Argentina doesn't charge Americans for a visa. But they do have a $130 "reciprocal" charge, good for multiple visits over ten years. Whatever! After fourteen hours in the air it was good to have our feet on the ground again. A $40 cab ride got us to Hotel Centuria in Buenos Aires' upscale Microcentro, where the room, as expected, wasn't ready. Hell, it was only 7:30 in the morning.
Early morning dog-walkers
After an Egg McMuffin and a coffee we hit the streets. Walking around in the sun is supposed to be the perfect antidote to jeg-lag and we had a few errands to attend to. Connie needed a bird guide to Argentina and we wanted to find a travel agent to help us plan our route to Ushuaia next week. The first thing we discovered is that the official tourist map of BA is "screwjawed" 90 degrees counter-clockwise; north is where west should be and it's not a southern hemisphere thing. We were on the right street but seemed always to be heading in the wrong direction. No bird guide yet but we did spend an enjoyable hour making notes from travel guides in a bookstore that was formerly a wonderful theater.
First impressions shouldn't be made when tired and stressed, when you're not sure exactly what country you're in, so we'll hold off for now. Let's just say that Buenos Aires is hot, humid and crowded.
