Monday, March 26, 2018

To the ends of the earth . . . . . . . . . . .


Buenos Aires, Argentina: 
March 6-8, 2018

First stop when heading south to reach the embarkation point 
for most ships sailing to the end of the world.


After joining our friends form California, Paula, Kim, and Rob at the Dallas
airport, we met up with the majority of our soon to be 105 'new best friends/shipmates' 
here in the vibrant Argentinian capital - home of TANGO - and a city I
 visited back in 2013 HERE on the way to Antarctica.  
Paula and I were thrilled to see two familiar British couples among the crowd, we all
 met on another Noble Caledonia ship 5 years ago when we went to Japan and
 Kamchatka, Russia. 

In Buenos Aires nothing seemed to have changed. . . . . . a huge bustling city
 of contrasts, from screaming colors and tango music of barrio San Telmo, to
 the quiet neutrals in the Recoleta Cemetery.



~ Floralis Generica ~

Designed and paid for by Argentine architect Eduardo Catalano, the Floralis Generica
a giant silver flower, has been a striking city landmark since it opened in 2002. 
The enormous metal flower blooms anew each day in a pool of water next to the
 National Museum of Fine Arts, revealing four long stamens inside.


No one goes to Recoleta cemetery without a visit to Evita’s grave. By Recoleta
 standards, however, it is quite nondescript. Three years after former First Lady Perón
 died of cancer in 1952, her body was removed by the Argentine military in the wake
 of a coup that deposed her husband, President Juan Perón. 
The body then went on a transatlantic odyssey for nearly twenty years before
 finally being returned to the Duarte family mausoleum in Recoleta Cemetery.
 She now lies in a crypt five meters underground, heavily fortified to ensure that
 no one can disturb the remains of Argentina’s most beloved and
 controversial First Lady.











I have hundreds of pix from sunny, hot Buenos Aires but no way to share
 them all - so here's Bob checking the time and telling me it's time to get back on
 the bus, so that's it for now!

Next time I'll show you our quick stop in Ushuaia where the Hebridean Sky was 
awaiting to welcome us and sail away to the actual bottom of the world!

We arrived home on Friday after the 8 hour flight from Santiago, Chile
to Miami, then another 2 hours to Raleigh. Greeted by sunshine but very 
chilly temperatures - apparently March was quite fierce whilst we were gone - 
I was glad for my own bed. . . . . .and silly things such as my coffee mug, pillow,
and our tweeting pair of Carolina wrens on the front porch.
Early in the trip (and I'm still suffering) I did come down with the dreaded 'bug' 
which seems ever-present these days when flying and spending time in close
 quarters on ships etc.  No matter how hard one tries with hand sanitizer, germs
 are spread, and I still have to say those European colds/chest infections always
 hit me hard when I travel, seeming to be much more intense than our run 
of the mill American upper respiratory bugs!

Anyway, we did have a wonderful time on this latest expedition trip - and 
gradually I'll share all the amazing days at sea as we cruised the Chilean
fjords, met lovely people, saw places few have the privilege of visiting - for
 lack of that always fabulous rubber Zodiac boat - and were just thrilled by water, 
mountains, glaciers, wildlife, rainbows and stars.


10 comments:

  1. Welcome Home! Oh the colors of this part of your adventure are just amazing; so beautiful! There is something about vibrant colors that sings to my heart.

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    1. It's definitely a wild and colorful section of BA Marilyn - the entire city is quite beautiful and we enjoyed the brief visit, including a more formal tango dinner show at a big restaurant. Wow, could they dance!!!!!!

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  2. Welcome back! How colorful! Hope you feel better soon.
    Hugs,
    Penny

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Penny - will catch up with you soon!

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  3. Oh Mary, your pictures are exquisite. I'd love to go there. Here is a tip from Kristen Chenowith who travels all the time. She puts Vick's Vapor Rub around and inside her nose to keep from getting sick. I do know it seems everyone gets sick when flying/traveling. Glad you are home safe and sound.

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    Replies
    1. I must remember to try that next time I fly - I truly believe the air circulating in plane cabins has to be the culprit!
      Hope you are well Donna.

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  4. Replies
    1. It was and I'll have lots to share in later posts!

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  5. Yes, it was a good month to get away. Hopefully, the weather will finally land on spring very soon. What color palettes there in Argentina! Both you and Bob looked right at home! (I would never dream that you caught whatever was going round. Hope that you are feeling ever so much better now.)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Vee - getting a little better each day and once the weather improves here I know I'll get over this with some warmer, fresher air to breathe - after the pollen of course! Hope all well with you up north - I believe you had bad storms whilst I was gone!

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