Celia, bid us farewell with a warm hug as she dropped us off to the airport for our flight back to Buenos Aires. Yet another example of the personalized hospitality and warm care we’d now come to associate with the Adventure Life team.
At the Arrivals section, we were greeted by a portly Santa Claus of a transfer guide, adorned with a flowing white beard, who at once had us in high spirits with his jolly disposition and repertoire of anecdotes. After much banter, we were dropped off at the Reino Del Plata hotel, an Adventure Life Pick. The hotel staff was very efficient and provided us one of the quickest check-ins we had ever experienced.
The room was nice, not as spacious as our Iguazu Hotel but none the less, very neat and comfortable. Subsequent to a quick unpack we decided to stroll along the most talked about pedestrian street in the area.
As luck would have it, our hotel was joined at the hip to Calle Florida, which made its location ideal. Be it the money changer, pharmacy or snack shop, they were all a short walk away. As we started to stroll along the street, my first impression was “Wow!” This was a mile long pedestrian mall, giving a whole different meaning to high street. There was a sea of people strolling back and forth through one Narrow Street. It was almost unreal the way live bands, street artists and moving statues kept you amused throughout. I was particularly fascinated by the sight of a man actually working out on a treadmill, in the window display of a store. Hats-off to the Argentineans for their creative advertising.
The streets were lined with early 20th century buildings, boutique stores, souvenir shops, restaurants and cafes. All the locals had displayed their handicrafts and some were particularly engrossed in creating their wares while others laid out their stalls. Nanita and I made the most of our bargaining skills, something that we inherited naturally through our Indian genes. We got ourselves leather Gaucho hats, in preparation for our trip to the Pampas that we had booked for the next day.
The atmosphere resonated to the beats of the Tango as the dancers performed on every occasional block. Tourists stood there with pasted smiles almost as if saying aloud, “Buenos Aires, my heart shall always belong to you...” If there is any street in the world that could possibly keep anyone entertained for every second along the way, Calle Florida has to be it. As we walked by, we were amused by the sight of a young school girl who sat at the corner selling little hand made trinkets while simultaneously doing her home work. Almost as if the draw of the street was so intoxicating, that she wanted to be a part of it all, without leaving her daily responsibility.
We eventually reached Galleria Pacifico, an upscale shopping mall. It felt rather odd and was definitely a first, that two ‘shopaholics’ like us did not have shopping on their minds. There was just too much to explore and there was never ‘too much time’ to spend in this bustling city! We walked around the galleria, mostly appreciating the exquisite dome ceiling with its beautiful fresco paintings. We then reached the Plaza San Martin, where we rested on a bench and enjoyed the serenity of the park.
By late evening, we took a cab to Suipacha and Avenida Corrientes, which looked just like Broadway in Manhattan. A stream of tango bars, restaurants, tango shows and musicals lined the streets with the brilliance of the Las Vegas strip. We dined at La Bolsa, an Italian bistro where Tango dancers performed live, providing the “perfecto” ambience while relishing mouth- watering ‘Gnocchi.’ An elderly man sang to the tunes of legendary Carlos Gardel while we sipped on a large glass of red.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.