Our flight from Atlanta to Buenos Aires was long (10 hours) but uneventful. And, yes, I did manage to pack everything in carry-on.  Here’s proof:

We did see some interesting things during the flight including orange lightning off in the distance. We also sighted many lights in the water off the coast of Chile. We thought maybe they were oil rigs or other permanent structures in the sea, because they were too regular to be ships. And then, a beautiful sunrise over the Andes.

We’re on a trip with Viking Cruises, so representatives met us at the airport when we arrived and guided us to the transportation shuttle. Viking had booked hotel rooms for everyone, so we hopped onto a shuttle with 30 other people and headed to the Intercontinental Hotel. We checked in, got our daily download from Viking, and then headed out to explore the city.

Monday was a public holiday to honor the Immaculate Conception. Our hotel was in a business district and, since it was a holiday, almost everything was closed. 

Our Viking rep told us to go to Puerto Madero neighborhood and assured us that lots of people would be strolling along the canal on this holiday day, and that there would plenty of restaurants open for lunch. As it turns out, Jolie and Lucy got booked into a hotel in that area, so off we went to meet up and spend the afternoon together.

There is a large canal there that the federal government constructed to act as a shipping port, but either it was never used as a port or only used for a couple of years. The shipping needs outgrew the size of the port, and the area was essentially abandoned. Fast forward several years, and this area is Buenos Aires’ newest neighborhood with lots of recent development, pedestrian zones, apartment buildings, hotels, restaurants and bars.

The four of us walked around for a little, exploring the area, and then stopped for a leisurely lunch of typical Argentine food – steak, pasta, grilled veggies, empanada, and a couple of apps.

After lunch, we visited an old ship that had been decommissioned and was now a museum. After paying 70 cents each for admission, we climbed aboard and explored the ship. It’s always interesting to check out ships and submarines and imagine what it’s like to live on those vessels for months at a time.

And once upon a time, there was a dog that boarded this particular ship and became the crew mascot and was so beloved that, when he died, he was taxidermied and kept on ship as an honorary sailor.

After an afternoon of exploration and catching up with friends, we headed back to the hotel for a light dinner. Due to the red-eye flight to Buenos Aires, we went to bed at 9 pm. We also had to get up at 5 am the next morning, so we wanted to get some good sleep.  We will return to Buenos Aires on Dec 13, and we’re looking forward to a week in the city so we can explore its various neighborhoods.