Category: 2020 South America

Saturday, March 21 – transit from Buenos Aires to São Paulo

The heading above will give you a hint as to what occurred today…

The day started off with a couple pieces of good news. I awoke to an email from Copa Airlines stating that the flight from Panama to Chicago on Sunday night had been reinstated. It was kind unsettling though that the email I received immediately prior to that indicated the flight had been cancelled! I did confirm via their app and web site though that the flight was indeed a go.

I had also emailed a question yesterday to the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires regarding my Brazil quarantine/country departure issue. They responded this morning indicating that they have not heard of any problems with travelers leaving the country while under quarantine. I’m feeling better now!

Additionally, I received notice late last night from Air Canada that my return flights on April 4 have been canceled. This was predictable. What’s interesting is that they notified me at least 14 days prior to departure. This is significant because, as of December 15 of last year, Canada has enacted some new rules supporting travelers’ rights. One of those rules imposes significant requirements upon the airlines if they cancel a flight within 14 days of its departure. So, a smart move by Air Canada regarding the timing. (I learned this during my research of all things associated with this historic situation we are currently facing)

I’m having second thoughts about taking the flight to Panama early tomorrow morning however. I’ve been looking into the situation in that country, and have discovered the following:

• As of 11:59pm on Sunday, Panama will be halting all international flights in and out of their country. My flight to Chicago is scheduled to depart at 6:30pm on Sunday.
• All international travelers entering Panama are subject to a 14 day quarantine.

I also have concerns about the reliability of Copa Airlines at the moment. This stems from the fact that:

• My planned departure on Friday morning was postponed until Sunday morning.
• They canceled, and then reinstated, my flight to Chicago on Sunday night.
• Looking on their website, I’ve discovered that they had a flight scheduled from Panama to Chicago for this morning, and it was canceled. Likewise regarding a flight scheduled for tomorrow morning; it too has been canceled.

So, because of these issues, I started investigating alternate itineraries. My best choice looks like a LATAM Airlines flight this evening to Miami, connecting through São Paulo. I have flown LATAM several times, both last year and this year, and have found them to be very reliable. I also like the fact that we are transiting through Brazil, because they have few COVID-19 restrictions at the moment. Okay, I’m convinced. Let’s do this! Cost of one way flight to Miami: $430. Very reasonable, I think. And coincidentally, about the same amount of the credit that I’ll be receiving from Air Canada for the canceled return flights.

My flight departs at 7:30pm, and I’m leaving the hotel via taxi around 3:30pm. With the city under lockdown, there should zero traffic, so the drive will take 45 minutes, tops. Normally this would be plenty of lead time. However, we have an X-Factor: What type of checks will be taking place at the airport, and how long will they take? Hopefully I’ll make it!

We’re cruising along unimpeded on the way to the airport, when all of sudden we notice cars traveling in the wrong direction towards us on our side of the divided highway. What the…? Coming around the bend we see there is a HUGE traffic jam leading up to the entrance to the highway’s toll booths. Nooooooo! The taxi driver attempted to make a u-turn like some of the drivers we encountered, but by this time the police had blocked that maneuver. We have no choice to wait our turn in this very disorganized queue. And we’re barely moving!

Well, 45 minutes (and much stress) later, we finally make to the head of the line. It turns out they are not collecting tolls, but questioning drivers as to why they are out during the lockdown. In my case, they just asked to see my flight itinerary and we were sent on our way. I still have two hours until my departure, so hopefully crisis averted!

As I’m about to enter the departures area of the terminal, I’m stopped by a police officer asking to see my boarding pass. Only ticketed passengers are allowed into the airport. After being cleared there, I have to pass one more checkpoint before I’m allowed to enter: I’m directed to a gentleman in full hazmat gear who takes my temperature by pointing a device at my forehead. I pass this test as well! Whew! (As my friend Xavier told me, it’s a good thing they didn’t have a blood pressure requirement, because by this time mine was definitely spiking!)

I enter a pretty much empty terminal. Dropping off my bag takes no time at all. So, here we go, off to my final hurdle: Passport Control. Once again, there is no queue at all to see an agent. I present my passport. He spots my entry stamp from March 12, looks at me, and…places the exit stamp in my passport. Thank you! Would kissing you at this moment be inappropriate?!?

Sidenote: The taking of thumbprints upon Argentina entry and exit used to be a requirement. No more.

The departures area is very quiet. All the shops and restaurants are closed, except for one: Outback Steakhouse. They are providing take away sandwiches, salads, drinks and desserts. And they are doing a brisk business. Smart move Outback! I’m starving. So I grab something to eat. And, considering I have a 12 hour layover coming up, I decide to buy some extras for tomorrow as well. (This decision was made easy by the fact that I had a bunch of Argentine Pesos I needed to get rid of. The currency exchange office at the airport was closed.)

Sidenote: While waiting for my departure, I tried to cancel my Copa Airlines flights using the United Airlines app. (I booked the itinerary using my United miles). I went through all the steps to have my miles and fee refunded, and after hitting the submit button, I received a message stating an error had occurred and I must call United customer support. Right, good luck getting through! I try one more time, but to no avail. I guess I can kiss the miles and cash goodbye…

The two hour flight to São Paulo goes off without a hitch. The 737 is about half-filled and I have a row to myself.

I departed a Buenos Aires airport at 7:30pm that was pretty much on life support. I arrived at a São Paulo airport at 10:00pm that was in full party mode! All of the shops and restaurants were open and occupied. What a difference!

Sunday, March 22 – transit from São Paulo to Miami

I would normally be dreading a 12 hour layover, but in this case, I think the relief of being on the way back to the U.S. eased the pain! (By the way, I could have booked an itinerary with a shorter layover, but it would have been more expensive. Cheapness prevails!) Fortunately, I was able to find a fairly secluded area of a terminal to stretch out on a row a seats without armrests and actually get a few hours of sleep. The rest of the time I did some reading and walked laps around the terminals. Not terrible. (It turns out there is a hotel connected to one of the terminals. I could have spent my layover there, but you know, the cheap thing…)

The eight hour flight to Miami is on a wide-body triple-7. Again, pretty empty. I have a row to myself. This is a great situation for the passengers, but I feel a little bad for the airline (until I start thinking about added fees, shrinking seats and legroom, terrible customer service, etc.). I’m just thankful LATAM is still operating the route!

I have Global Entry, but in this case it was of no benefit. There were zero lines at immigration in Miami. I was expecting some type of medical check upon arrival, but there were none. Maybe that’s because we were coming from Brazil, a country not considered to be of high risk? (except in the eyes of Argentina!)

Upon arrival, I still had an uneaten grilled ham and cheese sandwich from Outback in Buenos Aires. So I declared it. Mistake! Bringing in meat products is a no-no, so I will now need to go through an agricultural inspection and likely hand over the sandwich. Prior to that though, I still have to pick up my luggage. While waiting at baggage claim I ask the security guard if I can just eat the sandwich before I leave. No problem buddy! So when I exit through the ag inspection area, I just give them the wrapper from my sandwich!

Now I need to book an airport hotel. There are plenty available, but none are operating their airport shuttles. Not a biggie. I ended up using a free night I earned from Hotels.com for the hotel and spend $7 on an uber to get there.

While still in Buenos Aires, I had looked at one-way flights from Miami to Chicago, so I knew they were outrageously cheap. I book a non-stop on American for tomorrow morning at a cost $21 (and there were multiple flights available on this day at this cost). Amazing! And again, a big thank you to American for still operating this route!

Footnote: It turns out the Copa flights to Panama and Chicago went off without a hitch. Oh well! I don’t regret the changes I made.

Monday, March 23 – transit from Miami to Madison

All the common areas in the hotel are closed, so the normally free breakfast is not available. Oh well. Another $7 uber gets me back to the airport.

The Miami airport is quiet – not as dead as Buenos Aires, but not nearly as active as São Paulo. There are a few shops and restaurants open.

The flight to Chicago is on a 737, and I continue to have a row to myself. The interesting thing is that I booked the cheapest fare, so I wasn’t allowed to choose my seat; it was automatically assigned by the airline. And they placed me in a middle seat. In a row with no other passengers! Weird!

The final leg of my journey was via a bus to the UW Madison campus, followed by a lyft to my house.

Sidenote: The area at O’Hare where I wait for the Madison bus also services the hotel shuttle buses. And I notice here, unlike in Miami, the buses are fully operational. It’s interesting to see how different policies are in place in different locations.

Costs on this final day of my journey:

• Non-stop flight from Miami to Chicago: $21
• Multi-stop bus from Chicago to Madison: $31 (which was more crowded than I expected)
• Non-stop Lyft from UW Campus to my house: $14

Trip Notes:

• These last few days of the trip had some stressful moments, no doubt. But what an interesting journey! I’m glad I was able to experience it. (Of course, I’m not sure I would be saying that if I was still stuck in a foreign country for an indefinite period! Again, a thought Xavier pointed out to me!)
• The trip was planned for a six week duration. It ended up lasting four. And I would say three out of those four weeks were very enjoyable. It was when venues starting closing and restrictions were being imposed that it became uncomfortable.
• Lessons Learned: Things were moving very fast over the last few days of the trip. Looking back, I’m not sure there is anything I would have (or could have) done differently. Well. there is one thing I should have done, and that is utilize the information provided via the web site of the U.S. Embassy in Argentina. One critical piece of information that I may have missed is the fact that all means of internal transportation within Argentina were being halted on March 20. I only heard about this because I spoke to the tour director at my hotel in Salta. However, this information was also available from the Embassy web site. Being unaware of this situation would have been devastating.
• This turned out to be a pretty inexpensive trip, with costs well under my default $200/day all-in budget.
• Steps: My average daily step count dropped precipitously over the last few days of the trip, but I still ended up averaging 14,500 per day. And when you combine my Europe and South America trips from this winter, over the 61 days I totaled 982,000 steps. (15,600 per day) Not bad! That compares to last year’s total of 1,095,000 steps over 75 days. (14,600 per day)
• Country Count: Adding the countries I toured in Europe, combined with Brazil, I have now visited 70 countries. Will I have the opportunity to see any more? The current situation seems dire, and may leave that somewhat in doubt, but I have confidence a resolution to this crisis and a return to normalcy will occur. The question is: How long will that take?
• My health situation: As I write this, I’m feeling fine. Obviously, with my traveling over the past several days, I’m probably at a higher risk than most of contracting the virus. I’m not too concerned though, as I have no underlying health issues that would precipitate a severe reaction.

Many thanks to everyone for following along on my journey. I really appreciate it. And I especially enjoyed your comments and feedback along the way. It can get a little lonely on the road, so hearing from all of you really brightened my days!

Until next time!

Thursday, March 19 – transit from Salta to Buenos Aires

Well, the good news is I made it to Buenos Aires. We’ll get to the bad news later!

Being able to board the plane in Salta became a non-event. Laughably easy, actually. The only check was the typical screen of the bags. All that effort and anxiety for nothing. I’m just happy I was able to make the flight.

I booked a boutique hotel for the night in Buenos Aires before I left Salta (confidence in making the flight!). I got a quick response from them though stating that they were closing for two weeks due to the virus. (I was really impressed with their prompt reply). After that I decided to book something with a major chain from their website, figuring that would provide up-to-date information. I ended up going with an ibis property in the city center. (that I could cancel by 6pm tonight – confidence eroding?)

(I checked on going back to my usual apartment, but their rates had tripled since I left for Salta – from $50 to $150 per night!)

When I departed Salta, the city was like a ghost town. Apparently the president had issued a lock-down order for the country the previous day, in place for two weeks. You wouldn’t know it in Buenos Aires though! When I arrived what I observed was pretty much business as usual – including a major traffic jam on the taxi ride from the airport to the hotel (cost: $6 – the domestic airport is close to the city).

During my check-in at the hotel the Brazil quarantine issue came up again. This has me concerned. They were good about it though, letting me stay there, and telling me to just be careful when I’m outside. She also mentioned that people were supposed to be staying inside. I pointed out that that obviously wasn’t the case today! She just sighed and agreed.

Friday, March 20 – Buenos Aires

The fact that I’m writing this today is a hint of the bad news…

I was scheduled to fly out at 11:30am today. I woke up early, ready to make the trip to the airport. Checking the status of my flight however, I discovered that it had been postponed until early Sunday morning. Not good!

As I was getting ready to head down to reception, I coincidentally received a call from them. They wanted to confirm that I was checking out. When I responded that I actually wanted to extend a couple nights, I was informed that the hotel was closing today! Apparently there were only two of us staying there, so the company was consolidating all the guests from their three hotels in the city into one. And the new hotel was only about 7 blocks down the road. $65/night.

As soon as I stepped out of the hotel, I discovered that Buenos Aires had gotten the message about the lock-down. There was very little traffic or people outside. Strange!

Checking into this new hotel we had to discuss Brazil again. This hotel is going with much stricter measures though. Basically, I can’t leave my room! The only food I can have is from room service. Convenient for them! (I went out from my hotel last night to pick up some take away for dinner)

This Brazil quarantine issue has me frustrated on so many levels:

• They’re not even considered a high risk country by the CDC. I suspected the policy was due to Argentina’s animosity towards Brazil, and discussing this with the hotel reception staff this morning, they pretty much agreed.
• The policy was announced on March 16. I returned to the country on March 12. So, obviously there was no mention of it when I went through immigration. I didn’t even know about it until March 18. It seems like I should be exempt, but that ruling is left to the interpretation of the enforcer in each case!
• So, since from returning from Brazil, I have: a) re-checked in to my apartment hotel in Buenos Aires with no issues, b) flew from Buenos Aires to Salta, c) checked into my Salta hotel with no problem, d) flew back to Buenos Aires, and e) checked into last night’s BA hotel with no restrictions. And now, this latest hotel invokes the the first strict set of rules I’ve encountered? Pointless.

So, this all has me worried that when I go through Argentina exit passport control on Sunday morning, they will prevent me from boarding the plane because it has been less than 14 days since I arrived from Brazil. If so, I’ll provide the above points in defence. (talking to the hotel reception staff this morning, they thought they’d let me leave) We’ll see what happens…

And I received more bad news today. My flight from Panama to Chicago has been canceled. I’ve been trying to call the airline, but haven’t even been able to make a connection (“all the circuits are busy”). I went to their web site and noticed they have some flights to Miami on Sunday (but none after that day!), so I’m hoping to switch to one of those.

So I’ve spent my day in the hotel basically researching various travel scenarios, including if I’m delayed until Friday due to quarantine. (of course, things are changing so quickly, it’s hard to say what the situation will even be like on Friday!)

I think I need to spend the rest of the day chillin’! (Just ordered some spaghetti from room service) Unfortunately, all the TV stations are spanish language, and the internet service isn’t fast enough for streaming. But I do have a book I’m reading, and I have some iTunes videos on my laptop.

If anything happens tomorrow, I’ll post an update (hopefully no more bad news!).

Wednesday, March 18 – Salta

It’s been a crazy 18 hours here in Salta!

So, it all began last night when I went to meet with the hotel’s travel coordinator to enquire about taking a tour today. After trying to confirm a spot with the various companies, he discovered that all of the tours had been cancelled indefinitely. Not a surprise. But then came the bombshell – he also told me that he had been informed that as of Friday all public transportation services (planes, buses, etc) within Argentina would be suspended. Whoa! With that, I quickly determined that I needed to get back to Buenos Aires pronto. The travel coordinator suggested I head to the city center to book a flight at the office of one of the local airlines. Fortunately there was just a short line there, and even better, one of the representatives was outside answering questions. He told me that the airline had not yet officially been informed by the government about the suspension of service. Mmmm. I’m thinking I need to head back to Buenos Aires, regardless. He also told me their office only handled changes; and that I needed to make new bookings online. Back to the hotel I went, and was able to book a flight with no issues for $130. I guess this news hadn’t been fully disseminated yet.

This sudden action made me realize that I shouldn’t wait until April 4th to return to the States. Air Canada was offering a partial refund on any unused portions of their bookings, so I decided that instead of paying their exorbitant one-way prices, I would cancel the rest of that trip and look for an alternate (and hopefully inexpensive) way back. After a fair amount of searching I came up with a trip from Buenos Aires to Chicago, with a connection in Panama. It’s on Copa Airlines, but I booked it through United using 33k miles and paying an $87 fee. I’m pretty happy with that! The flight departs Buenos Aires late morning Friday and I arrive in Chicago a little after midnight.

I was feeling pretty good about the way things were coming together. Until this morning! After breakfast, I went to the hotel reception desk to ask about the timing for going to the airport tomorrow. After that conversation ended, I was told that I would need to get a medical certificate that would clear me to board the flight. What? Really? I was informed that a police medic could come by in the morning to give me a quick exam and then provide the certificate. This just seemed odd, so I decided to head back to the airline office again to get their take on this.

Well, the line was pretty long this time (the flight cancellations beginning Friday had become official), but what the heck, I needed to get this sorted. It was interesting too in that the police were on hand to make sure that everyone in the queue kept a safe distance from one another. Thankfully, after about a half hour wait a representative again came outside to make sure everyone in line needed to be there. He had no clue about the certificate requirement, so he brought in the police officers to ask them about it. Well, it turns out there is a questionnaire I would need to fill out at the airport tomorrow, but they offered to do it today while I was there at the office. Nice! And with the help of a very nice local woman acting as a translator, we got it done and I was given a copy.

Okay, once again I’m feeling pretty good about things. Not so fast! After meeting with the police, I was given the opportunity to go to the head of the line and confirm the situation with a representative in the airline’s office. She too had no idea about the medical certificate requirement, but she did say I may have a problem getting on the plane tomorrow. The issue was my trip to Brazil. I traveled there on March 4th and returned on the 12th. Well, on the 16th the Argentinian government declared that everyone arriving from Brazil would need to be quarantined for 14 days. (the CDC does not list Brazil has a hazard country; I think this situation stems from a country rivalry thing). So even though the requirement came into being after I returned, she thought the issue would be that I had not yet been back in Argentina for 14 days. Ugh! She said it was just her opinion though, and I should go to the airport tomorrow and see what happens. Brother! (She also mentioned that I should have received a form when I entered Argentina, explaining that I was required to be quarantined. I didn’t receive that, and there were no issues about quarantine brought up when I went through immigration)

When I got back to the hotel I told the guys at reception about my exploits, and after they heard my story they offered me something that I’m hoping will be my ace in the hole! The hotel has a team of medics on retainer, and a pair of them happened to be coming by this afternoon to check on another guest that may need to be quarantined. They said they could exam me as well, and if all was good, provide me with documentation I could present at the airport tomorrow (and Friday). So, the two medics arrived at my room dressed in full hazmat gear. Very strange times! Well, I passed the exam and have the document, of which the medics said would allow me to sail through the airport inspection (hope so!). So I’m feeling a little better again! And afterward, I spoke with the hotel manager to thank him for offering the medic services. While talking, he mentioned that he was confident the Brazil thing would not be an issue because I had returned before the quarantine order was in place. I’m with him, let’s see what happens!

Hopefully I can provide an update for you tomorrow from Buenos Aires!

Sidenote: When researching return flights, I came across several one ways from Miami to Chicago on Sunday for around $20 each! On American Airlines. Crazy!

Sunday, March 15 – transit from Buenos Aires to Salta, Argentina

I’m flying out of the Buenos Aires domestic Airport today, which is a much shorter ride from the hotel than was the trip to the international airport. Taxi is basically my best option; not too terrible though with a fare of about $6 (20 minute ride on a Sunday).

I’m travelling to Salta for a few reasons: its colonial architecture, varied museums, temperate climate, and accessibility to nearby tourist destinations. Nicknamed Salta la Linda (Salta the Beautiful), it has a population of around 600,000 and is situated in the Lerma Valley, 3,780 feet above sea level, in the foothills of the Andes mountains.

It was about a two hour flight from Buenos Aires, and still no appearance of virus concerns, as the plane was probably 3/4s full. Again, taxi was my best option for getting to the hotel, with a fare of $8 (15 minute ride).

Monday, March 16 – Salta

One of my goals in Salta was to take a trip on the Tren a las Nubes (Train to the Clouds), which originates here and is now basically a tourist trip that reaches an elevation of 13,850 feet in the Andes. So, after breakfast I made the seven block walk to the train station in order to book a ticket. Well, bad news awaited me. You guessed it, due to COVID-19, the train service has been suspended for a least 2 weeks, maybe longer. Kind of a bummer, but understandable. It’ll just give me an excuse to come back another time!

The museums are closed on Monday, so I asked the concierge for some ideas on what to do today. One thing in particular intrigued me – a set of stone steps that reach up the side of Cerro San Bernardo. San Bernardo is a hill located east of Salta, with a summit that is about 1,000 feet above the city. Sounds like a good plan for the afternoon!

I was expecting some type of viewing area at the top of the stairs, but all it did was intersect with a road winding further up the hill. I walked a little ways up the road, but due to it’s winding nature, I couldn’t really tell how far or where it was leading. So, I abandoned and walked back down. Well, the following day I talked to the concierge about it, and it turns out that road does lead to the summit, and I wasn’t too far from it. Doh! I guess I’ll just have to go back there later in the week.

While resting at the bottom of the stairs I had a couple interesting conversations. The first was with a local young man who owns a hostel in the city. He said that his inn has 10 rooms, and he recently had six cancellations. And this came from not just foreign travellers, but also Argentinians. Interesting…

The second conversation resulted from the first, as this couple heard me talking and realized I was from the U.S. They’re from Baltimore and wanted to talk about the virus situation. It turns out they were scheduled to fly back this coming Saturday, but their flight was cancelled. They ended up being on hold an hour with Delta before sorting out their return. Unfortunately, they had to cut their trip short and will be flying back from Buenos Aires on Wednesday. It’s amazing how fast things have changed over the past couple weeks!

I finished the day by hitting the pool and jacuzzi. Not bad!

COVID-19 Sidenote: I found out that, as of today, the Galapagos Islands are closed to all visitors. I went back and looked at my log from last year, and realized that by this date I had already finished my trip there. But man, I’m so thankful this mess didn’t interfere with my plans then. (Last year at this time I had not yet traveled to Easter Island)

Tuesday, March 17 – Salta

I’m excited to check out some museums today! I have a few in mind, but I wanted to ask the concierge for some ideas too. Well, here’s his suggestion: How about none! As of today, all of the museums are closed for at least two weeks. Of course! Oh well, just have to carry on with other things. How about a roam around the city (and some work on the journal)?

I started out in a place called Plaza 9 De Julio. This is the main square in the city, originating from the 16th century and is named after Argentina’s independence day.

We’re now off the Plaza and looking at few more buildings in the city center…

And finally, a couple other cute buildings in the city center…

COVID-19 Sidenote: I’m scheduled to return home on April 4, but I’ve started looking at earlier flights. I’m booked with Air Canada, and they are offering to waive their change fees. However, the traveler is still responsible for any increases in the fare costs. I’ve looked at their one way fares to Chicago, and all of them within the next few weeks are in the $1,500 range (my round trip ticket was $960)! That is ridiculous! I may look at other airlines for cheaper fares and then see if I can get a refund on my unused portion from Air Canada. I guess my main concerns are: a) what if Argentina suspends outbound flights, or b) what happens if I get sick (I do have medical travel insurance). Not so much worried about a canceled flight, since Air Canada would be responsible to get me re-booked. We’ll see. Things are absolutely changing fast!

Thursday, March 12 – transit from Florianopolis to Buenos Aires

I’m lovin’ Uber in Florianopolis! Cost of the ride to the airport: $6. Less than half of what I paid for a taxi when I arrived.

In my last entry I mentioned that I was planning on posting a journal update today, but something made that difficult. Well…

The rest of my arrival in BA followed the same script as a couple weeks ago – bus to the city and then a shared minibus to the Art Suites hotel in the Recoleta neighborhood. By the time I got to the hotel I wasn’t in much of a mood to work on my journal!

Friday, March 13 – Buenos Aires

No big plans today. It’s a nice day though, so let’s see where my roaming leads!

Saturday, March 14 – Buenos Aires

It’s raining, so it seems like a perfect day to work on the journal, do some trip planning, and REST!

Sidenote: I did go out to grab some cash at the nearby ATM. I tried for 4,000 pesos this time, and…success! Whoo hoo! (also went on an empanada run!)

Apologies for the delayed update. It’s been a busy few days (and I’ve been a little lazy – come on, I’m on vacation!). I was going to post a new entry on Thursday, but…well, I’ll get to that…

Monday, March 9 – Florianopolis

I did a TON of beach walking today, and I feel fine (now, days later!)…

I headed to the northwest part of the island, courtesy of my executive bus. This area is definitely more commercialized than the other parts of the island that I have visited. Looking at some of the condos and homes along the beach reminded me of the Florida coast.

I was rather beat by this time, so instead of looking for the bus back to the hotel, I walked to the nearby town of Daniela and splurged on an Uber ($8).

Sidenote 1: I’ve been asked about the temps here: the highs have been in the low 80s, with mild humidity. Very nice!

Sidenote 2: When I’m walking the beaches I’m wearing a hat, scarf, and long-sleeved SPF shirt. Some of the locals look at me like I’m an alien! There must be a low incidence of skin cancer amongst the dark-skinned Brazilians.

Tuesday, March 10 – Florianopolis

Let’s explore the northeast part of the island today! Once again, my initial mode of transport was the bus.

I’m going to finish the day by traveling back to the western part of the island, to an area called Santo Antonio de Lisboa. This is a cute little village known for its sunset views. Mode of transport: Uber ($5).

Another $5 Uber returned me to the city.

Sidenote: I’ve been asked if I’ll be changing the journal’s header picture. I kind of doubt it. In my mind, it’ll be hard to top that picture (and my experiences) from last year’s visit to Easter Island!

Wednesday, March 11 – Florianopolis

I think I’m going to keep today rather low-key. My plan is to make a return visit to Barra da Lagoa, where I’m going to visit a sea turtle conservation facility. And the nice part is I can make the round trip using the executivo bus! I find the bus trips very relaxing, kind of like the trains in Europe – just sit back and watch the scenery go by.

The bus to Barra da Lagoa passed by another inland lake on the island called Lagoa da Conceição. There isn’t a lot of convenient public access or walking areas around the lake, so I didn’t stop there. But I did take a couple pictures from the bus (not the greatest quality!)…

Friday, March 6 – Florianopolis

Forty-two beaches. Time to get after it!

Options to get around the island are (in descending order of cost): rental car, taxi, uber, executivo bus, basic bus. Today I was heading to the eastern part of the island, which is about an hour trip, so I went with the second least expensive option. I was able to take the “executive” bus direct to my destination (with no transfers), and it tops the “basic” bus in that it is less crowded and has air conditioning. The cost? $2.25 each way.

I was able to pick up the bus close to my hotel, which was nice. The stops along the route are not announced or indicated, but I knew I was going to the end of the line (at the beach!), so that made it pretty simple. I also used Google Maps on my phone to track my progress.

My destination is Barra da Lagoa, a small fishing village with some tourist shops and a nice long beach (coincidently also named Barra da Lagoa!).

Adjacent to the village is a hiking trail that led to some surprises…

Saturday, March 7 – Florianopolis

I was told that the south part of the island is less crowded and touristy. Sounds like a perfect Saturday destination! One problem: the executivo bus only operates until noon on Saturdays. Mmmm… I’ll take it south and figure out a way back.

I have a few different spots to see today, but once I arrive, they are all within walking distance of each other. I wasn’t going to the end of the line on the bus, so I again used Google Maps to track my path (and remember, you can do this offline), then requested a stop near my first destination (about a 50 minute trip).

So, how did I get back to my hotel? Ended up using an uber. It was about a 40 minute ride. The cost: $8. I can’t say I’d be comfortable using uber in other parts of Brazil!

Sidenote: While sitting on a bench in the village today I had a nice conversation with a local gentleman. (he lived for a time in New Jersey and spoke excellent English) He was very cordial and thanked me multiple times for visiting his city. I have to say everyone I’ve encountered here has been very friendly. A pleasant experience!

Sunday, March 8 – Florianopolis

The executivo bus doesn’t run on Sunday, and most of the shops are closed, so it seems like the perfect time for a rest day. Well, it turned out to be a semi-rest day, as I did do a little walking around the city center and along the pedestrian path adjacent to the ocean.

Tuesday, March 3 – Buenos Aires

A return to Armenia today! The Armenian neighborhood in Buenos Aires, that is. Not a whole lot to write about unfortunately. Another leisurely day of roaming and hanging out in a park, reading and observing.

Today’s pictures were rather lame, I know. Sorry about that! It was another good day though!

Wednesday, March 4 – transit from Buenos Aires to Florianopolis, Brazil

Raise your hand if you’ve heard of Florianopolis. I know it was off my radar. But thanks to the suggestion of my friend, and native Brazilian, Fernando, that’s my destination today.

I was looking for something off the beaten path as I traveled in Brazil. Frankly, the crime associated with the typical destinations in this country is a turnoff (shocking, I know!). Florianopolis is considered safe by Brazilian standards, and has a population of around half a million, which puts it near the bottom of the 50 most populous cities in the country. And did I mention that it has 42 beaches!

Florianopolis (also know as Floripa) is located in southern Brazil and is a popular summer vacation spot for Argentinians, but fortunately for me most schools went back into session this week. Perfect time to be here!

I elected to take a taxi to the airport. Very un-cheap of me, I know! Basically, when I’m going to the airport I want to be confident I’ll get there in a timely manner. And to take the bus, like I did on arrival, would require the use of a taxi for part of the trip anyway (from the hotel to the central bus terminal). So, the ride ended up costing me about $25 (ugh!).

This is painful to say, but I ended up taking a taxi from Hercílio Luz International Airport in Florianopolis to my hotel. Twice in one day, come on!! Basically, there were no other viable options (although, I have since discovered Uber is in play here, so maybe I’ll try that when I depart). So there’s another $15 to one of my least favorite service industry groups (although, to be fair, the performance of both drivers I had today was commendable).

Thursday, March 5 – Florianopolis

Most of the beaches here are not within walking distance of my hotel, so today I decided to concentrate on exploring the city center (with its many examples of colonial architecture) on foot.

Monday, March 2 – Buenos Aires

It’s gotten warmer here over the last few days – going from a high in the mid 70s when I arrived to the mid 80s recently. Not so uncomfortable (I did come here for the warmer weather after all!), but I was spoiled at the start of the trip!

We’ll call today meandering Monday. I had another relaxing day of roaming around and spending time on a bench, doing some reading and contemplating life. Very deep, I know! Unlike last time though, when I ended up in some parks, today I ventured to the water. More specifically, Puerto Madero, a revamped dockside area. Its converted redbrick buildings contain restaurants and shops, and the surrounding high-rises house multinational corporations and high-value apartments.

I apologize if this is kind of boring, but I’m having a fun, relaxing time! It will get more interesting soon though; I’ll be back on the road Wednesday. Below are some pictures from the day…

Thursday, February 27 – Buenos Aires

A day focused on animals! First stop? The zoo! When I was here last year it was closed for renovation. There is still much work being done, and there unfortunately weren’t a lot of interesting animals to see. But it is a pretty park!

On my way to the next stop, I passed through the Palermo Rose Garden. Claiming a collection of more than 18,000 roses, the garden is more than a century old. As well as the roses, it features a lake with a Greek-influenced bridge, an amphitheatre, an Andalusian patio and a poets’ garden with 26 busts of famous writers. I posted some pictures here last year, but here are a couple reminders…

My next stop was the Hipodromo Argentino de Palermo – a horse racing track with an origin dating back to 1876. When I was here last year, I visited the track, but no races were taking place. Not so today! The first race started at 3:30, and then continued every half hour into the evening. There is also a casino located on the grounds, but I didn’t check it out because: a) they only have slots and some electronic games (boring!); b) there is a dress code (surprisingly my shorts and t-shirt did not meet the criteria!); and c) after Monte Carlo, I couldn’t be bothered! (haha!) The best part about visiting the track? Free entry!!

Friday, February 28 – Buenos Aires

Time for some rest! I did run a couple errands though, and also did a little trip planning.

ATM Update: I was able to withdraw 3,000 pesos (around $50). Whoo hoo! Makes that $6 fee a little less outrageous! Maybe I’ll try for 4,000 next time!

Saturday, February 29 – Buenos Aires

Happy Leap Day! Seems like I should do something special today. How about a visit to a part of the city that I didn’t get a chance to see last year? La Boca is known for its art culture and colorful buildings, and is also home to the football club Boca Juniors. The team plays their home matches in the Estadio Alberto J. Armando, popularly known as La Bombonera (the bonbon box). Upon arrival I also discovered that La Boca is a popular tourist area. Not my favorite thing, but it was still a fun place to see. (apparently the area turns a little dodgy after dark though, so I exited well in advance of that!)

Steps update: averaging 17k steps per day over the first week of the trip. Not sustainable!

Sunday, March 1 – Buenos Aires

If it’s Sunday, then it’s time to head off to The Feria de San Telmo! Nestled in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, the San Telmo Fair is a Sunday-only outdoor market. Covering 13 blocks along the pedestrian street of Defensa, there are loads of antiques, artwork, knick knacks, and food available for purchase. Like La Boca, it’s kind of touristy, but worth the visit.

Sidenote: I had a nice encounter with a couple locals today. On my way to the market I walked under what might have been a leaking window air conditioning unit that dripped a dirty liquid on my back. I didn’t even know it happen, but first a gentleman, and then a lady stopped to let me know what happened and then proceeded to clean off my back and arm with tissues. A very nice gesture! Gracias!