Buenos Aires in June Suzanne - Travelling around in BA is very cheap - the pound is strong compared to the pesos (Arg) at present so recommend you get around in taxi's (only use 'Radio Taxi's' - safer and costs are displayed (typical 10 min ride = about 15 pesos (about £2.50)). Cheap shopping is in Florida Ave and Sante Fe Ave but Galleria Pacifica is very nice and enclosed with coffee shops and places to sit; it has a good variety of shops. Take an umbrella - it rains all the time! The Rose Garden (Recoleta district) is lovely to walk round in the afternoon, the whole of the Recoleta area is safe. There is a nice Sunday artisan market quite near too. Be very careful in La Boca area and keep to main street. The flea market is very colourful (Sunday again) and they dance the Tango in the streets. It would be wise to take either a private or group city tour at the start, it's less tiring and you can decide where you want to return to. There's a Latin American museum and the Belle Arts both worth a view. The cemetery (Recoleta again) is busy but a 'must'. Don't know about trips to the falls - you need to get a flight and Americans we met said it is worth going, ditto the Mendoza wine trip (tour agents in BA would organise for you). Can highly recommend the company we used (ATP) who are BA based and you could try www.allaboutar.com/ba.htm website which is very informative about Argentina and has a section on BA, also the Rough Guide. Leave valuables in a safe at the hotel and don't carry too much cash - especially in market areas (use common- sense!). If you're not veggies, try a steakhouse for supper (don't have lunch though!) -great meat. I envy you your trip, 8 days will be good, have tea at the Alvear Palace Hotel where dress is smart casual and non-residents are welcome (about 4.30pm - 6pm it's pricey (120 pesos) but 1 tea between 2 is plenty and the service and food is to die for). All the best - Di
buenos aires in june Hello Theos,
I am going to BA in june with my mother, who will be celebrating her 80th birthday. she is pretty fit and active at her age, but she cannot do any hiking or real physical activities....basically walking for 4 hours out of the day would be her limit.
we will be there for around 8 days. i would really love to hear your comments on what we shouldn't miss while there. cheap shopping district, achitecture, ect..... and do you know of any over night flight tours to the falls up north.
another thing, do you know how long it would take to get to Mandoza, the wine region.
thank you so much, i would love to hear your thoughts.
Suzanne
Punta del Este sounds relaxing and Montevideo sounds exciting. Watch out for exchange rates!! We had the same prob in St lucia where $ were either U.S or Eastern Caribbean...big difference! At the airport they took combinations of everything from dollars to pounds to Euros!! I recall my Dad returning from Paris, in the 70s, with the most expensive perfume £38 instead of the £3.80 he thought! How we ribbed him being such a brill mathematician too! Look forward to seeing you both. Love from Ann.
Ann and Iain With all the activities, cocktails and meals hope you have the energy to tango in Buenos Aires! It sounds fantastic and I hope that the rough seas subside; if not don't risk it... I was sea sick in St Lucia ( in a yacht) and there's not a lot of space in a tender!! Enjoyed hearing about your experiences and look forward to photos. Take care and have fun x
The sea sounds much too dangerous for you to move too far from the bar. Whisky Sour and Kir Royal eh? I'll have to have a word with our local hostelries to ensure they're well stocked for your return!
Glad to hear you're having a good time and that the weather's good. Don't give the butler too hard a time. Looking forward to the next installment. Jen x
Nice start! It sounds as though you're going to have fun - providing Michael doesn't lose anything else! Looking forward to your updates... and we have to admit to being very envious.
Missing you Bowls was cancelled this evening on holidays/health/pressure of work grounds. Shame, because today seemed like the first day of summer and the weekend is now set fair. In the quiz, Jen, Kathryn and Gordon supplemented the only permanent member of the team and, again, we came 4th=.
We hope the Impudent Oyster was up to muster - it sounds as though you're having a great time. The shopping sounds marvellous! Sorry that you haven't been able to post more photos, but we look forward to seeing them upon your return.
Jen dropped into Farley this evening and Georgie seems happy enough. Mary is also happy because her painful ankle turns out to be broken (four weeks ago) and healing rather than some of the less pleasant possibilities.
Probs Got your note - great. This week I was the only one able to play bowls so seized victory as my own. Barry suggested that I should play against the clock, but I demurred on the basis that the clock might do better than me.
Our messages seem to have been posted, but the photos seem to have disappeared. Hopefully, when they become visible again, we'll see a photo of Di. Nothing against Michael lounging in a hammock dressed in shorts, but...
Looks like you're living the hard life. Just remember us folk having to go to work whilst you live it up in fancy hotels! Looks fantastic - glad to see Dad's found a hammock to relax in. Sounds like he needs it after all the shopping you've made him do! Have a wonderful time. x
Quiz We missed Theo and Iain and, unfortunately, Barry was unwell. So I missed you all. Thankfully Jen, Gordon and Kathryn stepped into the breach and we came fourth in an, admittedly, fairly weak field. Jen excelled in the music round and Kathryn was invaluable on literature. Gordon called for a steward's enquiry on the number of bridges over the Severn between Shrewsbury railway station and Bridgnorth Low Town (eighteen was the answer, but we only came up with fourteen - there's something for you to mull over in the long evenings in Vermont). Both Jen and Kathryn won a bottle of wine so that's the DWIC contribution taken care of for the September meeting!
It was a slightly better result than bowls, where I came second (out of two). Gordon came first.
We just love travelling! I (Di) am keen on any 'new' ways to communicate so we thought we'd try this 'travel diary' approach so that family and friends can follow our trip to New England this summer.... full info
The Theos
Di and Michael Theobalds
Buenos Aires in June
Suzanne - Travelling around in BA is very cheap - the pound is strong compared to the pesos (Arg) at present so recommend you get around in taxi's (only use 'Radio Taxi's' - safer and costs are displayed (typical 10 min ride = about 15 pesos (about £2.50)). Cheap shopping is in Florida Ave and Sante Fe Ave but Galleria Pacifica is very nice and enclosed with coffee shops and places to sit; it has a good variety of shops. Take an umbrella - it rains all the time! The Rose Garden (Recoleta district) is lovely to walk round in the afternoon, the whole of the Recoleta area is safe. There is a nice Sunday artisan market quite near too. Be very careful in La Boca area and keep to main street. The flea market is very colourful (Sunday again) and they dance the Tango in the streets. It would be wise to take either a private or group city tour at the start, it's less tiring and you can decide where you want to return to. There's a Latin American museum and the Belle Arts both worth a view. The cemetery (Recoleta again) is busy but a 'must'. Don't know about trips to the falls - you need to get a flight and Americans we met said it is worth going, ditto the Mendoza wine trip (tour agents in BA would organise for you). Can highly recommend the company we used (ATP) who are BA based and you could try www.allaboutar.com/ba.htm website which is very informative about Argentina and has a section on BA, also the Rough Guide. Leave valuables in a safe at the hotel and don't carry too much cash - especially in market areas (use common- sense!). If you're not veggies, try a steakhouse for supper (don't have lunch though!) -great meat. I envy you your trip, 8 days will be good, have tea at the Alvear Palace Hotel where dress is smart casual and non-residents are welcome (about 4.30pm - 6pm it's pricey (120 pesos) but 1 tea between 2 is plenty and the service and food is to die for). All the best - Di