Monthly October MLT Vacations LA business trip - Wednesday and Thursday, October 23rd and 24th 2013

After arriving home from Argentina on Tuesday 10.22.13 I had my usual monthly trip to LA for my appointment (every 3rd Wednesday of the month) at ALTOUR - LA.  My boss, Charlie Mest and my friend/colleague Mary Dring were also in town as MLT Vacations along with Hard Rock Hotel were hosting a Travel Agent event at the Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood at Universal City Walk.  After my day of sales calls I meet Charlie and Mary at our hotel, yes the Holiday Inn Hollywood Walk of Fame.

We went over and started to prepare for our travel agent event.  When most of the work was completed Charlie asked me to have a beer with him prior to the start of the event.  He was NOT supposed to tell me until tomorrow morning at breakfast on Thursday (10.24.13) but he simply could not hold it any longer.  He told me my job/position was being eliminated.  MLT did not want me to contact any travel agents/clients, they just wanted my help in sending back all of property and helping Mary with the travel agents in Northern California.  While I was a bit caught off guard I knew in the back of my mind this was going to happen sooner or later, due to the loss of the United Vacations product, as Delta's focus is on LA and Seattle and NOT San Francisco.

So at breakfast on Thursday morning Charlie told me that I would still be "employed" until November 22nd and then get a severance package.  This means I wasn't really going to work yet I would be paid.  It also meant that I would still have travel privileges on Delta until November 22, 2013.

I flew home Thursday afternoon.

Even ONE MORE DAY in Argentina - MONDAY, October 21, 2013!

Yes, two nights in a row we didn't get on (standby) the only Delta flight of the day to Atlanta to get home......we decided to just stay close to the airport so we are in the Holiday Inn Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport hotel.  Over the past year I've stayed at a few Holiday Inn on MLT Vacations business trips.  What I can tell you is this was THE FINEST Holiday Inn I've EVER stayed in.

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner on "Mother's Day" in the El Mangrullo Asador.  The following day we spent in the Holiday Inn Ezeiza - Coral Spa.  Since I work remotely I was able to do 95% of my work via email.  My only challenge is that I am supposed to be in LA for business and meet my boss on Wednesday evening, October 23rd.  we enjoyed relaxing and hanging out at the Holiday Inn I did get a lot of work done.

WE GOT ON the Delta flight tonight and ONCE A GAIN got UPGRADED to First/Business class.....so we are finally on our way home!

Don't cry for me Argentina......BYE, BYE Argentina.....

One more day (Sunday, 10.20.13) in Buenos Aires - Palermo, Soho, etc.

We will try to fly home again this evening at 8:50pm, the flight looks wide open, so it should be NO PROBLEM at all getting out this evening on the ONLY flight of the day!

Some graffiti in Soho

Palermo, Soho graffiti this is a tourist attraction Graffiti images and history

Below are images taken at a museum in Buenos Aires.  Since it was Sunday we also walked through a few different outdoor markets today.

OK, so tonight there must have been at least 20 or so people trying to get on the one and only Delta flight tonight to Atlanta.  There were at least 30 to 40 seats on the plane open BUT.......................we learned another fact........sometimes the airlines add CARGO and then can not fill the empty seats for what is called "Weight & Balance"  Beth and me were number 2 & 3 on the standby list.  We met the flight attendant who was #1.  He worked for Delta Airlines for 36 years.  Since he is "CREW" even if the all; the seats were taken he could still get on the plane and us the "jump seat".  Well Delta didn't even allow him to get on due to the weight & balance......so this was our second night back at the Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport.   So since it is about a 40 minute cab ride back into Buenos Aires we decide to stay close tot he Airport at the Holiday Inn Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport hotel.

A Saturday (10.19.13) visit to the suburbs of Buenos Aires - Olivos - for a traditional Asado in the home of Amber & Hugh

Today, is - (was to be) our last day in Argentina.  We enjoyed a walk around the Recoleta area before taking the train to Olivos. We were told that a cab would cost about $50 each way.  The Park Hyatt suggested that we NOT take the train.  As is the case many places the trains and stations are ripe picking for thieves and pocket pickers.  But we had plenty of time and both Beth and I love to try and experience what locals do we choose to take the train.  For both of us round trip we paid 12 peso's.  During our time the bank exchange rate was 6 pesos to 1 dollar (you could get up to 9.4 pesos per dollar on the "blue" market).  So the trip on the train cost us a total of $2 round trip for BOTH of us.

We went to visit a women who used to work for Beth at Charles Schwab named Amber Alexander & her husband Hugh, along with 2 girls, 1 live in house keeper plus 1 additional helper all at their rented house in the suburb of Olivos.  Walking from the train station to their house it reminded us a little like Burlingame.  We enjoyed a wonderful Asado.  The food keeps coming off the grill.  First sausage, then like a small ribs, and on and on, it was delicious.  The also turned us on to the amazing local ice cream!

Our discussion was about Argentina, how corrupt it is, how much crime there is, yet how low cost and incredible their medical system is, etc.  They even admitted they have buried money in their back you so it wouldn't be stolen.  This all started with a question about the Blue/Black market for money exchange and how they keep and or deal with money living in Argentina.

There is only one flight per day, on Delta, going back to SFO via ATL it departs at 8:50 pm.  With this being my first International "standby" trip I was a bit worried we would not get on the plane.  But as I kept checking availability it looked good for us to get on the flight so we went to the airport, which is about 30 to 40 minutes away from downtown Buenos Aires.  I used a priority listing S2 to make sure we were high on the standby list.  Everything seemed perfect.  The gate agents checked our bags and allowed us to go through immigration.  With this being an International trip I knew they would NOT check our bags and let us go through immigration unless we had seats on the plane.  Everything was great, when I herd my name called I thought for sure it would be to give us our seat assignment (for international standby this is done at the gate).   Well the gate agent told me 1 person checked in AFTER the cut off time, but the took them as they were a paying customer.  So when I got to the desk the agent said I have some bad news...I have only 1 seat therefore only 1 of you can fly home tonight.   Even though I was to be back at work on Monday, October 21 I could not go without Beth and she did not want to go without me.  So we decided that we would try again tomorrow, Sunday, October 20!

What an ordeal to take us back through Immigration and get a note that clearly states that even though our passport say we depart Argentine, we did not leave.  We had to pick up our bags that had already been checked etc.  Once all of the was done, say 10:30 pm THEN we had o start looking for a hotel.  Which we booked on HOTELS.COM - when we showed up the Front Desk Agent said "I have your reservation, however  I do NOT have a room for you"  He helped us booked another hotel walking distance around the corner so we could spend the night.  We ended up at the Krista Hotel Boutique
it looks nice....that's what we thought when the Front Desk agent showed it to us at midnight.  Well the Krista Hotel does not even show the UGLY room we were in (ALL BLACK floor to ceiling WOOD
PANELS).  When Beth started to take a shower, there wasn't any towels, hot water, etc.  I came walking in and she was crying from the whole experience......what a day!

Friday, October 18 - our last "full day" in Buenos Aires

Today we walked around the Recoleta area in Buenos Aires.  We planned our day around visiting the Teatro Colon.  It's known to be one of the World's Best acoustic sounding venues.  It was also visually incredible inside.  If only we had been in town to see a show.

Beth being a model with the Obelisk in the background

Stain glass ceiling in the Teatro Colon

Mozart in Teatro Colon!

It was just before we took our tour of the Teatro Colon when I notice that my "regular" glasses were no longer in my back pocket.  Having a pair of regular and then sunglasses that are both prescription is a pain to switch back and forth.  I've traveled enough to know never to carry anything in the back pocket of my pants...but I NEVER thought anyone would pickpocket my eye glasses.....well it happened...I had on my sunglasses and somewhere, somehow my regular glass where no longer in my back pocket.  Losing my regular glasses did not effect my experience in the Teatro Colon, it was awesome.

We went back to our hotel the Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt Buenos Aires to rest as we are going to see a Tango show called El Querandi this evening.  Here is a video of the show:

What was nice about this Tango is that it traces the history of Tango over time.  Therefore their outfits, dances and styles change over the different periods of time.

Loyalty Day (Dia de la Lealtad) October 17 & Mothers of the Disappeared Day (Every 3rd Thursday of the month)

Since we spent the night in Palermo Soho at the Nuss Hotel we decided that we would walk around Soho first.  We then plan to walk towards a wonderful leather store called Casa Lopez prior to heading over the the Plaza de Mayo to witness the Madres of the Plaza De Mayo monthly protest.  They have had this protest on the 3rd Thursday of every month for the last 36 years.  The Mothers continue to try to get the "government" to answer to where the almost 50,000 missing people are and what happend to them and who is responsible for their "disappearance".

"Graffiti of JFK & Che Guevara in Palermo Soho" 

Looks like Vocer likes to see his or her name on da wall!

Mothers of the Disappeared

 So the Mothers of the Disappeared demonstration lasted only 20 minutes or so.  Beth and I were concerned as when we arrived at the Plaza de Mayo their were at least 2 large armor tanks, as though there was going to be a large demonstration.  What we didn't realize was today - Thursday, October 17 was Loyalty Day or Peronism Day, which is a HUGE Political event. Plaza de Mayo as well as so many other parks and squares around Buenos Aires where all having Political rallies, drums, bells, whistles loud speakers, cheers, etc.  It was getting to chaotic and to crowded fro Beth so we left and headed for the Puerto Madero.  We wanted to experience this area and see the unique El Puente de La Mujer, or Woman’s Bridge. A beacon to all pedestrians, this elegant and sophisticated homage to women is one of the city’s most contemporary structures, curving over the waters of the Rio de la Plata.

 

Our last day in Jujuy/Purmamarca - we fly back to Buenos Aries this evening

Well today is our last day here in the Northern part of Argentina.  We decided that we have driven each day for long periods to see Chachi, Cafayatte, Humahuaca/Tres Cruces and the Salinas Grandes, so today we wanted to stay local and just hike into the hills in our town of Purmamarca.  As we walk out of town we passed the cemetery

As we begin our hike

Just a garage door, but in the next photo you will see that it is made out of Cardones or cacti

close up of the cacti used in the garage door above in Purmamarca

You always need Jujuy Policia!

At the last minute we decided that we HAD to see The Pucara de Tilcara, which is a pre-Inca fortification located on a hill just outside the small town of Tilcara. The location was strategically chosen to be easily defensible and to provide good views over a long stretch of the Quebrada de Humahuaca. The Pucara de Tilcara was declared a National Monument in 2000.  Traces of human habitation in the area date back more then 10,000 years.

From Pucara de Tilcara we drove directly to the Jujuy airport, which was in the middle of no where! Our 2 1/2 hour flight back to Buenos Aires was rough!  We were flying through lightning and thunder and the plane "bounced" up and down almost the entire flight.  Needless to say we almost kissed the ground when we landed.

Tonight we stayed in Palermo Soho in a Hotel called the Nuss Hotel, it was "hip and cool"!

Sunrise photo's of Purmamarca and then our drive to Salinas Grandes

We got up early to catch to the "good" light as the sun was rising over Purmamarca, which some say have the MOST BEAUTIFUL Mountains in the World, see this blog.  Below are some photo's of the morning.  Also I've added other photo's of the town.

Purmamarca

Purmamarca church

Shopping is an option for tourists EVERYWHERE!

Now we are on our way to see the Salte Grande, and is the case whenever we have driven West towards Chile we have to go through and or over mountains.  In this case our peak was 4,170 meters or  16,681 feet!

Again the landscape is just amazing, incredible and totally awesome....now check out this other worldly place of the Salt Playa!

San Salvador de Jujuy (Villa Jardin de Reyes) to Purmamarca to Humahaca to Tres Cruces - Monday, October 14, 2013

After leaving, but not checking out of our hotel (Pura Vida Hosteria de Aventura), since there was no refund for our prepaid nights as this was recommended and booked by our travel agent in Buenos Aries, we needed to find another place to spend the night.  We felt that Purmamarca would be our best location and so we booked the el Manantial del Silencio Hotel Resort & Spa.  It is a classic old resort and we loved the property.  It has a excellent lobby/lounge area to hang out in with a huge fireplace.  We took advantage of using the Spa/Sauna/Hot tub - only one couple at a time, however since the pool is not heated we did not go in for a swim.

We chose a room on the wrong side of the hotel.  We heard cars and trucks all night long in addition to the local dogs barking all night.  We would recommend that our friends stay her, but chose a room on the back side of the hotel.  Once we had a room, we took a drive to visit the town of Humahaca, which as a famous statue of Francis Solanus that pops out of the church at noon each day!

We drove to Humahaca - nice little town that now has become quite touristic

Small courtyard - used for yarn

Overlooking the mountains around Humahaca

Independence Memorial in Humahuaca

Art students drawing the statue shown above in the square of Humahaca

After lunch we continued our drive North towards the boarder with Bolivia as I wanted to try and find the Monument Natural "Laguna Pozueus" as they had thousands of Flamingos.  so we drove North along with way we picked up 3 people, 1 young couple hitchhiking and 1 older local women, who did not want me to take her picture after I dropped her off at her house.

We gave this women a ride in our car, even with her long and large wood oven wooden tool

After about 1/2 hour drive on a 3 wheel drive rocky/dirt road, where we did not see another car nor another person and since it was getting late we decided to turn back.  So while I did not get to see the Pelican's we did see this beautiful landscape just outside of Tres Cruces.

On our ride home and one other time we tried to get some photo's of the hills of Quebrada which are famous for their colors.  The different colors are caused by mineral deposits formed from 1 to 400 million years ago.  The two best spots are the Paleta del Pintur (Painter's Palette) and the Cerro de los Siete Colores (Hill of Seven Colors).

Here are a few of my photo's