January 24, 2008 - Ushuaia, Argentina
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I had a leisurely wakeup but checked out by 9:30 AM. I rushed through breakfast as I wanted to be at the Post Office before it opened at 10 AM. The queues here can get maddeningly long and I did not want to spent half a day waiting to ship a package! I was there by 9:45 AM and I waited in line (yes, there were 3 people ahead of me) for the Post office to open at 10 AM. Open entering, I headed to the package shipment area. There I was told to open the package for Argentine Customs Inspection before it could be sealed and shipped. USHUAIA is a tax free zone and some cell-phone manufacturing is done here. The Customs inspector browsed through all my winter clothes and asked me the obligatory question as to whether I was sending any electronic items. I answered (truthfully) in the negative. While the colourful cardboard box could be resealed easily after the inspection, the brown paper used to wrap the box and write the address on was ripped and could not be re-used! The customs inspector helpfully suggested that I head to the stationery store across from the Post Office (where I had purchased the box and wrapping paper yesterday) and buy some wrapping paper to wrap the box. I guess there is some implicit trust here that I will not sneak some electronic items into the box while I am buying wrapping paper across the street! I headed to the stationery store and requested the girls out there to help me wrap and seal the box for shipment. They obliged and did a far better job of wrapping the box that I had done the evening before!
I got back to the Post office and completed all the relevant documentation and went in to have my package weighed. The package weighed at 7 Kilograms (15 lbs) and I chose air shipping. I am not sure why I did it (choose Air shipping as opposed to sea shipping) as the items I was shipping were my used winter clothing that I had no use for during the rest of my travels in South America. The postage came to a hefty 375 pesos (US$125). The excess baggage charges I would have had to pay for these extra 15 lbs would have been far more than the shipping charges I paid at the post office. All I can hope now is that the shipment reaches my friend's place intact. I was told that the shipment would reach the US in 3 weeks time and that I could track the shipment until Buenos Aires. After the shipment leaves Buenos Aires (for its International destination) I cannot track it any longer! This country could certainly do with a lot of modernizing starting with equipping all their computers with genuine USB 2.0 Ports!
I thanked the helpful customs inspector and blogged for a few hours. I was still a long way from being up to date! I had a late snack at a coffee shop called TANTE SARA around 2:30 PM. I went to the MOVISTAR (Cell Phone company) one last time and explained my problem (about having a Chilean Number and wanting to recharge it within Argentina). Sadly, there was no new solution. The company has 2 different computer systems in Argentina and Chile and they do not talk to each other! I may decide to buy a new SIM Card in Brazil as I will spending close to a month there in February.
I headed to the highly recommended Museo Maritimo. It is an old prison that has been used (rather creatively) to host 4-5 different museums and exhibits simultaneously. The entry fee for all for 35 pesos. The museum starts with the old ships / navigational approaches used by early navigators. There were small models on display with helpful explanations in English and Spanish. The next wing (of the museum) was a wing of former prison cells. The lower level was devoted to life in these prisons and some supposedly famous prisoners who inhabited these walls. The upper level had Photographs of prisons from all over the world on one half (such as the Robben Island prison in South Africa where Mandela was jailed) and the other half contained information on the early navigators (such as James Cook) who explored the Antarctic Waters. This area also contained scientific explanations for the polar luminescence and other similar polar events. A replica of an Old lighthouse was placed between 2 prison wings and an old Steam Boiler as well as a locomotive were displayed on the lawns between 2 other prison wings.
A local artist (with works for sale) was showcased on yet another prison wing while the Tierra del Fuego art gallery was hosted in another wing of the prison. My grand contribution (as a tourist) was 4 pesos towards a fridge magnet! One of the upper sections of the prison wings also had a section on the penguins of the world and of Antarctica and Argentina while another (section of the prison wing) highlighted the Oil and natural gas exploration activities in this area.
This would have been a great museum to visit before my Antarctica trip. I spent close to 2 1/2 hours here and got out close to 6 PM. I walked around the quay trying to Photograph the flying sea gulls. I visited a local artisan shop and got myself a USHUAIA T-Shirt! Dinner at Tante-Sara was quite a disappointing affair. Dinner for the past 2 nights at El Turco had spoiled me. I went back to the hotel by 7:30 PM and requested a TAXI to the Airport. I chatted with the driver (who was originally from Mendoza but had lived in USHUAIA for the past 25 years) during my 15-minute drive to the airport. He was quite happy with my 2-peso tip on a cab fare of 13 pesos (15 pesos = US$ 5). My duffel bag weighed in at 18 kilograms! I had to pay a departure tax of 13 pesos. The flight was going to land in EZE (International Airport) rather than AEP (Domestic Airport). I was not sure as it made much of a difference to me (as I was going to spend the night in Buenos Aires before heading to Paraguay).
The flight departed on time. I had a decent view of USHUAIA city as it took off and took a few pictures from my Plane window. The view from the entrance of Ushuaia airport towards the city would be terrific during the morning. On well, next time! The plane climbed over and I could see numerous mountains with their peaks capped in snow. We crossed Lago Fagnono and the long and winding road across Paseo Garibaldi (that I took while coming from Punta Arenas, Chile to Ushuaia, Argentina). The girl seated next to me was a first time flyer. She appeared to be a sketch artist and I watched as she sketched a skeletal face from scratch. Pretty talented, I must say.
I listed to Guns-N-Roses for a bit. 'Paradise City' still sounds good after all these years! I observed a gorgeous sunset a 10:15 PM from 30,000 feet up in the air! I suppose that since we are flying north, the sun might actually set at some point during the day! I also noticed (after about 30 minutes) a glorious full-moon through the window across from aisle. Too bad the flight was full. Otherwise, I would be going window to window taking Photos!
I followed by G-n-R by listening to some Carnatic Music and trying to doze. I chatted up the girl next to me. She is 16 and finishing up school and is headed to Buenos Aires (BA) for college. She wants to be an artist. She likes sketching (as I evidenced) and has started dabbling in tattoos as well (giving tattoos that is). Although she had been to Buenos Aires earlier with her family, it was a road trip and this was her first trip by AIR ever. She considered the experience (of flying on a plane) to be OK.
She spoke good English and had spent time learning it at the PORTLAND Institute in USHUAIA. The night manager at my Hotel had also spent time at the Portland Institute and spoke good English. So they must be doing a good job. Education in Argentina is as follows: Kindergarten followed by 6 years of Primary School followed by 3 years of high school. This is followed by 3 years of polytechnic (or its equivalent). After 12 years, folks enter University. University is always 5 years with degrees like medicine require more time (Not sure why: Quacks are still quacks even after the additional years supposedly spent educating themselves!) She was planning to stay with her cousin in Buenos Aires for the next 2 months and catch up with her boyfriend who had already commenced university studies in Buenos Aires.
January 24-25, 2008 - Buenos Aires, Argentina
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We landed in Buenos Aires after Midnight. The only transport option available into town was Taxis. The cab driver I hired wanted a flat rate of 80 pesos (US$27). We chatted during the 40-minute ride into the city. He is an empty nester who lives with his wife and drives the cab as per his whims (no fixed schedule). If I had landed in the National Airport (as my flight was supposed to), the ride to my Hotel would have cost me 20 pesos maximum (US$ 7). Housing prices in Buenos Aires range from US$500 per Square metre (10 square feet) to US$7500 per Square metre. Apartments in Buenos Aires can be as little as 50 Square Metres (500 Sq. ft). The San Telmo area ranges in price from US$2500-US$4500 per square metre. Most Buenos Aireans are fans of either River Plate or Boca Juniors (the most famous Boca Junior was of course, Maradona). My driver was a Boca fan. Rinquelme (who also plays for the Argentine National team) is the captain for Boca Juniors. One needs to be a bit careful here. As BOCA and RIVER and opposing teams from Buenos Aires, saying the wrong thing about a team to its fan, could mean trouble! The local soccer season starts in February. Perhaps I can see a match at River plate stadium when I spend more time in Buenos Aires towards the end of February 2008. For a pure soccer fan, there are (perhaps) but 2 places to see. A Match at the MARACANA Stadium (Rio de Janeiro) and a match at River Plate Stadium (Brazil). While Maracana has a seating capacity of 200000, River plate has a lower seating capacity (perhaps at 80,000).
Suipacha Hotel was situated next to Av 9 Julio (the main street in Buenos Aires). It appears to be quite close to the Obelisk and Teatro Colon (a famous theatre in Buenos Aires and perhaps all of South America). The room was quite small but very functional. I had to shutter the windows to keep the sounds out. For the first time in my 8 week of travels, I had to turn on the Air-Conditioner!
I plan to check out around 11 AM and head to the Airport around Noon for my 2 PM flight to Asuncion, Paraguay. I plan to get up a bit early and visit the local American Express office to exchange some of my Travellers' Checks!
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