Our flight from Miami arrived on time in Buenos Aires. Passport and immigration meant producing paper work, a Negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of my plane departing from Dallas and the online form, the Argentine government calls an immigration form but it’s mainly information about COVID vaccines, health insurance and the COVID test results. Documents produced and Argentina country stamp securely in passport.

Elizabeth and I, along with several other Antarctica travelers, were met by Carol, with a local tour company to transport us to our hotel in Recoleta, a district/neighborhood of Buenos Aires.

A noon short orientation walk provided good information regarding amenities around the hotel. Although I was tired, I decided to see more of Buenos Aires with a Hop-on, Hop-off tour while Elizabeth got some shut eye.

The Hop-on, Hop off bus ride through the eclectic, colorful districts/neighborhoods of Buenos Aires was just what I needed. With only today and tomorrow in this vibrant city, before flying to Ushuaia and boarding our ship to Antarctica, I tried to make the best of my limited time here.

Thankfully a Vantage city tour of Buenos Aires is scheduled for tomorrow but in the meantime enjoy some views of Argentina’s big, eclectic, colorful, tree-lined, cosmopolitan capital city.

And what we didn’t get to see today, like Juan and Eva Perón (“Evita”), we will see after Antarctica when we return to Buenos Aires.

Four big luxury buses, with staggered departure times from the hotel, took us around the city down the Ninth of July Avenue to the theater district area along Corrientes Avenue. We stopped at the Plaza de Mayo, the city’s central square flanked by the neoclassical Metropolitan Cathedral, the church home of Pope Francis; and the Casa Rosada or “Pink” House, the presidential mansion. Plus more stops including the colorful La Boca District and a walk along the Puente de la Mujer or Bridge of the Women, a landmark footbridge.

Then Elizabeth and I enjoyed a delicious late lunch at a premiere steakhouse within walking distance of our hotel.

And the most important, yet less desirable part of our evening, was getting a PCR test to ensure we are all still COVID free. In the morning, those of us with a Negative test board the 3-hour plane ride to Ushuaia where we then board our ship to Antarctica.

For now, here’s more of Buenos Aires.

Today we leave Buenos Aires for our flight to Ushuaia, the southernmost tip of South America, nicknamed the “End of the World,” to board our ship, the Ocean Explorer. Ushuaia is located roughly 680 miles (1,100 kilometres) or so from the Antarctica Peninsula.

As we began our Antarctica adventure in Buenos Aires and Ushuaia in Argentina, we end it back in Ushuaia and Buenos Aires after 11 days on the Ocean Explorer. And, that adventure is documented in my post “Antarctica: the White Continent.”

After docking back in Ushuaia, we spent our last night on the ship and disembarked early the next morning so the crew could prepare for the next group. So, a bus took us from where the ship was docked to the downtown area, about a 10 minute drive, where we were basically told to occupy ourselves for the next four hours before leaving for the airport, about another 15 or so minutes away.

Leaving my cabin and walking around Ushuaia were my first steps of freedom in five days. Someone close to me tested positive for Covid while I tested negative. That meant I had to isolate for five days which included missing the last two days of expeditions and the two days of crossing the Drake Passage. (You can read more about this in my “Antarctica: the White Continent” post.)

Although Ushuaia was rather chilly and windy, getting the chance to walk around felt incredibly good even though most of the shops were closed because not only did we arrive before the stores opened, but many continued to be closed because it was Sunday.

Ushuaia, at least the downtown area, lacks that tall-building metropolitan feel. Instead it’s more small town-like with shops and restaurants scattered throughout. So, here’s a quick view of Ushuaia before we made our way back to Buenos Aires. 

We arrived back in Buenos Aires from Ushuaia late Sunday night. It actually felt good to not only be back in Buenos Aires but also in the Sofitel Hotel and the familiarity of the Recoleta neighborhood. With Monday being another Covid test day, (my 4th test in less than a week) more touring of Buenos Aires, a farewell luncheon and a direct plane ride back home to Dallas.

Let’s finish saying good-by to Buenos Aires and to Argentina.