FINALLY GOING SOUTH
Going Onboard
20th - 23rd December | 2022
Early hours of Tuesday morning you could already hear all the football fans being on the road, walking down to the Obelisque. We had a really good view out of our hotel room from the 11th floor.
After breakfast we went with the flow, to feel the happy atmosphere of the Argentinian about the win of the World Cup. We were really amazed that there was hardly any alcohol involved in the whole partying; not what we are used from some European Countries. I managed to get at a corner shop a very good cafe. That was a pretty busy corner close to the Obelisque, so we just stayed there and enjoyed the vibes.
Most of the day we spend in our room and watching the convoy live on TV, occasionally watching the local happenings from our hotel window. We also tried to shake off a bit of our lack of sleep. Early afternoon a lot of people started to go home, as, unfortunately, there was an incident during the convoy that stopped it immediately!
Late evening, we observed from our window, how, at least 100 policemen cleared systematically the streets, to make sure everybody gets home ...
Early the next morning, we went on a little sightseeing tour, as the bus to our next destination will only leave around 14h00. We first visited the famous Teatro Colón and we were lucky that soon would be a guided tour. What a fantastic building as it is full of impressive interior and architecture.
After that, we walked towards Plaza de Mayo and around Casa Rosada, to get a glimpse of the area of Puerto Madero.
Once back at the hotel, it was time to check out and wait for our transfer bus to the harbour. We finally go on an "Expedition Antarctica" - I cannot believe it! I am so excited about it; hopefully seeing Penguins, whales and seals - next to lots of ice and glaciers!
After we settled in our cabin, we only had time for a short, early dinner, as it was already time to go to a Tango Show. Thankfully it was a small, authentic place, and not these big theatre shows.
Tango is not my favourite music, but in my opinion, it is a must to visit one when you are in Buenos Aires ;-)
Back on the boat, we all had to participate in the emergency (embarking) procedure. Once that was finished it was time to leave Buenos Aires, direction south to Mar de Plata. The next day was all day on the sea, to get used to the expedition (cruise) ship, the amenities, the talks of the lectures or just enjoying the sunshine.
For the ones, that might be interested, it is a small German cruise ship, of a max. capacity of about 500 people on board. We were on this cruise with 250 guests plus about 120 people staff.
The next morning we arrived in Mar de Plata, the famous beach city of Argentina. There we would see some (old and lazy) seals (Mähnenrobben) in the fishing marina. The organised sightseeing tour was not so impressive, as they took us mainly from one beach to another, instead showing us the old part of town or some of the famous villas (like from Maradona).
In the evening, we went the first time for dinner at the restaurant, where we had a table for the rest of the journey. We joined that table with a nice elder lady and 3 elder men. They all had been already on the ship since Cabo Verde, but we were straight away a part of them.
During dinner, the boat was leaving the harbour of Mar de Plata, direction the Falkland Islands.
Join me on the next blog, when the weather starts to show its real face. In the meantime, have another glass of red wine and a nice Argentinian steak...
Places | Cities:
Buenos Aires, Mar de Plata.
Currency:
ARS = Argentinian Pesos
1US$ = 290 ARS, also labelled as $
Health issues:
Still having the tickly cough and a dry throat.
Special thanks to:
Buenos Aires to be such an interesting, versatile city.
Covid quick test on board (a must for check-in) to be NEGATIVE.
"Mähnenrobben" to wait for us in the harbour of Mar de Plata.