2018 April Argentina/Uruguay - Day 6 & 7 - Tigre, Great Lunch, Adventure Home

April 23, 24, 2018

After a wonderful day yesterday, we rested well and got up a bit earlier than we would have liked to make sure we were able to get the things in that we wanted.  Our goal was to travel to a train station and take the train to a place called Tigre.  So at about 8 AM, we headed to Kelly and Zella's hotel.  They had already been walking to and from a place where they loaded a bit more money on their bus card.  We immediately headed out to get on a bus that would take us to the train station.  We arrived there fairly easily and boarded the train with the rest of Buenos Aires.  It was really full.  

Kelly remembered the trains being old and scary.  But that was 8 years ago when they were here.  The trains were very nice, very clean and comfortable...once you were able to sit down.  The ride to Tigre took about 40 minutes.  The train moved pretty slowly through the city.   So I don't think Tigre is all that far away.  

Tigre is an interesting place.  It is in a delta of water ways that look like fingers.  Getting to and from the homes in this area appears to only be done by water taxis.  When we arrived, we headed over to an area where people were lined up to get on a boat.  We thought this might be the one for us.  However, I think this was a bunch of school kids headed out to school or some type of 'field trip'.  We ended up going into the information booth to inquire how to get a ticket for a 1 hour tour.  On travel days, I'm a bit paranoid on time.  I'm sorry...I don't know why.  So I wanted to make sure whatever tour we took, we would be back by noon and headed back into the city.  We eventually bought tickets for a Catamaran boat...a large boat...to take us up one of the fingers of water in this delta area.

Our delta tour in Tigre was awesome.  I'm amazed how people adapt and live in such interesting areas and circumstances.  The homes on this part of the delta were ok...not fancy...but no slums either.  You felt like you were in the jungle though as you looked up small river ways to see other boats and things moored closely to other homes you could not see.  We saw boats that looked like mini markets that would stop at little piers in front of the homes and people would come out to purchase what they needed.  All in all, it was a nice relaxing trip.

After our tour, we headed back to the train.  They ran every 15 minutes or so.  And getting on first, we were able to sit down the whole ride.  Once back in BA, we decided to go get some lunch at one of Kelly's favorite places...Kansas.  Wow, what a nice place to eat.  Loved it.  Very American though.  I had a nice salad and Denise ordered a yummy chicken dish.

After completing lunch, we walked back to our apartment.  We visited with Zella and Kelly for a bit.  At about 4:30 PM, we called for an Uber...or 'Buber' as Kelly kept calling it.  They were there in about 5 minutes and off we went.  Our driver was Juan...a nice fellow with 3 children ages 20 down to 13.  While driving the crazy streets of BA, we saw some of the same places we had visited and some new areas.  The highlight was that we went right past the Buenos Aires temple, a site we wanted to visit today..but had to cut out.  We are sad about that.

We arrived to the airport to see the longest line for getting checked in on United.  They are not very efficient in how they do things here...at least with United.  Once we got to the desk, after about 45 minutes, we were told to stand aside and wait.  They would tell us in 30 minutes if we could go back to the gate.  We had checked in to go to Newark.  After an hour, with about an hour before the flight went, they finally came back and said, go...they are boarding.  Now when we got upstairs, the security line was backed up so far.  We would have never made it.  I saw a family with a disabled person being ushered through so I followed them...and we went to the head of the line.  Makes me smile thinking about it now.  We had a United employee with us too.  She was helping us along as she was trying to get on this flight as well.  Once through security, we then had to go through passport control.  Long lines again.  I got close to one of the officers and asked if we could cut in.  He said no.  But this line was moving quickly.  The funny thing was that once we were assigned an officer, it was the guy that turned me down.  He was a nice fellow and we just laughed about it.

We arrived at the gate only to watch seat go, and go and go.  Our friend, the employee, got the jump seat....there were no seats for us.  I'm glad we had listed ourselves also for the Houston flight.  But the gate agent said it was going to be really close again with us.  So dejected, we went over to some seats and began to form plan B.  We even tried calling the temple to see if Patron Housing might be available should we need to stay the night.  It was pretty close by.  But...it was Monday...nobody home at these temples on Mondays.  So I started looking at hotels while I swore out loud that I would never fly stand by again because Tuesday night, both flights were double digit oversold and we were going to have to buy tickets to Santiago, Chile and fly home from there.  They had around 50 seats open with few stand by's.  But after waiting until the plane was loaded, our names were called out by the gate agent.  She knew how sad it was that we did not make the first flight.  She was all smiles to give us the tickets.  We wanted to kiss her.  We got business class too!

I'm finishing this in SFO waiting to depart to SLC.  We bagged the direct flight due to no seats all day and came to SFO knowing there are lots of seats to SLC from there.

Well, another great trip ( if you throw out the anxiety of traveling stand by).  It was fun to have Kelly and Zella give us tours and hearing about their time down there.  

Until we hit the road again.....

This is our apartment building where we stayed.  We were up on the 6th floor.  The US Embassy was just down the street.  Safe area....

Pot belly me heading down to the entry point to catch the train to Tigre.  Zella had a card that we put money on.  You had to have this card for all mass transit methods except Taxi and Uber.  And...after our first failed attempt with Uber at the airport, it worked well the rest of the times in Buenos Aires.

Kelly resting before we head over to the river to buy our tour tickets in Tigre.

This is the Catamaran that a few of us boarded to take a 1 hour excursion.  I think it cost us each about $10 for the tour.  Pretty reasonable.

Tour mates....good times!

Tigre had a pretty large amusement park that sat at the rivers edge and went inland.  It looked like a nice park that mixed standard amusement park rides along with lots of water rides.  I'm sure it is hot and humid in the summer when this park is going.

More amusement park pictures...

This is one example of one of the nicer homes on the delta.  The only way to get to them was by boat...that we could see.

This looked to us like a little tienda.....but we're not too sure.

While touring, they cam around with empanadas for $1 each.  They were really good.

I think this was a museum where an original home was covered in a glass house.  To the right (not in the picture) were other buildings and a sign that said 'museo'....but not sure what of.

I think this is the supply barge that takes food out to people for purchasing.  It is loaded with all the basics if you look closely.  Tigre had lots of 'camp grounds' and such.  I'm sure it is buzzing during their summer.  But they were entering fall and getting ready for winter.

No...that's not us on the sidewalk due to being exhausted.  But we were jealous that they could plop down and sleep anywhere.

Kelly smiling as we wait for the order to board the train back to BA.

After leaving the train, we walked about 3/4 of a mile to this really nice restaurant called Kansas.  Very American like...kind of like a Cheesecake Factory.  Really good food.  It sat on the border of the large polo grounds. I mean large.  I think polo is a big deal there.

This photo is taken from our standby waiting point.  For two hours, the line started way under where you see Assist Card...all for United passengers.  Up above the Assist Card, you can see a long line for security.  Boy I wish you could have seen me navigate past that line to get through security fast.  We were given little time to get back there.  But in the end, we did not get on anyway.

Really fun trip.  But stand by flying...not for the faint of heart!

2018 April Argentina/Uruguay - Day 5 - Sabbath Day, Recoleta (Cemetery, Nice Dinner

Day 5 - Sabbath Day, Recoleta (Cemetary), Dinner

Today was Domingo (Sunday).  We were excited to be able to attend church with the members here in Buenos Aires.  We were up going about 8 AM, getting showered and eating the delicious homemade granola that Zella had made and had given to us.  We left the apartment at about 9:45 to hook up with the Grieve's to catch a bus to the chapel.  I think we ended up walking a bit more than planned as we tried to locate the bus that Kelly and Zella remembered taking while here.  Eventually, we found it.  We were greeted with such enthusiasm, especially those who knew the Grieve's.  It was a special moment for all involved.

The church meeting schedule started with priesthood, followed by Sunday School then Sacrament Meeting.  We arrived mid-Sunday School and quietly went in.  The instructor was young man who was teaching a gospel principles class.  It was quite good.  Sacrament meeting was special in that a man, 60's I'm guessing, had been baptized yesterday and was confirmed a member of the church.  Tears streamed from his eyes as this ordinance occurred.  He was so excited to be a baptized member of the church.  Another special moment was the choir that stood up and sung.  It had almost as many members as the choir we have in our ward.  They did so well.  It was funny in that there weren't enough hymn books.  So we had to scramble each time to translate the name of the hymn being sung and then try to find it on Denise's app.  We usually got to it about the time the hymn was done.  After church, we headed back to our apartments to regroup, change our clothes and then head back down town, this time to one of the cemeteries where Eva Peron was buried.  The cemetery the  was amazing....full of mini-houses for families to bury their dead in.  Where Evita was buried was nothing outlandish.  Just a regular family plot or house in this case.  Some of these 'houses' had amazing sculptures or monuments on them.  

We also walked through a park of vendors selling their wares.  Lots of interesting things.  At one location, they had a big movie screen and were playing a movie to a large number of people.  People were just picnicking and having a nice time watching a movie and visiting with each other.

After spending a few hours lingering there, we caught a bus back to an area close to where our apartments were to get some dinner.  It was a nice restaurant.  Denise won the prize for dinner, although Kelly only got dessert and it was pretty yummy.  Denise had their homemade pasta with a creamy mushroom sauce on it.  Wow, it was really good.  I had sausage on a bun with papas fritas (French fries).  It was good...but they put nothing on the bun...just the sausage!  Oh well....

After dinner, we walked a few blocks to an ice cream shop to get some ice cream.  This was a place that Kelly and Zella remembered going to.  The Ice Cream was really good....dulce de Lethe and Banana Split favors.  Denise and shared as we were quite full from dinner.

From the Ice Cream shop, I talked the Grieve's into letting me hail an Uber since we were over a mile away.  They were amazed how easy it was.  Cost us $4 USD.  Driver arrived in 5 minutes, we were at their hotel room in about 5 to 10 minutes.  Pretty nice.  We then tried to layout our day for tomorrow.  We plan to go to Tigre and ride a boat through the delta there.  However, we need to be back at our apartment to get our things, catch an Uber to the airport.  We need to be there by 6 PM.  First attempt to get on a flight is at 8 PM to Newark.  Our last chance is at 9:20 PM to Houston.  We don't care which...we just hope to get on one of them.  This morning, Newark looked the best.  By evening, things had shifted around and based upon seats available, Houston looked better.  So who knows how it will play out.  Fingers crossed.  We are going home a day early because the next day...Tuesday, it looks pretty bleak to get home.  Monday looks better.  And, frankly, we've seen things we planned to see with the exception of being able to go to the Buenos Aires Temple.  That will be a big hole left from this trip.  But, we need to give it our best shot on getting home.  And it will be nice to have an extra day at home.  Maybe I'll go golfing...we'll see.  

Our apartment looking towards the balcony...

Our apartment looking towards the kitchen.  It was a long narrow room.  The bathroom is the door to the left of the kitchen.

Already to hit the road and go to church....

Finally, bus stop 34....our bus to get us close to the chapel.

We made it...to the chapel!

Sunday School class...watching a video.

Kelly...he's definitely focused.

A couple of young missionaries...one from Kaysville Utah (Right), the other from Spokane, Washington (left).  They are having a great time serving the Lord and the people of Argentina.

The only fan not spinning in the chapel was the one Denise sat under!  So funny for a person who does not like heat and needs cool air moving around her.  We had to sneak a picture fo that!

These trees with crazy roots sticking out above ground was found everywhere.  Denise loved them.

Denise and Zella checking out every little artesian booth along the side walk.

Me...purchasing a mate and bomba.

Do you think this drove down from San Francisco for the day?  Brought me back to the 60's.

Movie in the park.....

One of the hundreds of sepulchres in the cemetery.  It was crazy how ornate these things were.  But they would bury many, many family members in these things.

Eva Peron sleeps here....

One of the many treats we were told to try.  I wish I could recall its name.  Denise liked it.  It was ok.

Great pasta!

Better Ice Cream to end the night....

2018 April Argentina/Uruguay - Day 4 - Back to BA and a City Tour

April 21, 2018

Well, we went to bed last night wondering if Denise was going to survive.  She slept most of the evening and groaned most of the night.  We had an early start.  For me, it was about 2:30 AM.  Unfortunately, I looked at the plane loads going home and it looks really bleak.  And to get us both home on some other airline will run about $1800 for both of us.  And being a tight wad,  you can see why I didn't sleep.  Nonetheless, my body rested while my mind churned and my ears listened to Denise breathe, groan or talk a bit.  At 5 AM, I got up and showered.  Our bus was leaving at 7 AM back to Colonia where we would get on a water ferry and travel back to Buenos Aires.  At about 5:20, I woke Denise up and got her going.  She seemed better.  And I'll say this now...it was kind of a little miracle as she seemed to get stronger as the day wore on.  So glad I am.  So glad she was/is.  Anyway, we had checked out at 5:45 AM and had the front desk hail a taxi.  We went to step outside to wait and the front desk person told me not to do it...to just wait inside.  He said because it was Friday night/Saturday morning, it was unsafe because the people still lingering around from a night of partying downtown.  The cabbie arrived within a few minutes and in about 10 minutes in his car, we were at the bus terminal.

Tres Cruces bus terminal was a beehive.  Holy smokes they have it down in getting buses in and out.  We ended up waiting about 40 minutes before we went to get in line for the bus.  When we went outside to get in line, we were shocked how long it was.  We shouldn't have been as most of these folks were doing what we were doing...going to BA via the Water Ferry at Colonia Del Sacramento.  I don't know how many buses Buquebus filled up...I'm guessing 7 or 8...heck maybe more.  They would fill one up, ship it out, fill another up, ship it out and so on.

Upon arriving in Colonia, after coming off the bus, we got into another long line to get through customs.  The first step is to put your bags through a scanner.  You then go to a desk and get stamped by Uruguayan officials noting you are leaving their country.  Then for non SudAmerica individuals like us, we had to go to another desk and have our passports stamped that we were coming back into Argentina.  Once we cleared customs, we got back into yet another very long line waiting to board the Water Ferry.  That took about an hour or so before boarding began.  This process took me back to France, where we stood in long lines that all went through a single door about the size of my front door.  You would think that they could load from multiple doors on these ships...but they do not.  Weird.  Anyway, this time the boat was really full.  As a matter of fact, many people just sat on the floor.  The ride was about 1n hour long, but it left about 45 minutes late.  Who knows why.

Upon exiting the ferry in BA, we walked away from the terminal to get out of the taxi frenzy.  I wanted to use Uber once again.  So we walked through a very muddy construction zone into the beginning of a downtown area.  We stopped on a corner to hail an Uber.  It worked great this time.  Our driver actually spoke English quite well.  He was from Venezuela...a younger man.  He described the conditions in Venezuela to us and the massive exodus that is going on due to the economic conditions there.  Many Venezuelans are and have migrated to Uruguay.  Anyway, our ride took about 15 minutes to the JFK Apartments right across from the US Embassy here in Argentina.

When I entered the Uber, I texted our host.  So he was quick to meet us.  The apartment is on the 6th floor of a fairly tall building.  The apartment is clean.  It is somewhat narrow but very long.  My first visual of the bed made me wonder what I had done.  It looked a bit lacking.  But...I could have slept on a rock.  I was quite tired.  Anyway, we were up looking out the balcony when we heard a voice, 'Hey Tiner's'.  Our friends, Zella and Kelly, had walked down to greet us.  They had some water bottles in hand and some other goodies to share.  Their hotel room is about 3 blocks or so from where we are.  

After Steven exited, we visited with Kelly and Zella for a few minutes and then we hit the road.  We did not even un pack our bags.  We headed up the street to a very bustling street (Santa Fe). There we were able to find a bank and get some pesos.  The hotel gave Kelly and Zella a bus card that they could load money on.  So we stopped an loaded money on to it.  To ride a bus here is about 10 pesos....or 50 cents USD.  Cheap.  We jumped on a bus and headed back into the city to see the main capital building that Evita Peron made famous.  But first, we were all kind of starving so we went to a restaurant that Kelly and Zella had eaten at when they lived down here.  Man was it GOOD.  We shared a beef tenderloin that was in a yummy mushroom sauce with fried potatoes.  I had also ordered a grilled sausage and Zella had ordered fried mozzarella to share.  It was so good...all of it.  After dinner, our walking tour began.  I think we walked about 3 or 4 hours.  We covered this part of the downtown area pretty good.  Although my feet were sore (and I could hardly walk this morning), it was awesome.  BA is vibrant town.  One highlight was a stop in a small square where a couple was doing some Tango dancing.  They were dressed really nice and elegant.  It was fun to watch and visit with Kelly and Zella.  We ended up on he Main Street of BA...I think it is called 29 de Julio...something like that.  They have a Washington Monument like thing in the middle.  They had a big set of letters 'BA' in shrubbery where we stopped to take pictures.  We eventually jumped back on our bus and found our way back using the App 'Moovit'.  Fantastic app for knowing bus routes and tracking the point you get on until it tells you where to get off and then how to walk to your location.  Just awesome.  Anyway, we hit a small convenience store for some orange juice and milk.  Zella had some homemade granola that she wanted us to have for breakfast.  So we stopped at their hotel (really nice) to see how the other half live to grab the granola.  And then we returned to our apartment...pretty wiped out.

It was a very long day...but quite wonderful in all that we accomplished.

Some pictures...

Early lines...if you look closely you can see the pole that has 29 on it.  We are in line for pole 37!  That is how long this line is to get on Buquebus buses.

Tired at the Colonia ferry terminal...

Waiting to get on the water ferry...lines, lines, lines.

Some bus pics of us.  I'm a bit paranoid about pick pockets on these kind of vehicles.

I struck up a conversation about what the young lady was carrying in the yellow bag.  Turned out it was a Cheescake.  That is what they called it.  I asked why they had it...they were going to a 'Baby Shower'.  Again...they used that term in English.  They giggled as they did not know why they used English terms for these things...but they do.

They have these in restaurants on every corner.  You can see the very large chunks of beef on the grill.  Cooked stuff is placed in the left corner...like suasages and other things.

This was a huge piece of meat.  Glad we shared....

Sausage and grilled mozzarella!  Yum.  Unhealthy...bummer.  Oh well.

La Casa Rosada...their White House.  Well, no one lives there.  Here is where Evita spoke to the masses.  Maybe I should say Madonna spoke to the masses (via the movie).

The plaza in front of the Casa Rosada was under construction...bummer.

The tourists....

Tango dancers in a small square.....

This is the Main Street with the Washington Monument thing.  They call it an Oblix...something like that.

What does BA stand for.  I'll leave that up to you.  But here it stands for...wait...Big Apple.  I thought it would be Buenos Aires.  But I was wrong.

They have chairs down here that look like they are cushioned with dirty cushions.  But they are actually concrete.  But a good place to end a good day.