We were greeted this morning by our bright and energetic guide, Jose. His enthusiasm and humor were literally infectious, and we soon found ourselves more excited for our Buenos Aires city tour than we ever expected! We visited the most famous barrios, or neighborhoods - Retiro, Palermo, Recoleta, La Boca, and San Telmo. We then went for a walk through the Recoleta Cemetery, the extravagance and architecture of the tombs was outrageous to say the least. Even though the faith and memories exuded by the cemetery were powerful, I couldn't help by be slightly uncomfortable amongst so many coffins.
Our spirits were lifted as we moved on to La Boca, a tourist center located near the mouth of the Rio del Plata, hence the name “La Boca”, or “The Mouth”. The neighborhood is comprised of narrow cobblestone streets lined by brightly colored shops and houses, the bright reds, blues, greens, yellows, and purples reflecting the warm Latin hospitality of the locals. Costumed tango dancers line the streets and restaurant fronts, asking for tips in exchange for priceless photo ops of your travel companions in seductive tango poses. This is a great spot to people watch, and also to look for colorful artwork.
In the evening we dressed up for a tango dinner show at Esquina Carlos Gardel. One word - WOW! The dinner, the service, the theater and the performance were all exceptional. The music was played by a live band elevated above the stage. We stared in awe as the couples strutted and twirled beneath the lights. The tango is nothing short of an art form, and of all the things you can do in Buenos Aires, I would highly recommend the Esquina Carlos Gardel Tango Show for anyone on an Argentina tour.
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.