March 22 has become one long blur of a day – we have in fact flown into tomorrow and while now here in Argentina can look back to Eltham at a time that has not yet taken place – my phone when searching for International times gives Melbourne as tomorrow. Which could be useful given we are sitting in a lovely hotel room overlooking the very famous Buenos Aires Cemetery having a bit of a discussion with the Dazzler Recoleta hotel as to our apparently cancelled room booking. If we are in a tomorrow time zone then perhaps this isn’t really happening and the Eltham Travel Agency can continue to try to sort it out on our behalf.
Diane Bullen kindly came to ours this morning at 6.30am (48 hours ago, or thereabouts) to drive us to the airport. It was pretty good flying from here – no real hiccups with BORDER FORCE or other immigration departments and on the Argentina arrival no one really bothering to look at our signed declaration forms or bags. We were relieved to be be on Argentinian earth and realised a little more Spanish language would be useful.
A lovely young man sat with us alone on the plane and offered to ‘share’ a taxi or a ride into town as he said he also lived in the town Recoleta where we have a room at the Dazzler Hotel. We thanked him but declined as we have already paid for a private car to collect us from the airport and take us to our hotel.
Flying over Patagonia glaciers on route to Buenos Aires
The flight to Argentina was pretty uneventful – though very full. We were flying economy and had window seats from Auckland to Buenos Aires. Three hours to Auckland and eleven to Argentina. Night came for most of the time flight across the Pacific ocean which was convenient as the dawn arrived as we crossed the Southern Andes and were able to glimpse down to the stunning high glacial peaks and long lakes and rivers. Cloud covered much of the vision leaving just enough wild landscape to think it would be wonderful to back trek and visit them at a later date. The plane flew quite south towards the Antarctic and at another time we may have been able to see the distant continent.
Relatively uneventful through immigration and customs and out into the thick of the humid air and smog of BA. We waited some time for our ride which them wove through all kinds of living towers. Mongolia came to mind, and then it seemed the tall high rise apartments were in even more disrepair than Mongolia. What I thought were apartments in various stages of demolition were in fact the living quarters for living residents.
After our seemingly long taxi ride to our Recoleta hotel, The Dazzler we checked in and found our beautiful room – overlooking the very famous cemetery. We showered and thought about something to eat. Then the phone rang and a very nice gentleman on the front desk told us our booking [for the room] had been cancelled. We had a serous issue on our hand as we knew we had paid for and booked our extra rooms and now were being asked to leave, or make a new booking.
Phone calls between our Eltham Travel and the front desk ensued with not much resolved – only that the Eltham agents will pay for now and sort it out with us at a later date.
