January 25, 2008 - Buenos Aires, Argentina & Asuncion, Paraguay

January 25, 2008 - Buenos, Aires, Argentina
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I woke up at 8 AM and was ready by 9 AM. The A/C worked really well. I did not have a proper sleep though. I paid my bill (150 pesos = US$50) using a credit card (as one gets the best exchange rates from the credit card companies even after their services charges for International transactions) but requested a late checkout at 11:30 AM which was agreed to. The breakfast (included in the price of the room) at the cafe next door reminded me of a Japanese Garden setting. It was a small space used very creatively. Despite all this I think there are better hotel bargains in Buenos Aires than this one.

I obtained a local map from the Hotel and headed to Aerolineas Argentinas office as I wanted to confirm that my International flight later that afternoon from Buenos Aires to Asuncion (Paraguay) was departing from AEP (City Airport). It was indeed and I was requested to be at the Airport by 12:30 PM. This was good news as the cab fare to the city airport from my Hotel would be far less than the cab fare to the International Airport.

I headed to the American Express offices. It was not possible for me to Obtain Paraguayan Currency (Guaranis) at the Buenos Aires office of American Express. I could however exchange my US$ travellers' checks and get US$ currency for a small transaction fee. ($1 for every $100 exchanged) There was no transaction fee for any US$ travellers' checks exchange for Argentine pesos. The Argentine exchange rate was 3.20 pesos for every dollar. This is the best rate I have obtained by far. I exchanged a few hundred dollars for Argentine Pesos and a few hundred dollars for US$ cash. I visited an Internet cafe for a short time to ensure that there was no suspicious activity with my Bank account (I had been receiving many e-mails claiming that there were problems with my account and that I needed to contact my Bank right away). There were none.

Buenos Aires is perhaps by far the biggest city I have visited so far. There were a lot of nice old turn-of-the-century buildings in the city centre. Some of the streets in the city centre are pedestrian only zones. I can see myself living here by operating an IDLI shop!

I was back at the Hotel by 11:40 AM. I hailed a Taxi outside the hotel to take me to the City Airport. The drive took 20 minutes and cost me 20 pesos (including tip). It was a far cry from the 80 pesos it cost me to get to my hotel from the International Airport earlier this morning. My duffel bag continued to weight in at 18 Kilograms. There was a departure tax of 57 pesos (US$ 19).

The flight was scheduled to make a stop at Corrientes (Close to Iguaçu) before continuing to Asuncion. The flight departed at 2:40 PM rather than the scheduled time of 2:05 PM. Guess that is Argentine efficiency! I had a window seat and an elderly couple occupied the 2 seats next to mine. I did some accounting (as I wanted to know if I was travelling within budget) and listened to some carnatic music. I was provided a cereal box and coke for lunch (during my flight).

We reached Corrientes after 90 minutes. We were asked to disembark here to clear Immigration! We could have done the same at Buenos Aires! The elderly couple sitting next to me were Paraguayans heading home to Asuncion. The old man was 91 and the lady appeared close to 80. He ensured that I had all the proper documents and insisted that the Airline personnel provide me with all the appropriate forms! They spoke Spanish and he asked me where I was staying in Asuncion. The name of my Hotel escaped me and I told him that the relevant details were in my bag (in the overhead compartment). I promised to tell him if I recalled the name (or) after I had retrieved my bag from the overhead bin.

January 25, 2008 - Asuncion, Paraguay
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30 minutes after departing Corrientes we landed in Asuncion. The Immigration line was rather slow. The old man required wheelchair assistance and was accorded priority in the Immigration line. After clearing Immigration, he walked back towards me (still waiting for my turn) and asked me yet again for the name of the Hotel where I was staying. I told him it was ASUNCION PALACE HOTEL. He told me that it was a decent hotel and asked me how I was planning to get there as there were no shuttle buses to ferry passengers to hotels in the city. When I indicated the taxi as an option, he told me that it could be expensive and offered to drive me in the vehicle that he would be taking to the city. He and his wife would be dropped off first and I would be dropped at my hotel later. I took him up on the offer and he told me that he would wait in the arrivals area.

When my turn came at Immigration and customs, they appeared to be mere formalities as I had already obtained a VISA at the Paraguayan consulate in New York. I discovered (to my deep annoyance) that both locks on my duffel bag were missing. A quick check revealed that my camera tripod was still in the bag. The rest are just clothes so hopefully nothing is missing.

The old man's wife met me just outside baggage claim and led me to her husband. They were talking to another elderly couple (although far younger than these two) who appeared to be friends of theirs. I made a quick detour to the money changer at the airport and exchanged US$100 cash in return for 466,000 Guaranis (no, that is not a typo - exchange US$300 and I would be well into the Millions). The other couple asked me to be 'very careful' (in English) during my stay in Asuncion.

A driver led the way to a station wagon and told me that my bags will need to be in the deeper part of the boot as the old couple's bags will need to be closer to the boot's door (as they would be dropped first). I rode up with the driver and from time to time, the lady pointed me out to points of Interest. The drive from the Asuncion Airport to the city reminded me of the driver from Chennai Airport to the city. A 4-lane road with hardly anything noteworthy on either side.

After 30 minutes of driving we reached what appeared to be a nice residential neighbourhood. A gate is unlocked and a young man, his wife and young daughter and a black dog greet the old couple. It is quite obvious that the young couple work as a handyman/gardener/cook for the elderly couple and probably live in a small house on the property. They greet the couple and greet me as well. The main house is simply gorgeous. A ranch style brick house built in the colonial style of the late 18th century. The couple (during their conversation with me on the airplane) had deduced (no doubt from my poor Spanish) that I was a lame tourist who ought to be helped at all costs. Hence their offer to drive me to my hotel in their car. As my Spanish was far from perfect, I did not understand during the ride from the airport that the driver of the car was actually the old couple's driver. I had assumed it was some private taxi service and that I may have to pay my share of the fare when I was dropped off at the hotel. (Give me credit though - I was not dumb enough to open my mouth and ask 'Quanto Cuesta' - How much?). I was too stunned by their generosity and felt it would be impudent to take out my camera and take pictures of their fantastic house. The old lady gave me their Phone number and asked me to call the number after I departed from Asuncion (that's what I thought anyway). The old man asked me to be careful - pointing to his eyes, ears and head. He was apparently born and raised in this house and as I mentioned earlier he is 91. Therefore the house must be late 18th or early 19th century. I was offered a glass of water as it is quite hot and humid. I requested the old lady to give me their address as I can send them a postcard. She complied.

We bid adieu and I set off with the driver to my hotel. The driver has been instructed to show me around the town of Asuncion before dropping me off at my Hotel. I chat with the driver on my ride. It turns out that the Old man owns a Jewellery store in town and is the EXCLUSIVE ROLEX DEALER for PARAGUAY! Mauricio Libster is the name of the Store and the elderly gentleman is Samuel Libster. The store is celebrating its 80th year in operation starting from when my Patron was 11 years old. The driver drove me to the shop and some other sites in the city. He dropped me off at the hotel and I thanked him as well. He asked me to drop me by the store during my 3-day stay here. Perhaps Mr. Libster may be there.

ASUNCION PALACE HOTEL is a fantastic place. It used to be a former Governor's house and I was given a Suite with 13 feet ceilings for US$30 per night (Air-Conditioned and Included breakfast). This room and hotel are thus far the largest and the best place I have been so far during my 8 weeks of travelling in South America. After Checking in and freshening up, I visited the tourist office nearby and obtained a decent map of the city. Sadly the historic train to Aregua (a nearby resort town) that operates only on Sundays will operate only the following Sunday (Feb 3 - when I will be in Brazil). While my guidebook had given the impression that the train ran every Sunday, it apparently operates every OTHER Sunday! A bit of a disappointment. Oh well.

I walked around trying to find a decent place for dinner. It is quite hard to find Vegetarian Options here. I settled finally at a meal in a cafe and a really bad cheese pizza. Instead of Opening an IDLI shop in Buenos Aires, I need to open one in ASUNCION. As Mr. Libster and his friends had scared me with their 'Be Careful' warnings, I spent the rest of the evening in my hotel updating my blog (with which I was quite behind). The connection was quite slow but the price was cheap (good enough for basic e-mail and blog writing). I wrote some diary before falling asleep.