March 19, 2024

Patagonia –Jan 4-5, 2015 – Fly to Buenos Aires; Tour Parana Delta; Return to Singapore

Argentina’s Naval Training Ship
– from the Itinerary:

Jan 4 – We depart Calafate for the airport after breakfast today, boarding our flight north to rejoin the porteños in Buenos Aires. Once there, we’ll check into our hotel and have the day at leisure to absorb more of the culture, architecture, and character of this memorable port city before gathering for a night of reminiscing with fellow travelers over a Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant.

Jan 5 – After breakfast, we spend this morning touring the area where the Parana River empties into the Rio de la Plata on its way into the Atlantic, forming a huge delta. This exotic landscape is just half an hour from the city but seems a million miles away. Traditional houses on stilts (pilotes) are surrounded by lush subtropical vegetation and built on islands that are separated by a twisting maze of waterways. Enjoy a relaxing boat ride in this scenic area, which is one of Latin America’s unique environments. We’ll have an included lunch after this tour.

In the afternoon, we transfer to the airport for our flight home.

Jan 4  – Although our itinerary indicated we would have free time in the afternoon when we arrived in Buenos Aires, the flight stopped in Ushuia on the way and delayed our arrival in BA. Ushuia is the Southernmost city in South America. We wished we could have left the plane. Maybe we will have to come back some time.

We went directly to the restaurant where we were having our farewell dinner – Cabana Villegas. The restaurant was in an old warehouse along the river which was at one time a active shipping port. We had a great steak dinner and another Malbec, a great final dinner indeed. Only after dinner did we get to the hotel.

Farewell Dinner
Farewell Dinner

Jan 5 – Our last event with OAT was a boat trip on the Rio de la Plata delta. Many people live along the delta on the various islands. Therefore, they need a taxi service to get around and a floating grocery store to get some of their supplies.

We had lunch in Tigre, a suburb of Buenos Aires, up river from the city. Then back to the hotel to gather our things, say our goodbyes and head to the airport for the return to Singapore. We arranged to share a ride with Barbara, who was heading for Atlanta.

We got to the airport very early for our flight back to Singapore, via Doha. From the time we got to the airport, until we arrived at our apartment, 42 hours passed! On the plane, I watched 6-7 movies and read! I couldn’t sleep, so when I got home, I was exhausted!