Buenos Aires – Temple & Iceberg Trails: A Journey Through Asperger's

Luggage reinforcements and going back east.

25/26 November 2022 – Buenos Aires – Istanbul – Cape Town

My final morning in Buenos Aires was spent hunting down a weekend bag to accomodate luggage overflow – seeing that Turkish Airlines allows for two checked items – max 23kgs each.

Although I’ve looked around at the various stores along the way, I have yet to see anything like this. Eventually via countless online searches I found a curio store that seems to sell these items – close to Obelisco.

Jenny also contacted me, having seen the Rosary – Could I bring her one from Buenos Aires. So there was some more shopping to be done. A request for some Alfajores was also raised via Boytjie’s Godmother.

I took the bus to Obelisco, well part way and got off too soon, but afraid I may overshoot my destination again. That bus is stressful, but it’s too far to walk all the way. I walked a few blocks and was very relieved when I saw the landmark.

The shop was literally close to the landmark and had a selection of weekend bags to choose from – phew! Also the fridge magnet of the Tango establishment close to my flat – bonus! A selection of alfajores was obtained in a grocery store close by… right.. now just the Rosary.. should be easy.. there are MANY churches around the town.

I started walking back – going into all the churches along the way. Some did not offer rosaries and others were not to my liking.

About six churches later I decided to try the Metropolitan Cathedral at Plaza De Mayo – maybe they will have something and they did – but they are strictly cash only.. so down to the closest ATM… Could not get hold of Jenny to confirm preference so she would just have to make do with red scented sandalwood.

Also added one for my collection – my second from this church as I purchased a purple beaded one on the steps during my short visit with Maties Travel in 2010.

Metropolitan Cathedral and Sandalwood Rosary on the marble steps.

Jenny returned my call just as I was leaving the Cathedral – happy with my selection. We literally chatted all the way from Plaza de Mayo, back to the flat. Then it was time for final packing and a quick clean-up before my lift to the airport arrived.

The airport was in chaos due to an ongoing strike – lines were snaking everywhere, but we did make it to our boarding gate on time – just barely – even with the ‘be at the airport three hours prior to departure’ window. While waiting in line I spotted the purple cat T-shirts I saw at Hard Rock Cafe Buenos Aires – there is a branch in the airport, just before security – Kiddies size.. just my luck.

The flight was uneventful. I did watch an interesting documentary/movie about whales – keeping in mind the pod of Fin and Sei whales we encountered in the Drake Passage. “The Loneliest Whale – The search for 52” by Joshua Zeman.

At Istanbul Airport this time I did manage to locate the IGA Lounge – which looked very festive.

IGA Lounge Istanbul Airport – ready for the xmas festivities.

From there it was on to back of beyond to board the flight to Cape Town – with a few seconds to spare to take a picture of the “Istanbul Airport Octopus”.. see “Scientific Diving” Post.

With the lights of Istanbul below… me and my little King Penguin was ready to go home!

Istanbul views, Coke Zero and a penguin.. what more can you want?

New adventures await with the dawn of the new day over the African Continent…

Sunrise … purple haze.. promise of a new day.

Thank you for sharing my journey.

Colonia del Sacramento – Ferry across the Rio de la Plata

24 November 2022 – Buenos Aires – Colonia del Sacramento – Buenos Aires

Early the morning I set out for my daytrip to Colonia del Sacramento courtesey of Buquebus. I booked a return ferry trip and an English walking tour of the old city.

Some scenes from my walk to the terminal..

Getting to the terminal, I walked straight through to the check-in area as I already had my ticket and did not need to check in any luggage – little daypack only. Up the escalators, throught the baggage X-Ray… passport stamp “out” of Argentina… all well.

Then at the next desk – passport stamp “into” Uruguay we hit a snag. A difficult one as english is not quite the language of preference… I present all documentation… but no.. apparently I need the equivalent of a “Boarding Pass”.. not just a ticket. After some to and fro… being ‘in between countries’ I have a security guard escort down back to the ticket line… to stand in line to obtain said boarding pass… So, you may save time obtaining a ticket beforehand, but you still need to stand in the same line… ticket, check-in luggage (if applicable), obtain boarding pass… then up the escalator…for the rest.

Me and my security entourage got bustled back up the escalator.. and I had to go through the X-Ray again… some confusion at the Argentina immigration – I’m already checked out there… but eventually I get back to the Uruguay immigration desk and satisfied with the slip of paper produced, I get stamped in… and showed through to the waiting area and a little coffee shop doing brisk business. I definately needed coffee after this.

At just after 8am we started boarding the ferry… down a walkway painted with happy flowers.. grabbed a seat and soon we left Buenos Aires behind.

At around 9:38 we watched the walkway at Colonia del Sacramento port extend to welcome us to Uruguay.. and somewhere down the passage there was a big ‘sign’… To me Uruguay was country visited number 37.

We waited around 15 minutes for the English guide to collect all the passengers and then we started our “walking tour”.. and man.. she was quite serious about the “walking” part of this tour.. there was loads of walking…. brisk walking…

We walked out of the port building.. and literally over a big parking lot.. through a little gate, past a visitors centre and past the old train station… with the train station to our right and the river beach to our left. A few hundred meters further we were at the historical old town.. quite easy to do if you decide to go on your own.

You literally turn right and up the steps at the end of this little group of colourful houses and you are at the old city gate… and just retrace your steps to return to the ferry.

Somewhere not too far from the gate there is a small tourist office with neat public bathrooms.

We had a quick orientation walk-around, much explaining I cannot remember details of and the we had some free time until the we had to return to the ferry in time for the formalities – exit Uruguay and I cannot remember if you enter Argentina here or in Buenos Aires.

There are some museums you can visit – some are combination tickets, some a ticket on it’s own. You can pay with USD or credit card and there are facilities to exchange for local money, but there is a minimum amount. There are also various restaurants around.

The only thing I remember from her talk and I don’t know why… is that the one street was built with ballast stones from ships that arrived at port… and the other was paved with “local stones”.. and I’m hoping I’ve got the two right…

I wondered around, taking pictures and then had lunch and a 1/2 Sangria at the cute restaurant with a view on the catheral – hoping to catch it open at some point and purchasing a rosarie for the collection.Yeah, no, that didn’t happen… wasn’t my day. The Sangria and the food was excellent though.

Empty sangria… still closed church door… Ces’t La Vie!

The “Old Town” is really really photogenic… and with some fridge magnets I made my way back to the riverfront and eventually the air conditioned port.

The return trip was uneventful and at around 19:00 I slowly made my way back from the Buenos Aires terminal to my flat.. taking pictures along the way…. including some very fancy designer ice cream shop….

And some other random pictures along the way…

Back to my street with it’s little Tango Bar … Tomorrow I will recognise it on a fridge magnet … which of course I had to buy!

Madonnas, Rosaries and losing my way…

23 November 2022 – Buenos Aires

The “The Amazing Race” Buenos Aires Day 1 had three objectives:
1) Obtain Sube card and load with some credit,
2) Obtain Rosarie from “Cathedral of our Lady of the Pillar” in Recoleta
3) Visit the Fine Arts Museum
Extra Credit ) Reccie mission to Buquebus terminal in prep for tomorrow’s daytrip.

Firstly – some context – the places of interest relevant for the next three days. Hotel Madero is a landmark I’m familiar with as point of reference.

I embarked on a search of the unexpectedly elusive SUBE card and after about two hours of asking around I was referred to a metro station close to Plaza de Mayo – The plaza in front of the Casa Rosada and the Metropolitan Cathedral.

Just as I descended into the station I’m met by various security personnel – my timing sucked big time – this particular line/station’s “1 hour scheduled strike timeslot” had just begun – kinda like ‘loadshedding, but with trains’. A very friendly lady did however assist me and from some back room they produce a SUBE card – now their stock is down to two. I purchased the card and travel credits and then they escourted me safely out of the station.

The system around credits are a bit of a mystery to me – You can check the balance of your card at the Subway Station, the same place where you can top-up the credits. At least for the bus – you get on the bus, tell the driver where you want to go. He loads the destination and you tap your card. Appropriate credits get deducted while you hold your breath and pray you have enough.

I took the bus to the closest bus stop to the Fine Arts Museum – just for it to stop short of the museum at a massive terminus – for this bus, it’s the end of the line. However, you just walk over a walkway and then you’re in the garden around the museum – not that hard to find.

I walked up to Recoleta Cemetary and the Basilica through the various parks and visited the ‘cloisters collection’.

Museum Installation at Nuestra Sra del Pilar

Upon exit I was told that they do not sell rosaries, but there is a dedicated shop down the road. After a wild goose chase in the completely wrong direction – I find out that the shop is literally two doors down from the church… a ‘hole in the wall’ as you walk back towards the Fine Arts museum.

Another Rosary and Fridge Magnet for the collection.

Then on to the Fine Arts museum…

Some Pre-columbian collection items

Pre-Columbian items – one deep in thought and the last item’s faces almost reminiscent of miniature statues found in cyclades.

My favourite, however was this painting by Luigi Loir (1845-1916)

Then back to my flat with its ‘old world charm’ – small elevators with steel grill doors and a polished spiral staircase.

Also stopped at the store and purchased some fresh chicken and spinach gnocci, “portuguese” pasta sauce and a tub of ice cream. From this I learned that even though the ice-cream was slush when I got to the flat (5 min walk from store!), it would still be runny the next evening. This despite the frozen ice cubes next to it. Needless to say, I eventually had some milkshake just before I vacated the flat.

But before I cooked supper I decided to do a reccie mission on the bus to see how long it took to get to the Buqebus terminal from my closest bus stop – just a block down the road. It was supposed to be so easy – its in the same street as the bus stop… just a few km’s up the road.. past Plaza de Mayo.

Until it wasn’t… I don’t know how I missed the stop, but when I started recognising landmarks from our evening tour- I got off at the next stop. I walked back to the Fine Arts Museum and then down the “main road” that runs parallel with the river. At some point I did take a bus back to Ave Indepensia and made it back home, much later than anticipated and quite disheartened.

I was not going to take any chances with the bus tomorrow… I will have to walk, at least I know the way – up towards Casa Rosada, parallel with the riverfront. According to Google Maps it should take approximately 36 minutes to cover the 2.6km distance.