Today was a travel day, so no deep insights, just two main tasks: to get a feel for Buenos Aires and to get a feel from our new OAT traveling companions and our tour leader Luis.

The alarm rang at 4:00 AM, we had bread and juice in the hotel lobby, the cab came on time and we were at the airport shortly after 5:00. No big check in delays, just the normal. The flight arrived 15 minutes early, immigration and customs was slow but not painfully and two smiling OAT representatives met us outside baggage claim. It was maybe a 45-minute ride to the hotel. We checked in and were ready for lunch by 12:30. 

Ho hum. Another day on the road.

Things picked up with lunch. Cynthia, the lady who met our plane, suggested La Estable (the Stable), three blocks from the hotel. So we bypassed the food court in the mall across the street and found Estable with no problem. Hmmmm . . . white table cloth, waiter in tux with what at first looked like an attitude . . . not so sure this is what’s for lunch. But, sensing our touristic demeanor, he came over, made friendly conversation after I hit him up with some painful Spanish. He suggested a half order of Ojo de Res (Eye of Beef). Eye? Really? Do they pluck it out and fricassee it? Oh yeah, we get it: rib eye steak. So three steaks, a plate of roasted sweet potatoes to share and two bottles of water to share.

The steaks were about the size of home plate and as thick as four iPhones stacked one on top of another. And boy of boy were they good. Cooked to perfection, tender, well marbled. I don’t know what kind of grass they grow out on the Pampas but Argentinian beef can’t be beat.

We were so full we couldn’t even face up to our now-traditional helado so instead hoofed it to the Plaza Mayo, about a 30-minute walk in fairly warm air. Plaza de Mayo is a square block in size with the pink presidential palace at one end. From Wikipedia:

The May Revolution(Spanish: Revolución de Mayo) was a week-long series of events that took place from May 18 to 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. This Spanish colony included roughly the territories of present-day Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and parts of Brazil. The result was the removal of ViceroyBaltasar Hidalgo de Cisnerosand the establishment of a local government, the Primera Junta(First Junta), on May 25. It was the first successful revolution in the South American Independence process.

Hence the name: Plaza de Mayo.

Next Sharon expressed interest in seeing the Buenos Aires opera house that had been mentioned by someone as a point of interest. We found it (15 minutes) and found it to be less than impressive. Nothing scheduled, as far as I could see, until May but the box offices on either side of the entry way were staffed and ready to sell tickets. 

Back to the hotel (15 minutes) and then it was time for laundry. Judy went down to the local river to beat underwear on rocks (maybe she did it in the bathroom sink; I don’t remember for sure). I filled out a form for the rest and gave it to the nice young lady who came to pick it up.

Four-thirty found us in a meeting room for introductions and talk by Luis. Standard OAT stuff; no surprises.

Next, a tango lesson. A woman and her father gave the lessons. Judy and I had taken four tango lessons in Sun City Center before leaving but this was a different animal all together. The lesson was fun and served the function of a junior high mixer dance, getting people up out of their chairs to meet and interact with one another. 

Luis took us on a quick orientation tour (“This is the 25-hour store where you can buy water . . . ) after which some of us followed him to a local pizzeria for some genuine Argentinian pizza that tastes for all the world like what they serve at your local pizzeria back home. But we had fun and got to learn about Luis, his three kids and two marriages. 

Tomorrow is more of Buenos Airs. Luis looks like a good leader and the fellow travelers look like reasonable people. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.