The next morning we woke up at 8 am to complete darkness. Apparently, Argentina doesn’t believe in Daylight Savings Time. We ate breakfast at the hotel's ample breakfast buffet & then off to the slopes. As we were leaving the hotel DH & I hooked up with 6 other members of our group.
There is a bus stop just across the street from the hotel. The red bus is the bus to Cerro Catedral ski area. The bus is 6 pesos (about $1.57) one way. You pay the driver & he gives you a ticket. For the return ride you buy the ticket at the office (in the little wooden building where the bus drops you off). The bus is very crowded with about half the seats of a Chicago city bus. We had to stand for the 20 minute ride to the ski area. One of the men that DH & I hooked up with had been there before so he took charge of the group. He led us over to the Sextuple Chair. Just behind the lift ticket office is a place to rent skies. It was extremely crowded. We had to wait a while before we were waited on. We were able to rent skis, boots & poles for 75 pesos each (less than $20 US). This was the first place that we ran into the credit card surcharge. The credit card users were charged a $20 US fee for charges less than 300 pesos. After we had paid we went upstairs to get the equipment.
Finally geared up we went out to get the lift tickets. Again we waited in a long line. But we were served coffee with dulce de leche in it while we waited. The lift tickets were 150 pesos each ($39 US) and they did not accept credit cards. We left the hotel at 9:15 am but it wasn’t until about 11 am that we finally hit the slopes! The slopes were very crowded & the lift lines were very long. A couple of the lifts were closed due to winds. Now I love skiing but at about 2:30 I told DH that I just did not want to wait in another lift line & we called it a day. On the way back to return the equipment a teenaged boy asked us for our lift tickets. I thought he wanted to buy them but he just wanted us to GIVE them to him. DH & I sort of shrugged & gave him our tickets. He said it was for him & his sister. I told DH now the kid would take his lift ticket money & spend it on something else. When we returned the equipment the guys in the rental shop also asked us for our tickets. I regretted giving the tickets to the kid because I would have given them to the guys in the shop if I would have known. Back to the bus where we got to stand all the way back to Bariloche.
On the way back to the hotel we found a grocery store, La Anonima on Quaglia just off of Moreno. We bought some Patagonia cheese (which we did not care for) some crackers, wine & water.
That night there was a group dinner at the hotel restaurant. The menu was curried chicken. DH does not like curry. Remembering from this forum that "Argentinians think pepper is too hot" I told DH not to worry. Sure enough the sauce on the chicken had just the faintest hint of curry in it. I really enjoyed the dinner & thought the food was quite good. The dinner was included in our package tour & all we had to do was pay for our wine - $20 US.
Up next rain ,rain & more rain. Bariloche gets 20 inches of rain a year & they got it al the week I was there!
<b>Day 1 - Bariloche</b>
When we arrived in Bariloche it was snowing. It was a great beginning for a ski trip. We stayed at the Edelweiss. DH & I could not believe how big & nice our room was. We are more used to budget ski hotels. However, there was a problem with the room. It was too cold. A quick trip to the front desk & within 5 minutes the staff had installed a space heater & given us extra blankets. We were as warm as toast for the rest of our stay. I brought the South American electrical adapter from my adaptor set. It turned out to be the wrong one. I should have brought the UK adaptor! Another trip to the front desk resulted in my securing an electrical adaptor. Since we were tired from the trip (over 24 hours) DH & I decided to nap before dinner. When we finally got up none of the rest of the group were around. So after checking the map we went off to El Boliche de Alberto’s for dinner. We arrived exactly at 8 pm. The restaurant was completely empty. I stuck my head in the door to ask the senora, “Abierto?” When she indicated that the restaurant was open we went inside. By 8:30 pm the restaurant was full and people were waiting for tables. We had proveleta, salad, fries, beef de chorizo and copa de Alberto for dessert. It was an amazing meal! We had one order of each & it was more than enough for two people. With a bottle of Alamos Malbec the total bill was $50 US.
<b>Day 2 - Bariloche</b>
The next morning we woke up at 8 am to complete darkness. Apparently, Argentina doesn’t believe in Daylight Savings Time. We ate breakfast at the hotel's ample breakfast buffet & then off to the slopes. As we were leaving the hotel DH & I hooked up with 6 other members of our group.
There is a bus stop just across the street from the hotel. The red bus is the bus to Cerro Catedral ski area. The bus is 6 pesos (about $1.57) one way. You pay the driver & he gives you a ticket. For the return ride you buy the ticket at the office (in the little wooden building where the bus drops you off). The bus is very crowded with about half the seats of a Chicago city bus. We had to stand for the 20 minute ride to the ski area. One of the men that DH & I hooked up with had been there before so he took charge of the group. He led us over to the Sextuple Chair. Just behind the lift ticket office is a place to rent skies. It was extremely crowded. We had to wait a while before we were waited on. We were able to rent skis, boots & poles for 75 pesos each (less than $20 US). This was the first place that we ran into the credit card surcharge. The credit card users were charged a $20 US fee for charges less than 300 pesos. After we had paid we went upstairs to get the equipment.
Finally geared up we went out to get the lift tickets. Again we waited in a long line. But we were served coffee with dulce de leche in it while we waited. The lift tickets were 150 pesos each ($39 US) and they did not accept credit cards. We left the hotel at 9:15 am but it wasn’t until about 11 am that we finally hit the slopes! The slopes were very crowded & the lift lines were very long. A couple of the lifts were closed due to winds. Now I love skiing but at about 2:30 I told DH that I just did not want to wait in another lift line & we called it a day. On the way back to return the equipment a teenaged boy asked us for our lift tickets. I thought he wanted to buy them but he just wanted us to GIVE them to him. DH & I sort of shrugged & gave him our tickets. He said it was for him & his sister. I told DH now the kid would take his lift ticket money & spend it on something else. When we returned the equipment the guys in the rental shop also asked us for our tickets. I regretted giving the tickets to the kid because I would have given them to the guys in the shop if I would have known. Back to the bus where we got to stand all the way back to Bariloche.
On the way back to the hotel we found a grocery store, La Anonima on Quaglia just off of Moreno. We bought some Patagonia cheese (which we did not care for) some crackers, wine & water.
That night there was a group dinner at the hotel restaurant. The menu was curried chicken. DH does not like curry. Remembering from this forum that "Argentinians think pepper is too hot" I told DH not to worry. Sure enough the sauce on the chicken had just the faintest hint of curry in it. I really enjoyed the dinner & thought the food was quite good. The dinner was included in our package tour & all we had to do was pay for our wine - $20 US.
Up next rain ,rain & more rain. Bariloche gets 20 inches of rain a year & they got it al the week I was there!
Sep 8th, 2009, 09:37 PM
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<b>Day 3 - Bariloche</b>
Woke up Monday morning to dark & pouring rain. We had a leisurely breakfast & tried to plan our day. A number of the group were going to hang around town but 5 of us decided to drive out to Villa Angostura, sort of the Carmel of the lake district. We couldn’t see much through the pouring rain. But we did see a little of the countryside. The country around Bariloche looks like Wyoming or Montana with scrub & mountains in the background. Our guide, Raquel, told us the story of Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and Etta Place. They settled 200 miles from Bariloche. They became prominent citizens of the community & invited all the local dignitaries to their parties. The movie version has them dying in Bolivia but Raquel told us that after the Pinkerton investigators found them Etta, who was pregnant, took the boat to Chile & they all disappeared & were never seen again.
As we got closer to Villa Angostura the countryside changed. It began to look more like the Pacific Northwest or even Norway with mountains surrounding long narrow channels of water. We drove up the road to a look out just 12 miles from the Chilean border. The 5 of us wanted to go to Chile but we could not convince our guide to take us. We stopped for lunch in Angostura at a little restaurant, Tres Amigos. I had a wonderful lunch of trout with capers in lemon sauce & DH had beef de chorizo. With a Coke & a white wine the bill was $34 US.
After lunch we drove back to Bariloche. It poured rain all day. It was very sad & gloomy.
That night DH & I ate at La Marmite. It is a quaint old house turned into a restaurant. We went for fondue, but the restaurant has a full menu. It is on Mitre, the main shopping street of Bariloche. We had the fondue chinoise. I am used getting vegetables with fondue but in Argentina it was all meat. So I added a salad to the order. DH was going to order a bottle of Trapiche wine but the waiter steered him to a Benjamin Nieto Senetiner. The waiter said it was a much better wine at a much better price. He was right, we really enjoyed it. For dessert DH had some sort of almond thingy, I had warm raspberries with vanilla ice cream – OMG! It was to die for! Total bill - $60 US.
<b>Day 4 - Bariloche</b>
We woke again to darkness & rain. Most of the group went on a tour but a few of us decided to hang around Bariloche. We walked around & shopped. We bought fleece & T-shirts. DH bought a hand tooled leather belt. We both bought wallets. Mine is made from carpincho or capybara. It is beautiful, green suede & waterproof. DH bought a plain black leather wallet. I also bought a beautiful pair of cowboy boots made in Salta. I thought they were snakeskin but the salesgirl assured me that they were made from fish! They are almond color with a brown suede upper. I just wish I knew which fish they were made from. They were only $125 US.
We walked through the town square. There were white kerchiefs painted on the bricks of the square. Some had names & dates painted under the kerchief. They were a sad reminder of the Dirty War.
Six of us ate lunch at La Marca, it is a cute little parrilla, open all day. It is on Pasaje Urquiza 230. I had hand made cheese raviolis with pink sauce that was delicious. DH had gnocchi. We both agreed that I made the better selection this time. Everyone really enjoyed their lunch. Lots of wine & a total bill of $35 US for the two of us.
Across the street from the restaurant a feria was being set up. But it was pouring rain and it did not look too good for the feria. We just made a quick walk through the booths. Then we headed back to the supermarket on Mitre 281, I think it is called Todo, for some more water & wine & headed back to the hotel.
That night there was another group dinner. This time it was at Familia Weiss restaurant. It is a big beautiful restaurant near the church. The décor is “hunting lodge”. I am not big on German food. I would have rather tried another outstanding Argentinean restaurant. I had venison stew that tasted suspiciously like DH’s beef stroganoff. I did FINALLY get to have a Pisco Sour. I had not had one since my trip to Peru 10 years ago. It was as delicious as I remembered. There was plenty of wine & conversation. We all walked back to the hotel after dinner, with an emergency stop at Abuela Goya to stock up on kilos of chocolate filled with dulce de leche. When we arrived back at the hotel someone suggested we “drink up all the bottles of wine before the morning flight”. So that is what we all did in the hotel lobby. It was a great way to wrap up our time in Bariloche.
One note on Bariloche – it is a quaint little town chock full of great restaurants. Everyone in our group raved about the restaurants that they had eaten at. No one ever mentioned feeling unsafe at anytime.
Next up - BA & being serenaded with a Tango song
Woke up Monday morning to dark & pouring rain. We had a leisurely breakfast & tried to plan our day. A number of the group were going to hang around town but 5 of us decided to drive out to Villa Angostura, sort of the Carmel of the lake district. We couldn’t see much through the pouring rain. But we did see a little of the countryside. The country around Bariloche looks like Wyoming or Montana with scrub & mountains in the background. Our guide, Raquel, told us the story of Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and Etta Place. They settled 200 miles from Bariloche. They became prominent citizens of the community & invited all the local dignitaries to their parties. The movie version has them dying in Bolivia but Raquel told us that after the Pinkerton investigators found them Etta, who was pregnant, took the boat to Chile & they all disappeared & were never seen again.
As we got closer to Villa Angostura the countryside changed. It began to look more like the Pacific Northwest or even Norway with mountains surrounding long narrow channels of water. We drove up the road to a look out just 12 miles from the Chilean border. The 5 of us wanted to go to Chile but we could not convince our guide to take us. We stopped for lunch in Angostura at a little restaurant, Tres Amigos. I had a wonderful lunch of trout with capers in lemon sauce & DH had beef de chorizo. With a Coke & a white wine the bill was $34 US.
After lunch we drove back to Bariloche. It poured rain all day. It was very sad & gloomy.
That night DH & I ate at La Marmite. It is a quaint old house turned into a restaurant. We went for fondue, but the restaurant has a full menu. It is on Mitre, the main shopping street of Bariloche. We had the fondue chinoise. I am used getting vegetables with fondue but in Argentina it was all meat. So I added a salad to the order. DH was going to order a bottle of Trapiche wine but the waiter steered him to a Benjamin Nieto Senetiner. The waiter said it was a much better wine at a much better price. He was right, we really enjoyed it. For dessert DH had some sort of almond thingy, I had warm raspberries with vanilla ice cream – OMG! It was to die for! Total bill - $60 US.
<b>Day 4 - Bariloche</b>
We woke again to darkness & rain. Most of the group went on a tour but a few of us decided to hang around Bariloche. We walked around & shopped. We bought fleece & T-shirts. DH bought a hand tooled leather belt. We both bought wallets. Mine is made from carpincho or capybara. It is beautiful, green suede & waterproof. DH bought a plain black leather wallet. I also bought a beautiful pair of cowboy boots made in Salta. I thought they were snakeskin but the salesgirl assured me that they were made from fish! They are almond color with a brown suede upper. I just wish I knew which fish they were made from. They were only $125 US.
We walked through the town square. There were white kerchiefs painted on the bricks of the square. Some had names & dates painted under the kerchief. They were a sad reminder of the Dirty War.
Six of us ate lunch at La Marca, it is a cute little parrilla, open all day. It is on Pasaje Urquiza 230. I had hand made cheese raviolis with pink sauce that was delicious. DH had gnocchi. We both agreed that I made the better selection this time. Everyone really enjoyed their lunch. Lots of wine & a total bill of $35 US for the two of us.
Across the street from the restaurant a feria was being set up. But it was pouring rain and it did not look too good for the feria. We just made a quick walk through the booths. Then we headed back to the supermarket on Mitre 281, I think it is called Todo, for some more water & wine & headed back to the hotel.
That night there was another group dinner. This time it was at Familia Weiss restaurant. It is a big beautiful restaurant near the church. The décor is “hunting lodge”. I am not big on German food. I would have rather tried another outstanding Argentinean restaurant. I had venison stew that tasted suspiciously like DH’s beef stroganoff. I did FINALLY get to have a Pisco Sour. I had not had one since my trip to Peru 10 years ago. It was as delicious as I remembered. There was plenty of wine & conversation. We all walked back to the hotel after dinner, with an emergency stop at Abuela Goya to stock up on kilos of chocolate filled with dulce de leche. When we arrived back at the hotel someone suggested we “drink up all the bottles of wine before the morning flight”. So that is what we all did in the hotel lobby. It was a great way to wrap up our time in Bariloche.
One note on Bariloche – it is a quaint little town chock full of great restaurants. Everyone in our group raved about the restaurants that they had eaten at. No one ever mentioned feeling unsafe at anytime.
Next up - BA & being serenaded with a Tango song
Sep 9th, 2009, 09:29 PM
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Day 5 – Buenos Aires
Of course the day we leave Bariloche there is blue sky & sunshine! Raquel said it was the tease to get us to return to Bariloche. We had breakfast at the hotel & later a quick sandwich at the Bariloche airport. The LAN flight to BA was uneventful except for another box of Havanna alfejores that was distributed to us by the flight crew.
The group was booked at the Melia Hotel (just off Plaza San Martin). We were greeted with juice, coffee & cake at check-in. DH & I could not believe how big & beautiful the room was. The robes & slippers had us in awe. This hotel was a huge step up from what we are used to on our budget ski trips! After we settled in we strolled out to have a little drink with some of the group. We ended up at a little English Pub on Reconquista not far from the hotel. DH & I shared a bottle of wine for about $13 US. I don’t remember what wine we had. Every time I go on a ski trip people always want to go to the English Pubs. I just hate getting sucked into that. I would rather go someplace less American/English & more local. But if I want to be with the group that is what happens. So when people started talking about EATING at the English Pub I talked them into going to Dora, just a few doors down. Dora was nice. DH & I each ordered beef de chorizo that was way too much for me. So as usual, DH ate all of his dinner & the other half of my dinner. The steak was really good. But it was the most expensive dinner we had at $86 US. That includes a bottle of wine & dessert.
Day 6 Buenos Aires
Thursday morning after a buffet breakfast at the hotel many of the group went to Montevideo on a tour. DH & I hooked up with another couple & took a taxi (12 pesos) to Recoleta Cemetery for the 11 am English tour. These English tours take place on Tuesdays & Thursdays at 11 am. There is no entrance fee to the cemetery but there are people at the gate asking for donations. I believe DH gave some pesos to a man collecting for AIDS & he also paid 6 pesos for a map of the cemetery.
Our tour guide was Florenzia. She was very interesting & told us many stories about the different tombs & what the people in them meant to Argentina. She said people travel more in Argentina when they are dead than when they are alive. It seems that bodies are being moved to different cemeteries all the time! That day was so hot! OMG! It had to be at least 85 F! I could not believe that it was winter! I spent the entire tour hugging as much shade as I could! DH did tip Florenzia 10 pesos after the tour. After the tour we went out to find something to drink. We bought some water at a sidewalk cart just outside the cemetery gate.
I really wanted to stop at Café Biela but the wife of the other couple did not. Since she was the one who wanted to eat at the English Pub the night before I sort of felt like I had to give in on this point. So instead we walked over to Santa Fe & began the walk back to the hotel. The other couple had heard that Santa Fe had many shops & was cheaper than Florida. We looked in windows but never went in any stores. We ended up eating lunch at some nondescript pizzeria on Santa Fe. I had a delicious steak salad & DH had a lomito with a Coke & water the bill was $20 US. We continued back to the hotel & I dragged everyone to Florida. I said that we could not go to BA & not walk down Florida at least once! It would be like going to Chicago & not walking down State St! We ended up at Galleries Pacifico & had an ice cream at Freddo’s.
That night we settled for some empanadas & wine at the hotel’s sidewalk café ($14 US). We were there when the group returned from Montevideo. The consensus was that it was a long day of traveling & they probably should have spent it in BA.
Of course the day we leave Bariloche there is blue sky & sunshine! Raquel said it was the tease to get us to return to Bariloche. We had breakfast at the hotel & later a quick sandwich at the Bariloche airport. The LAN flight to BA was uneventful except for another box of Havanna alfejores that was distributed to us by the flight crew.
The group was booked at the Melia Hotel (just off Plaza San Martin). We were greeted with juice, coffee & cake at check-in. DH & I could not believe how big & beautiful the room was. The robes & slippers had us in awe. This hotel was a huge step up from what we are used to on our budget ski trips! After we settled in we strolled out to have a little drink with some of the group. We ended up at a little English Pub on Reconquista not far from the hotel. DH & I shared a bottle of wine for about $13 US. I don’t remember what wine we had. Every time I go on a ski trip people always want to go to the English Pubs. I just hate getting sucked into that. I would rather go someplace less American/English & more local. But if I want to be with the group that is what happens. So when people started talking about EATING at the English Pub I talked them into going to Dora, just a few doors down. Dora was nice. DH & I each ordered beef de chorizo that was way too much for me. So as usual, DH ate all of his dinner & the other half of my dinner. The steak was really good. But it was the most expensive dinner we had at $86 US. That includes a bottle of wine & dessert.
Day 6 Buenos Aires
Thursday morning after a buffet breakfast at the hotel many of the group went to Montevideo on a tour. DH & I hooked up with another couple & took a taxi (12 pesos) to Recoleta Cemetery for the 11 am English tour. These English tours take place on Tuesdays & Thursdays at 11 am. There is no entrance fee to the cemetery but there are people at the gate asking for donations. I believe DH gave some pesos to a man collecting for AIDS & he also paid 6 pesos for a map of the cemetery.
Our tour guide was Florenzia. She was very interesting & told us many stories about the different tombs & what the people in them meant to Argentina. She said people travel more in Argentina when they are dead than when they are alive. It seems that bodies are being moved to different cemeteries all the time! That day was so hot! OMG! It had to be at least 85 F! I could not believe that it was winter! I spent the entire tour hugging as much shade as I could! DH did tip Florenzia 10 pesos after the tour. After the tour we went out to find something to drink. We bought some water at a sidewalk cart just outside the cemetery gate.
I really wanted to stop at Café Biela but the wife of the other couple did not. Since she was the one who wanted to eat at the English Pub the night before I sort of felt like I had to give in on this point. So instead we walked over to Santa Fe & began the walk back to the hotel. The other couple had heard that Santa Fe had many shops & was cheaper than Florida. We looked in windows but never went in any stores. We ended up eating lunch at some nondescript pizzeria on Santa Fe. I had a delicious steak salad & DH had a lomito with a Coke & water the bill was $20 US. We continued back to the hotel & I dragged everyone to Florida. I said that we could not go to BA & not walk down Florida at least once! It would be like going to Chicago & not walking down State St! We ended up at Galleries Pacifico & had an ice cream at Freddo’s.
That night we settled for some empanadas & wine at the hotel’s sidewalk café ($14 US). We were there when the group returned from Montevideo. The consensus was that it was a long day of traveling & they probably should have spent it in BA.
Sep 10th, 2009, 09:27 PM
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<b>Day 7 - Buenos Aires</b>
Day 7 Buenos Aires
After a great breakfast DH & I headed off to the Congreso for the 11 am BA Free Tour. We took a taxi over to Rividavia & Rodriguez Pena St. We walked across the street to the park & sure enough there was a big green sign announcing the BA Free Tour & Maca was already there. She is a charming & engaging young lady & we really enjoyed the tour. There were about a dozen of us in the tour. We walked down Rividavia from the Congreso to the Casa Rosada. Maca showed us the little feria on Peru St. She said it was there every day. So if anyone can’t get to San Telmo on Sunday or Recoleta on Saturday try Peru St. Then we walked up Diagonal Norte to the Obelisk. Did anyone know about the house on 9 Julio? I mean a REAL house on top of a sky scraper! If you take the BA Free tour Maca will show it to you. Did anyone know that buildings in BA could only be 33 stories high? Maca told us it is the maximum angle that military men can look up without their hats falling off! I was also very impressed with the delicate & sensitive way that Maca discussed the Dirty War. I know our guide in Bariloche, Raquel, is still very angry about it. Raquel told us that she was originally from Chile & had friends who had disappeared. I think DH tipped Maca 20 pesos at the end of the tour.
After the tour DH & I walked back to Rividavia so we could eat lunch at Café Tortoni. I had a fugezetta & he had turkey on a croissant. The fugezetta, a cheese & onion pizza, was very good. With a couple of glasses of wine & a couple of Cokes the lunch bill was $ 33 US. We would have had submarinos or hot chocolate & churros but in 85 degree temperatures they sort of lost their appeal.
While we were lingering over our lunch the elderly man sitting at the next table with his granddaughter tried to start a conversation with me. Unfortunately, my high school Spanish was not good enough for me to understand him. Eventually, I understood him to be asking me if I liked Tango. When I told him I did he began to sing to me! I am sure his granddaughter wanted the floor to open up & swallow her. He sang me a Tango song and I really regret that I will never know what he sang to me. It was a priceless moment and one of the highlights of my trip. I joked with DH that this man was trying to make time with me in front of my husband! But I was very touched that this old man sang me a song of tango.
After lunch we walked next door to the Academy of Tango to check out lessons. Unfortunately the lesson began at 3 pm so we were too late. DH was extremely upset. It was one of the things he had been looking forward to the most. But I steered us over to Confeteria Ideal. Sure enough the milonga was in full swing at 4 pm on a Friday. We peaked into the ballroom & watched the couples dance for a few minutes. There was a posting of class times near the front door. We saw that there was a lesson everyday at 2 pm & 7 pm. So we decided to return the next day.
We headed back to the hotel walking down Florida St again. We even stopped in to look at some leather coats in one place. We ended up at Plaza San Martin at Sylvia & Mario’s where I bought a leather jacket. I know everyone says to go to Murrillo St but I was only in BA 3 days & just did not have time.
Dinner that night was another group event. We went to Esquina Carlos Guardel for the dinner & tango. I don’t care what anyone says, I really enjoyed it. The tango in the show was nothing like the tango people were dancing at Confeteria Ideal but the show was very good. Before dinner there is an extensive film depicting the history of Tango. Then dinner is served. The food was outstanding. There was a choice of steak, fish or vegetarian pasta. The wine was included all you can drink. When I managed to drop a piece of chocolate on my white blouse the waiter hurried over with Tide roll-on to help me remove the stain. After dessert & coffee the show began. It consisted of dancing as well as singing.
At one point in the show the Tango singer began to sing a song. The entire audience began to sing along with him. So he stopped singing & let the audience sing the entire song. I had tears in my eyes. It was such an amazing moment. It is another priceless moment and another highlight of my trip. So for everyone who says Tango shows are only for tourists I say-so there! It wasn't us tourists who sang that song.
Up next a last look at Beautiful Buenos Aires.
Day 7 Buenos Aires
After a great breakfast DH & I headed off to the Congreso for the 11 am BA Free Tour. We took a taxi over to Rividavia & Rodriguez Pena St. We walked across the street to the park & sure enough there was a big green sign announcing the BA Free Tour & Maca was already there. She is a charming & engaging young lady & we really enjoyed the tour. There were about a dozen of us in the tour. We walked down Rividavia from the Congreso to the Casa Rosada. Maca showed us the little feria on Peru St. She said it was there every day. So if anyone can’t get to San Telmo on Sunday or Recoleta on Saturday try Peru St. Then we walked up Diagonal Norte to the Obelisk. Did anyone know about the house on 9 Julio? I mean a REAL house on top of a sky scraper! If you take the BA Free tour Maca will show it to you. Did anyone know that buildings in BA could only be 33 stories high? Maca told us it is the maximum angle that military men can look up without their hats falling off! I was also very impressed with the delicate & sensitive way that Maca discussed the Dirty War. I know our guide in Bariloche, Raquel, is still very angry about it. Raquel told us that she was originally from Chile & had friends who had disappeared. I think DH tipped Maca 20 pesos at the end of the tour.
After the tour DH & I walked back to Rividavia so we could eat lunch at Café Tortoni. I had a fugezetta & he had turkey on a croissant. The fugezetta, a cheese & onion pizza, was very good. With a couple of glasses of wine & a couple of Cokes the lunch bill was $ 33 US. We would have had submarinos or hot chocolate & churros but in 85 degree temperatures they sort of lost their appeal.
While we were lingering over our lunch the elderly man sitting at the next table with his granddaughter tried to start a conversation with me. Unfortunately, my high school Spanish was not good enough for me to understand him. Eventually, I understood him to be asking me if I liked Tango. When I told him I did he began to sing to me! I am sure his granddaughter wanted the floor to open up & swallow her. He sang me a Tango song and I really regret that I will never know what he sang to me. It was a priceless moment and one of the highlights of my trip. I joked with DH that this man was trying to make time with me in front of my husband! But I was very touched that this old man sang me a song of tango.
After lunch we walked next door to the Academy of Tango to check out lessons. Unfortunately the lesson began at 3 pm so we were too late. DH was extremely upset. It was one of the things he had been looking forward to the most. But I steered us over to Confeteria Ideal. Sure enough the milonga was in full swing at 4 pm on a Friday. We peaked into the ballroom & watched the couples dance for a few minutes. There was a posting of class times near the front door. We saw that there was a lesson everyday at 2 pm & 7 pm. So we decided to return the next day.
We headed back to the hotel walking down Florida St again. We even stopped in to look at some leather coats in one place. We ended up at Plaza San Martin at Sylvia & Mario’s where I bought a leather jacket. I know everyone says to go to Murrillo St but I was only in BA 3 days & just did not have time.
Dinner that night was another group event. We went to Esquina Carlos Guardel for the dinner & tango. I don’t care what anyone says, I really enjoyed it. The tango in the show was nothing like the tango people were dancing at Confeteria Ideal but the show was very good. Before dinner there is an extensive film depicting the history of Tango. Then dinner is served. The food was outstanding. There was a choice of steak, fish or vegetarian pasta. The wine was included all you can drink. When I managed to drop a piece of chocolate on my white blouse the waiter hurried over with Tide roll-on to help me remove the stain. After dessert & coffee the show began. It consisted of dancing as well as singing.
At one point in the show the Tango singer began to sing a song. The entire audience began to sing along with him. So he stopped singing & let the audience sing the entire song. I had tears in my eyes. It was such an amazing moment. It is another priceless moment and another highlight of my trip. So for everyone who says Tango shows are only for tourists I say-so there! It wasn't us tourists who sang that song.
Up next a last look at Beautiful Buenos Aires.
Sep 21st, 2009, 11:32 PM
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Sorry for the long delay. I was pretty busy at work last week.
<b>Day 8 Buenos Aires</b>
Our last day in BA was like all the others – hot, with blue sky & sunshine. DH was upset b/c he did not feel that he was able to spend as much time as he wanted at Eva Peron’s tomb. I wanted to go inside the church. So we headed back to Recoleta Cemetery. We were there right at opening & hurried to Eva’s tomb before the crowds. We stayed until DH felt that he had been able to absorb all the plaques & the tomb. Then we went to the church.
After a few minutes inside the church we strolled through the feria. The feria was huge & we only walked through a part of it. We stayed at the feria until it was time to return to Sylvia & Mario’s for my fitting.
We arrived at Silvia & Mario’s a few minutes before the scheduled appointment. The tailor was waiting for me. He made a small adjustment on the sleeve length. A few minutes later & were on our way and I had a new leather jacket.
We went back to the hotel to rest before tango time.
About 1:30 pm we headed off to Confiteria Ideal. I carried my dancing shoes with me in a plastic bag. When we arrived at Confiteria Ideal I saw all the other women arriving. They were also carrying their dancing shoes. The lessons were 50 pesos for both of us. Our instructors were Sylvia & Fernando. They started us on the 8 steps right away. Perhaps they did this b/c DH & I were together. All the other students were lovely young women. (A note to all you single guys out there). The class was held next to the bar. Sylvia & Fernando were great. If you go to Buenos Aires go to Confiteria Ideal. You will have a great time. The lesson ended about 4 pm. DH & I left about 5 pm. Then back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.
Dinner that night was at La Cabrera Norte. I had the hotel make reservations for me. Nine of us headed to Palermo in two taxis. Our reservations were for 8:30 pm. We were just about the first people in the restaurant. La Cabrera serves beef by the kilo - that’s 2.2 pounds for all you Yanks. DH & I shared the proveleta & beef de chorizo mariposa al punto. I was going to order a salad when the waiter reminded me that we had many side dishes coming with the steak. Another couple we were with had rib eyes the size of 16” softballs. Another man ordered a shish-ka-bob and ended up with a 4-foot long skewer with three filets on it. Even the women that ordered half orders could not finish their dinners. We also drank 4 bottles of Don David wine. The bill for DH & myself was $31 US!
After we paid the check the waiter appeared with 4 bottles of wine! He placed them on the table telling us it was a promotion. All I could think was, “Oh, no, we’re leaving tomorrow on a plane!” But we still took the wine & divided the bottles between the nine of us. Then back to the hotel to pack.
<b>Day 9 - Iguazu Falls</b>
We were up at 5 am to get to the airport for our flight to Iguazu Falls. I watched in amazement as one of our group from the night before carried one of the bottles of wine through security & onto the plane. She told me that on LAN domestic flights they don’t care what you carry on to the plane. I had wrapped my bottle of wine in my ski jacket & made sure it was cushioned on all sides by my clothes. I kept my fingers crossed that it would not break (It didn’t).
The flight was non eventful. We checked into the Sheraton upon arrival in Iguazu Falls. The first thing I saw when I walked into the Sheraton was the falls through the huge lobby windows. I immediately rushed out to the deck to see the falls & take photos. Once again we were greeted with juice during check in.
As soon as we had checked in and after a short break for lunch (DH & I grabbed a couple of empanadas at the fast food place near the hotel) we were told to assemble for a tour. Our tour guide was Veronica & she took us immediately over to the Brazil side of the falls. I was very worried that I would not get a chance to see coatimundis or marmosets. I should not have worried. The coatimundis were everywhere and they are not afraid of people!
It was a short bus ride over the river to Brazil. We had to wait while Veronica got us all processed through Argentine customs. Then there was a second stop at Brazilian customs. There was one more stop while a number of our group took helicopter rides over the falls for $100 US for 10 minutes. I did not go so I am not sure about what currency was accepted or if credit cards were accepted. Eventually we made it to the park.
Once we arrived at the park Veronica gave us our entrance tickets. We needed the tickets to transfer to a park bus. While we were waiting for the park bus some of the women in our group decided to go into the gift shop. There was only one problem, to enter the gift shop they had to exit the park. Veronica had to do some fancy footwork to get them back inside!
The park bus took us to the start of the trail. I am not sure how long the trail was. I don’t recall it being too strenuous. But there were great views of the falls all along the trail. I know that there has been a drought but when I was there there was plenty of water in the falls.
It was on this trail that I saw my first coatimundi. Actually, I saw about 6 of them. They were walking along the path, crossing the path and climbing the railings.
Once again the weather was very hot. DH stopped to buy a bottle of water at a refreshment stand. He paid with Argentine pesos. When the transaction was completed he turned to me very upset & said, “What did they just give me?” I looked at the money in his hand & said, “Reals. You are in Brazil now. Remember?” Apparently, when DH went through Argentine customs and then Brazilian customs it did not register. Ah, yes, another one of those priceless travel moments.
Of course there is no way to describe the thrill of standing at the very end of the walkway under La Garganta del Diablo. The hearing roar of the water & feeling the spray. I was completely soaked! It was 85 degrees but I was actually cold.
There are a lot of photographers on the Brazilian side of the falls near the elevator. They offer to take your photograph in front of the falls. They also sell DVDs of the falls. They accept US dollars and Brazilian reals. I am not sure if they took Argentine pesos or credit cards. I think the photos were $15 US each. Luckily there was an elevator to the top of the falls.
At the top of the falls I saw many more coatimundi. They were everywhere. We were very sad when Veronica told us it was time to leave. I don’t think I would ever get tired of looking at the falls. So we rode the park bus back to the entrance. Then we got back on our tour bus to go back to Puerto Iguazú.
Some of our group stayed in Puerto Iguazu for dinner. DH & I did not. We were very tired. So we went right back to the hotel. We ate dinner at the Sheraton. What a mistake! <b>Do not eat dinner there!</b> We paid $30 US pp for the buffet. It was nothing special & the food was not that great. With a bottle of wine the dinner ended up costing $80 US.
<b>Day 10</b> Iguazu Falls
Then next morning we had to be ready for our tour by 8:15 am. We took the first train at 8:40 am to La Garganta del Diablo on the Argentine side. It was great to go so early before the crowds. We saw a lot of birds. We saw turkey vultures, jays, swifts, turkeys, and egrets. We also saw orchids, impatiens, oranges, palm trees & many other plants I forgot.
After we left La Garganta del Diablo we spent the rest of the day walking the upper & lower circuits. We ate lunch again at the fast food place near the hotel (lunch cost about $8 US for the both of us both days). Veronica made sure we got there right at noon before the crowds arrived.
During lunch, marmosets in the trees were throwing figs at us! Veronica could not believe it. She said the marmosets never come around at that time of day (noon). She said that they usually come to the fast food place in the evening at 5 ot 6 pm. Also during our walk of the lower circuit there is another place to buy drinks & snacks. It was here that I saw a coatimundi jump on a table & try to snatch a man's sandwich out of his hands! The coatimundis come running as soon as they hear cellophane crinkling.
Then DH & I took the boat under the falls. I wore my swim suit under my shorts. I was glad I did. Boy, did we get drenched. It was as if we were in a shower only stronger. We went twice under one fall and once under another. I wanted it to last longer! I wanted to be sprayed more!
The boat took us quickly down the river to a landing. This is where we disembarked. This was the only difficult part of walking at Iguazu Falls. From the landing it was 200 meters up a flight of stairs. By the time I reached the top my clothes were dry & I needed to buy a bottle of water from the refreshment stand (actually a cooler). Then we took a truck back to the fast food place.
I loved my time in Iguazu Falls but there was just no down time & I was feeling pretty tired. So that afternoon DH & I just relaxed by the pool. The pool is so beautiful & every time I had to walk past it I longed to go swimming. I finally got my chance. We spent about an hour there drinking caipirinhas & swimming & relaxing. I wished I could just have spent an entire day by the pool.
That evening for dinner we decided to join our friends & go into town. That was one of the best decisions we made all trip! We took the 6:45 pm shuttle bus from the hotel to Puerto Iguazu. The bus was 5 reals each. Our plan was to eat dinner at a parrilla that one of our group had found the night before.
The name of the restaurant is Parrilla Pizza Color (Av Cordoba 135). Luis greeted us at the entrance. He said,"We don't have the best food. But we have good food & the music is free." We were seated on the patio. We had brought our wine from La Cabrera. Luis agreed we could drink the wine if we paid a corkage fee. Then he took us into the kitchen to show us the cuts of meat we would be ordering. The lomo were the the size of hockey pucks but double the thickness. Each order was 2 of these. The shish-ka-bob was a 5 foot long skewer with lost of meat & veggies on it, more than enough for a couple of people. It was the same huge portions with the steaks. DH & I decided to share the lomo.
Eventually the rest of our friends joined us. So there were a total of 10 in our party. I remember good company, good food, good wine and good music. I have to say this was my favorite dinner of the entire trip. We ended up buying several more bottles of wine and spending so much money that Luis dropped the corkage fee. Our portion of the dinner bill was $19 US <b> for the both of us!</b> We took a taxi back to the Sheraton. The taxi cost almost as much as our entire dinner- $18 US. And it was <b>STILL</b> less than dinner at the Sheraton & <b>WAY BETTER!</b>
Coming up - the Finale - Rio de Janiero
<b>Day 8 Buenos Aires</b>
Our last day in BA was like all the others – hot, with blue sky & sunshine. DH was upset b/c he did not feel that he was able to spend as much time as he wanted at Eva Peron’s tomb. I wanted to go inside the church. So we headed back to Recoleta Cemetery. We were there right at opening & hurried to Eva’s tomb before the crowds. We stayed until DH felt that he had been able to absorb all the plaques & the tomb. Then we went to the church.
After a few minutes inside the church we strolled through the feria. The feria was huge & we only walked through a part of it. We stayed at the feria until it was time to return to Sylvia & Mario’s for my fitting.
We arrived at Silvia & Mario’s a few minutes before the scheduled appointment. The tailor was waiting for me. He made a small adjustment on the sleeve length. A few minutes later & were on our way and I had a new leather jacket.
We went back to the hotel to rest before tango time.
About 1:30 pm we headed off to Confiteria Ideal. I carried my dancing shoes with me in a plastic bag. When we arrived at Confiteria Ideal I saw all the other women arriving. They were also carrying their dancing shoes. The lessons were 50 pesos for both of us. Our instructors were Sylvia & Fernando. They started us on the 8 steps right away. Perhaps they did this b/c DH & I were together. All the other students were lovely young women. (A note to all you single guys out there). The class was held next to the bar. Sylvia & Fernando were great. If you go to Buenos Aires go to Confiteria Ideal. You will have a great time. The lesson ended about 4 pm. DH & I left about 5 pm. Then back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.
Dinner that night was at La Cabrera Norte. I had the hotel make reservations for me. Nine of us headed to Palermo in two taxis. Our reservations were for 8:30 pm. We were just about the first people in the restaurant. La Cabrera serves beef by the kilo - that’s 2.2 pounds for all you Yanks. DH & I shared the proveleta & beef de chorizo mariposa al punto. I was going to order a salad when the waiter reminded me that we had many side dishes coming with the steak. Another couple we were with had rib eyes the size of 16” softballs. Another man ordered a shish-ka-bob and ended up with a 4-foot long skewer with three filets on it. Even the women that ordered half orders could not finish their dinners. We also drank 4 bottles of Don David wine. The bill for DH & myself was $31 US!
After we paid the check the waiter appeared with 4 bottles of wine! He placed them on the table telling us it was a promotion. All I could think was, “Oh, no, we’re leaving tomorrow on a plane!” But we still took the wine & divided the bottles between the nine of us. Then back to the hotel to pack.
<b>Day 9 - Iguazu Falls</b>
We were up at 5 am to get to the airport for our flight to Iguazu Falls. I watched in amazement as one of our group from the night before carried one of the bottles of wine through security & onto the plane. She told me that on LAN domestic flights they don’t care what you carry on to the plane. I had wrapped my bottle of wine in my ski jacket & made sure it was cushioned on all sides by my clothes. I kept my fingers crossed that it would not break (It didn’t).
The flight was non eventful. We checked into the Sheraton upon arrival in Iguazu Falls. The first thing I saw when I walked into the Sheraton was the falls through the huge lobby windows. I immediately rushed out to the deck to see the falls & take photos. Once again we were greeted with juice during check in.
As soon as we had checked in and after a short break for lunch (DH & I grabbed a couple of empanadas at the fast food place near the hotel) we were told to assemble for a tour. Our tour guide was Veronica & she took us immediately over to the Brazil side of the falls. I was very worried that I would not get a chance to see coatimundis or marmosets. I should not have worried. The coatimundis were everywhere and they are not afraid of people!
It was a short bus ride over the river to Brazil. We had to wait while Veronica got us all processed through Argentine customs. Then there was a second stop at Brazilian customs. There was one more stop while a number of our group took helicopter rides over the falls for $100 US for 10 minutes. I did not go so I am not sure about what currency was accepted or if credit cards were accepted. Eventually we made it to the park.
Once we arrived at the park Veronica gave us our entrance tickets. We needed the tickets to transfer to a park bus. While we were waiting for the park bus some of the women in our group decided to go into the gift shop. There was only one problem, to enter the gift shop they had to exit the park. Veronica had to do some fancy footwork to get them back inside!
The park bus took us to the start of the trail. I am not sure how long the trail was. I don’t recall it being too strenuous. But there were great views of the falls all along the trail. I know that there has been a drought but when I was there there was plenty of water in the falls.
It was on this trail that I saw my first coatimundi. Actually, I saw about 6 of them. They were walking along the path, crossing the path and climbing the railings.
Once again the weather was very hot. DH stopped to buy a bottle of water at a refreshment stand. He paid with Argentine pesos. When the transaction was completed he turned to me very upset & said, “What did they just give me?” I looked at the money in his hand & said, “Reals. You are in Brazil now. Remember?” Apparently, when DH went through Argentine customs and then Brazilian customs it did not register. Ah, yes, another one of those priceless travel moments.
Of course there is no way to describe the thrill of standing at the very end of the walkway under La Garganta del Diablo. The hearing roar of the water & feeling the spray. I was completely soaked! It was 85 degrees but I was actually cold.
There are a lot of photographers on the Brazilian side of the falls near the elevator. They offer to take your photograph in front of the falls. They also sell DVDs of the falls. They accept US dollars and Brazilian reals. I am not sure if they took Argentine pesos or credit cards. I think the photos were $15 US each. Luckily there was an elevator to the top of the falls.
At the top of the falls I saw many more coatimundi. They were everywhere. We were very sad when Veronica told us it was time to leave. I don’t think I would ever get tired of looking at the falls. So we rode the park bus back to the entrance. Then we got back on our tour bus to go back to Puerto Iguazú.
Some of our group stayed in Puerto Iguazu for dinner. DH & I did not. We were very tired. So we went right back to the hotel. We ate dinner at the Sheraton. What a mistake! <b>Do not eat dinner there!</b> We paid $30 US pp for the buffet. It was nothing special & the food was not that great. With a bottle of wine the dinner ended up costing $80 US.
<b>Day 10</b> Iguazu Falls
Then next morning we had to be ready for our tour by 8:15 am. We took the first train at 8:40 am to La Garganta del Diablo on the Argentine side. It was great to go so early before the crowds. We saw a lot of birds. We saw turkey vultures, jays, swifts, turkeys, and egrets. We also saw orchids, impatiens, oranges, palm trees & many other plants I forgot.
After we left La Garganta del Diablo we spent the rest of the day walking the upper & lower circuits. We ate lunch again at the fast food place near the hotel (lunch cost about $8 US for the both of us both days). Veronica made sure we got there right at noon before the crowds arrived.
During lunch, marmosets in the trees were throwing figs at us! Veronica could not believe it. She said the marmosets never come around at that time of day (noon). She said that they usually come to the fast food place in the evening at 5 ot 6 pm. Also during our walk of the lower circuit there is another place to buy drinks & snacks. It was here that I saw a coatimundi jump on a table & try to snatch a man's sandwich out of his hands! The coatimundis come running as soon as they hear cellophane crinkling.
Then DH & I took the boat under the falls. I wore my swim suit under my shorts. I was glad I did. Boy, did we get drenched. It was as if we were in a shower only stronger. We went twice under one fall and once under another. I wanted it to last longer! I wanted to be sprayed more!
The boat took us quickly down the river to a landing. This is where we disembarked. This was the only difficult part of walking at Iguazu Falls. From the landing it was 200 meters up a flight of stairs. By the time I reached the top my clothes were dry & I needed to buy a bottle of water from the refreshment stand (actually a cooler). Then we took a truck back to the fast food place.
I loved my time in Iguazu Falls but there was just no down time & I was feeling pretty tired. So that afternoon DH & I just relaxed by the pool. The pool is so beautiful & every time I had to walk past it I longed to go swimming. I finally got my chance. We spent about an hour there drinking caipirinhas & swimming & relaxing. I wished I could just have spent an entire day by the pool.
That evening for dinner we decided to join our friends & go into town. That was one of the best decisions we made all trip! We took the 6:45 pm shuttle bus from the hotel to Puerto Iguazu. The bus was 5 reals each. Our plan was to eat dinner at a parrilla that one of our group had found the night before.
The name of the restaurant is Parrilla Pizza Color (Av Cordoba 135). Luis greeted us at the entrance. He said,"We don't have the best food. But we have good food & the music is free." We were seated on the patio. We had brought our wine from La Cabrera. Luis agreed we could drink the wine if we paid a corkage fee. Then he took us into the kitchen to show us the cuts of meat we would be ordering. The lomo were the the size of hockey pucks but double the thickness. Each order was 2 of these. The shish-ka-bob was a 5 foot long skewer with lost of meat & veggies on it, more than enough for a couple of people. It was the same huge portions with the steaks. DH & I decided to share the lomo.
Eventually the rest of our friends joined us. So there were a total of 10 in our party. I remember good company, good food, good wine and good music. I have to say this was my favorite dinner of the entire trip. We ended up buying several more bottles of wine and spending so much money that Luis dropped the corkage fee. Our portion of the dinner bill was $19 US <b> for the both of us!</b> We took a taxi back to the Sheraton. The taxi cost almost as much as our entire dinner- $18 US. And it was <b>STILL</b> less than dinner at the Sheraton & <b>WAY BETTER!</b>
Coming up - the Finale - Rio de Janiero
Sep 21st, 2009, 11:49 PM
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Oh, one important thing I forgot to mention.
Our friends took us out to the roof of the Sheraton. We asked for the pass key from the front desk. We grabbed wine & glasses from our room & headed out to the roof for a final nightcap. We were out there drinking & talking & watching the mist roll in from the falls. It was a wonderful way to spend our last night in Iguazu Falls.
This is just a little secret I am only telling my Fodor friends about.
Our friends took us out to the roof of the Sheraton. We asked for the pass key from the front desk. We grabbed wine & glasses from our room & headed out to the roof for a final nightcap. We were out there drinking & talking & watching the mist roll in from the falls. It was a wonderful way to spend our last night in Iguazu Falls.
This is just a little secret I am only telling my Fodor friends about.
Sep 21st, 2009, 11:52 PM
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We were able to get an electrical adaptor/power strip from the front desk for use during our stay at the Sheraton. But we had to sign our lives away to get it (I think it was ~150 promise to pay if we absconded with the power strip).
Sep 22nd, 2009, 12:38 AM
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One more important thing about the Sheraton Hotel at Iguazu Falls. There is only one ATM & it is way the hell down by the front entrance to the park!
Be sure to get money before you arrive at the Sheraton Hotel at Iguazu Falls.
Be sure to get money before you arrive at the Sheraton Hotel at Iguazu Falls.
Sep 28th, 2009, 04:21 PM
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Cheribob: Thank you very much. DH & I are headed to BA & Iguazu for 12 days in November for our 30th wedding anniversary and to visit our daughter who is studying for a semester in BA. Your trip report was very helpful!!
Oct 3rd, 2009, 05:40 PM
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Hello,
I may have missed something but wanted to clarify--were you just there in September or have you been home awhile? I am hoping to go to BA and Iguazu next July or August and wonder how much water will be in the falls at that time.
Thanks
I may have missed something but wanted to clarify--were you just there in September or have you been home awhile? I am hoping to go to BA and Iguazu next July or August and wonder how much water will be in the falls at that time.
Thanks
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