Despite remaining under the weather (sinus block), I slept OK and was awake at 0615. Spent some time reading, blogging and during Duolingo before heading to breakfast in the hotel restaurant (0715). There were LOTS of food choices (eggs, sausage, fruit, cereal, pastries) and the venue was quite crowded. I spent a little time avoiding the other Americans because I continued to hear complaints about the overall travel experiences (SMH). At 0800, I left the Hilton and walked across the nearby canal, making my way to Plaza de Mayo. It was sunny, clear and HOT! My goal was to locate the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral, where Pope Francis used to practice Mass. Fortunately, I arrived just as a Mass was beginning (0830) and joined the service. My Spanish isn’t great but it was clear that the Homily was actually about His Holiness - I learned later that today was the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter at Antioch. Glad to have been able to get a feel for the Parish. Afterwards (0900), I made my way north along the west side of the the Puerto Madero canals until I found the Buquebus terminal. This brought back good memories of my visit to Colonia in 2022. Skirting the harbor on some surface streets, I managed to enter the Reserva Ecologica Costanera Sur. I’d been trying to get inside during the last two visits to Buenos Aires and today it was actually open! I walked along the north side boundary (fence line) and, later, got some pretty views of the Rio de La Plata. The trail was dry and dusty and there were more annoying mosquitos. On the plus side, I felt some nice breezes when I arrived at an area with a beach (no swimming allowed). Departing the river via a trail junction to the west, I walked towards the Puerto Madero canals. It was SO hot! Stopped a few times to check out little boardwalks in the marshes. Later, I crossed one of the canals on a wooden boardwalk that crossed an algae/weed/lilypad choked channel. There was no open gate there, however, and I had to continue south on the “quay” before I was able to exit on the southern end of the park. Along the way, I watched paddle-wheel boats removing organic materials from the canal - looked like a never ending job... Overall, the hiking activity in the Reserva was quite challenging because of the heat (90ish F) and humidity but, while feeling the breezes coming off the Rio de La Plata, I became convinced that the city is well named. Leaving the park, I walked the "long way" back to the Hilton (arrived at 1100). In my room, I tried to dry my sweaty clothing, take a shower, charge my phone and do some repacking before I had to vacate (1200). I was mostly successful and was completely checked out of the hotel by noon. I left my bags with the concierge and walked across the canals again. Initially, I was in search of the recommended restaurant/pub “La Birratera” but found it was closed. Later, after walking down the entire northern end of the west side of the canals, I finally sat down at Gran Puente (1245). It was actually located right next door to the restaurant where I’d eaten dinner the night before. Sitting outside, my table was shady and breezy. I wasn't in a hurry at that point, so I ordered an Imperial Lager. Unfortunately, a flight delay crisis started just at that moment: American Airlines moved my flight from later in the evening (today) to afternoon on February 23 (tomorrow). This would also have meant that my arrival in NYC would be after 2100 local and I'd lose the chance to ride home on the Dartmouth Coach. Alarmed, I called the Viking emergency line; they were eventually able to resolve the issue by rerouting me through Miami. Not the best outcome but better than the alternatives... At that point, I ordered lunch (quesadillas) and had some more cervezas. Finished at 1415, I walked back to the Hilton and stopped at the Viking desk to update them on my flight situation. I found several other passengers there who were in full panic mode about the travel SNAFU. Delayed by transportation arrangements, I started seeking some cool air - the front desk suggest that I try the fifth floor of the hotel (Business Center) so I headed up there. This looked like a good solution for my two (plus) hour delay and I settled into a couch next to charging port. However, I then got displaced while removed every piece of furniture from the area (including the couch I had been sitting on. I spent the next few hours in another part of the fifth floor, trying to stay cool until it was time for our bus ride to the airport. At 1700, I met the remaining Viking passengers (along with what appeared to be guests from several other cruise companies) and we boarded the bus. Arriving at EZE (1745), the bus dropped us off at the completely opposite end of the terminal from where the American counter was. Even after I walked the long distance, I arrived to find a HUGE queue. I started wondering if I should try to upgrade to Business Class but, after waiting in a big line for about 30 minutes, I reached the counter and found that they were all sold out. Oh well... Next, I headed to security and found the several layers of it to be quite quick. Not knowing which gate my flight had been assigned, I walked around in the terminal and looked for food. I found some, at La Panera Rosa (1810), and spent some time resting in a nearby seating area (I didn't eat the food I'd bought, however). At 1900, I got an email about my gate assignment and wandered in that direction. After verifying the location, I backtracked to get some dinner at Burger King (1940). Spent about an hour there, resting and relaxing, before walking back to my gate. I then waited there for another hour before boarding began. At that point, it was a free-for-all and I ended up getting in line without knowing the boarding section. I got told (by a roving security person) to drink my water (“no liquids”) and then got a personal search just after I walked to through the gate. Regardless, I was in my seat (an aisle) by 2100 and we took off for Miami about 40 minutes later. The Boeing 777 was quite crowded and uncomfortable. To make matters worse, the young man next to me was fidgety and bulky. In the end, I was never able to feel good about my seat, especially since the aircraft was generally hot. Trying not to think about my discomfort, I watched movies to pass the time. Later, the flight attendants served us a meal (pasta, “salad”, bread, crackers, cake) but I didn’t eat much of it (full from dinner, which I'd eaten because I wasn't sure we'd get dinner onboard). Once the lights were dimmed, I tried to doze but it was nearly impossible, even though it was almost midnight and I was feeling rather fatigued. The end of the day found me flying over the Amazon, considering the trip I was now completing. After my recent adventure onboard "Polaris", my two days in Bs.As were quite tame. I enjoyed staying Puerto Madero and the delicious empanadas I'd sampled during my three visits to the city. The “vacation” part of this trip is now ending and I'm going to need some luck to stay close to my schedule. I'm glad I wasn't switched from a non-stop to a one-stop itinerary on the outbound leg… All of the logistics confusion is just a reminder that I'll need to work on getting back into the rhythm of real/normal life after such a dreamy few weeks...
