Buenos Aires, Uruguay, and Iguazu Falls

South America is one of the lessor traveled and explored continents for most Americans and one that isn’t talked about as much in most people’s travel plans. There is so much to see and do in South America and such a diverse landscape and people. In Argentina, Uruguay and Southern Brazil you can find tropical rainforest full of different animals and huge waterfalls, expansive plains, extremely dry deserts, tall mountain peaks and cold landscapes with glaciers. The cultures are just as varied with large cities like Buenos Aires and the Gaucho Cowboy culture in Argentina. In 2024 we visited South America for the first time and in November of 2024 we spend a week in Buenos Aires with day trips to Colonia, Uruguay and Iguazu falls in Brazil and Argentina. For the first time I also got the chance to work in an office outside of the United States and see what the work culture was like (much different than you find in the US). Argentina is so much more than Tango, but it truly is a passionately caring nation with friendly people. Here are our experience in our trip to these three South American nations.

Getting to Buenos Aires and Transportation

Buenos Aires, Argentina is over 5000 miles from Houston which equates to around a 10 to 11 hour flight. It’s really the only way to get to the area outside of a cruise ship that stops in the area (Transatlantic/Repositioning cruise). Buenos Aires has the Ezeiza International Airport that has flights from all over the world on many different airlines. We flew in on a non-stop from Houston United Airlines flight. Aerolineas Argentinas is the national carrier of Argentina and does fly to cities in the United States. There are two airports in Buenos Aires. The second is the Jorge Newbery Airport that is closer to downtown Buenos Aires but is mainly for shorter international or domestic flights. Montevideo in Uruguay has an international airport as well that can get you into the area. From Buenos Aires there are many nice ferries that has restaurants, and shops on board that run between Colonia and Montevideo in Uruguay. We used the ferry to take a day trip to Colonia. In Buenos Aires there are plenty of transportation options. It has a nice Metro/Subway system that we used once to visit another region in Buenos Aires with a good friend. There are plenty of busses including hop on hop off tourist buses like we used at one point. We also used Uber that is available and private transfers to and from the airport. Argentina also has a rail system within the country where you can go to other cities. We visited the main station in Buenos Aries.

Country Information

Argentina

Argentina is one of the top ten largest countries in the world and one of the countries the furthest South in the world. It’s Southern tip goes into the Drake Passage with the next stop South being Antartica. It has large variety of climates from the very cold Southern tip to the semi tropical areas of the North. To the West you will find Desert and tall mountains near Chile. Buenos Aires in the capital and the largest city in Argentina with over 16 million people in the metro area. Spanish is the official language and it’s good to know some as not everyone knows English. We found many cases in restaurants and museums where English was not spoken at all. The Argentinian food such as Asado (Grilled Meats similar to BBQ), Milanesa (kind of like a schnitzel), empanadas, Malbec Wine and Mate (a type of bitter tea) are great things to try in the country. As an American citizen as of 2024, no visa is needed so all you will need is a valid passport. The currency is the Argentine Peso and the value is much less than a US dollar and fluctuates greatly due to the inflation and currency devaluing. The climate in Buenos Aires is similar to that of cities in the Southern US such as Houston with relatively mild winters and fairly hot summers with humidity being close to a very large river/estuary. They do have mosquitoes that can transmit diseases so be prepared to protect yourself from them at certain times of the year. Being in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are the opposite of what you will find in the Northern Hemisphere. We visited in November which was Spring in Argentina.

Uruguay

Uruguay is one of the smallest countries in South America and is one of the safest and calmest. It is known as the “Switzerland of the Americas” for their neutrality and their work towards social protections. It’s a more liberal country compared to most in South America with cannabis being legal as is LGBTQ Marriage and abortion. They only have a population of around 3 million with most of them living in the capital city of Montevideo. It’s mostly a country full of plains and flat land. The Spanish and the Portugues controlled cities there over there years. As a US Citizen you do not need a visa before visiting the country. It’s considered one of the safest and most stable countries in South America There is an international airport in Montevideo and ferries from cities like Buenos Aires to get to Uruguay. Spanish is the official language, and it is good to know some as not everyone in the city of Colonia we visited know English. The food is similar to Argentina’s with an Italian influence, but one unique item is the Chivito which is a large sandwich with multiple different meats, a fried egg and unique bread. The currency is the Uruguayan Peso that is currently worth more than an Argentine Peso but much less than a US Dollar. The weather is similar to Argentina so heat and humidity and somewhat cool weather can occur.

Brazil

Brazil is the largest nation in Latin America and one of the largest in the world. It has a very long coastline with famous beaches, the Amazon River and Rainforest and plenty of farms for the abundant amount of agriculture products that come from Brazil. Brazil has the largest number of Portuguese speaking people in the world and it is their official language. While it’s similar in some ways to Spanish there are many words that are very different. The currency of Brazil is the Real and at the time of this writing one Real is worth .16 USD. We only spent a very brief time in Brazil when visiting the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls. There is an airport on both the Brazilian and Argentine side of the falls. We flew into the Argentine airport.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

We spent a week in Buenos Aires and loved every minute of it. It is a very large metro area with over 16 million people. The city feels so much like you have flown to Europe instead of Latin America. You see French and Italian style architecture in the buildings. There are also plenty of modern sculptures and buildings around the city as well. We stayed in the Puerto Madero business district where there are towering skyscrapers that house many well-known companies. The city has wide boulevards with restaurants with outdoor seating. The food in Argentina is phenomenal and very diverse. The traditional asado and empanadas are amazing. Our favorite is the milanesa napolitana. The city is full of museums and history as well. We were not able to come close to visiting them all. There are free exhibits in some buildings, and they have a spectacular national theater. While there we visited the most beautiful library we have been to in the world. It’s a city that’s seen immigration from around the world, brutal military rule and financial crisis. I had the chance to see the work and life of people in Buenos Aires. This is what we did in Buenos Aires in November of 2024.

Where we Stayed

We stayed a week in Buenos Aires at two different hotels right in the Puerto Madero business area. Our hotels where within walking distance of the ferry terminal, main rail station, and many different museums and sites. We were close to hop on hop off bus pickup stops as well. Here are the two hotels we stayed in while in Buenos Aires.

DoubleTree Buenos Aires

Our first hotel was the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel. We had a nice king bedroom with a balcony that overlooked the city. Being Hilton Diamond members we got a nice free breakfast buffet each day. The Obelisco and Casa Rosada are only a few minutes’ drive away and the ferry terminal is very close by as well. There are plenty of restaurants nearby including a small restaurant where we got Milanesa napolitana and empanadas after our 10-hour flight. The staff were so friendly and helpful there. The bellmen took our bags to the room and helped us get settled in after the long flight. We spent the beginning of our trip there before going to a second hotel to be a bit closer to my workplace in Buenos Aires.

The Hotel Regal Pacific

Our second hotel was one that is not part of any chain that I am aware of and was also a 5-star hotel but was still affordable. We took a quick Uber ride to the hotel and once again we were helped with our bags and checked into the hotel. A conference was going on in the hotel as we got there. We stayed in a very nice king bedroom once again that did not have a balcony but was very spacious. We didn’t get a free breakfast, but we did eat there once, and it was great. Both hotels are in great locations to be able to explore Buenos Aires from.

Plaza De Mayo and Casa Rosada

On our first and last day in Buenos Aires we headed to one of the main squares in Buenos Aires were multiple places to see and museums are located. The Casa Rosada sits at the end of the square and is the pink Presidential Palace (White House) of Argentina. It is the office of the President as the President lives elsewhere. At the other end of the square is the Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires where now Pope Francis once was the head of the Catholic Church in Buenos Aires. It is also the final resting place of the Argentine National Hero General San Martin. He worked to free South America from Spanish and Portugues and was successful. He also worked with Simon Bolivar who is the national hero of Colombia. San Martin has a elaborate tomb that is guarded by the Argentine military. There is a large statue of San Martin in the middle of the square and more historic buildings on all sides of the square. Right behind the Casa Rosada is the museum that goes underground where you can see the former walls of the custom house and go through the history of the rulers and presidents of Argentina. There were many years of brutal military rule in Argentina and around the city there are small markers showing where brutality occurred. The Museum is completely free and on a hot day its also air conditioned. It’s a great place to learn about Argentina’s sometimes difficult history and how it’s rebounded today.

The National Immigration Museum and Contemporary Art

Also on our first day we headed over to Puerto Madero to visit a dual museum complex that is in the old immigration facility of Buenos Aires. The National Immigration Museum goes over the large amount of immigration that has taken place over the years in Argentina. Many people from around the World and especially Europe have immigrated to Argentina. There are German and Italian style cities in areas of Argentina from the immigration. The museum also goes over the immigration out of Argentina as Argentinians head around the world as well. There is also the Contemporary Art Museum where you can view a variety of contemporary and abstract art. The museum is in the old processing area for the Argentina Immigration. A version of Ellis Island in the US as I would liken it to. There are also great views of Puerto Madero and the Rio de la Plata from the multi-story building. The day we visited there was a museum event for much of Buenos Aires where museums stayed open and were free for visitors. We ended our first day though at the Immigration museum because the long flight tired us out and we needed to get some rest.

Hop-Off Hop-On Tour Bus

We picked up the hop-off hop-on bus near the Obelisk (“El Obelisco”) not far from our hotel to see much of the city of Buenos Aires. We visited many of the “barrios” (neighborhoods) that are famous in the city. We drove by the very colorful “La Boca” barrio that has a large Football (soccer) stadium and one of the main teams in the city. It’s a nice barrio to view but we did not get out as there are crime issues in that area. We passed by many beautiful buildings in downtown and then we went into the fancy Palermo area and later passed the smaller Jorge Newbery airport. In Palermo, we saw large parks with sculptures like the “Floralis Generica” that is a giant steel flower that once would open and close but was damaged by a storm recently. There are many embassies, nice apartments and nice homes in the area. We passed by the US Embassy and other sights like the planetarium and many different museums. The bus ride is fairly long at over 2 hours with the traffic but its well worth it. We got to see a good overview of the city and did get out at two different stops. We got off to see the Japanese Gardens and to see the Evita Museum. Since we were there in Spring we also got to see the beautiful Jacaranda trees in bloom all over the city. They bloom purple flowers that you see you everywhere.

Japanese Gardens

Buenos Aires is home to one of the largest Japanese Gardens outside of Japan. It spans multiple acres in the Palermo area. There are multiple Koi filled ponds with Japanese style bridges and buildings. There are tranquil waterfalls and streams. There is a Buddhist Temple there as well. They have different activities and a temporary exhibit space highlighting different parts of Japanese Culture like Pokémon for example. It’s a beautiful place to relax and reflect. We enjoyed our time walking through the gardens.

Evita Museum

One of the most famous Argentinian is Eva Peron. A musical was even made about her life. Eva Person was an actress and First Lady of Argentina with the President of Argentina and her husband Juan Peron. She fought for the average people of Argentina and worked to get them more benefits from the Argentine government. In Palermo in a nice neighborhood, we walked from the main street near the Plaza Italia passed the zoo to the Evita Museum. It is in a nice former home (Eva Peron never lived there) and visited the museum. It goes from her early life to her death. You can see many of her elegant dresses and artifacts from her life. The museum and the home itself are very nice to visit. There is also a nice restaurant there that we did not visit as we were heading back to the bus to finish up our tour.

Monumental Tower (Torre Monumental)

Very close to the main train station and our hotel is a tall clock tower (over 200 ft tall) that was a gift to Argentina from the United Kingdom. It looks kind of like Big Ben in a way. They have an elevator that takes you to the observation deck at the top that gives great views of the park and surrounding areas. We tried for several days to visit the observation deck but for some reason it was closed. There were a few different museums that were scheduled to be opened but were not when we got there and the Torre Monumental was one of those as well. We did go there and it was open one day. We went up to the top and could see all the beautiful Jacaranda’s blooming in the park below.

Night Tour of Buenos Aires

One of the nights after work we went on a private night tour of Buenos Aires. The city reminds me so much of Paris at night with all the lights and decorated buildings. We drove around the city but also got out and visited several different places we had not been to yet. We also passed by all three government branches (President, Supreme Court and Parliament) that are connected in a triangle of straight streets by design. Our guide did a wonderful job telling us about Buenos Aires and the history of the city and country.

San Telmo Market

Our first stop was to visit the San Telmo Barrio and the markets there. It’s a very interesting neighborhood with a bohemian feel to it. We walked down one corridor full of umbrellas and colorful decorations above the walkways. Since it was in the evening most of the stores were closed but there were art and antique shops in the area. We also went in a marketplace full of interesting shops, meat and fruit markets, and small restaurants. We were there right before they were closing things up so we didn’t shop but did get a feel for the area and shops there.

El Ateneo Grand Splendid

Another stop we made was to a bookstore that is absolutely stunning. It is located in an old theater and has kept the ornate Decore. The book store reminds me a bit of Barnes and Nobles in the US with the stage being a coffee shop, and the audience area on the ground floor and the balconies are all book areas. The paintings still adorn the ceiling and around the once theater. I am glad the bookstore kept the amazing look. We bought a few books in Spanish and then headed out to another spot.

Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pilar (Our Lady of Pillar Basilica)

One of our other stops was in the Barrio of Recoleta. In the cemetery in Recoleta Eva Peron is buried. Being night the cemetery was not open but the Basilica of Our Lady of Pillar was open. We went inside and the art and alter was beautiful. So many churches around the world have amazing art inside and this was amongst the most beautiful. It’s a small church and we were alone for a little while there. They had quiet chants playing so it was a good time to stop, reflect and pray. After that we headed out to another stop.

Teatro Colon (Pass by)

We headed for a quick stop at the plaza next to the Supreme Court and the Teatro Colon. It’s the main opera house of Argentina and it is just as large and beautiful as any in Europe. On this tour we just stopped to take pictures outside of the theater but later on in oir trip we had to go tour it inside to see the grand theater and halls.

Piazzolla Tango Show

On another evening after work, we headed to a show celebrating the famous Argentine Tango and the music of Astor Piazzolla. A tradition of ours amongst many we have when traveling is to try to go to a concert of a composer while in their country. We heard Mozart and Strauss in Vienna, Vivaldi in Venice, and Chopin in Poland. This time we went to a very nice Tango show featuring music from Astor Piazzolla. I have heard his music here in the US at classical concerts, so I wanted to hear it in Argentina as well. We could have added on a full meal, but we did not since we like to eat early and in Argentina dinner is much later. We instead booked the bit cheaper ticket with just drinks included. We tried the famous Malbec Wine of Argentina, and it was very smooth and good. The show was also great featuring high energy dancers that showed the passion that is thought of when you might think of Tango. The show ended a bit before midnight, and we headed back to our hotel.

Working in Argentina

On the Wednesday and Thursday I was in Argentina I headed into my company’s office in Puerto Madero since my co-workers were in office that day. It was a short walk to the tall building from my hotel. A friend and manager brought me up to the floor and gave me a cubicle. The cubicles were pretty much the same as you would find in the US outside of the fact the plug type was different. Like a US office they have a nice coffee bar with plenty of choices. They also had a good selection of teas and water for their Mate. In the restroom there is a sign asking employees not to rinse their Mate down the sink drain.

The view from the office in Puerto Madero is amazing. You can see Uruguay in the distance and the ships in the Rio de la Plata. You can see the port and the ferries and cruise ships as they come and go. On the other side of the building, you can see great views of the city including Casa Rosada, the La Boca Stadium and much more. The corners of the building are conference rooms with floor to ceiling windows. There is also a wildlife preserve near the office. The view I can tell you is much better than downtown Houston’s concrete Jungle.

Outside of the great views my favorite part about working in Argentina was the people. In the US co-workers are friendly, but not like I see it internationally. In Argentina everyone came up to greet me including people I have never spoken to on video calls. Many gave me the traditional greeting in Argentina that is a kiss on the cheek (both men and women give this traditional greeting). Everyone worked hard to get their job done and took it very seriously, but they still took time to have conversation with others and be friendly. I actually had some people I didn’t know well ask me about the US work culture as they felt it is all business with little time to be a team. They let me know that in Argentina they are more than just colleagues but also friends. I could see they took small breaks to talk to different co-workers about non-work topics. While this does happen in the US but in general it’s a stricter and harsher workplace. While my current workplace is nice, I have worked at places that encouraged people who are sick or if there are dangerous floods to come in the office. I think the US would be a much happier place if we toned down our workplace just a bit. We need to work hard and make our companies successful, but we need to treat our jobs as a marathon and not a non- stop sprint that is exhausting our workforce.

We had lunch as a team where they had Tex-Mex Chicken that was good but not quite true Tex-Mex. I attended the teams last formal team meeting of the year where they had ice cream as we discussed accomplishments and how to end the year strong. I really enjoyed my time there are the different work style.

Barrio Belgrano and Barrio Chino (China Town)

After work my colleague and good friend Javier took us on a tour of his neighborhood. We first went down to the subway where we road on two separate train lines. I found Buenos Aires’ metro system to be very nice with stations similar to what I saw in Europe and pretty nice train cars. The train was very full being rush hour but that is not overly different than many other cities world-wide. They also have busses and trams/street cars in areas of the city. After we got to Belgrano, Javier walked us through the area. We stopped by a nice toy store and bought a Spanish “Wild West” game. A man stopped to ask where we were from since they do not hear English spoken a lot in this very nice but not touristic area. The area has many very nice and large parks with statues and plenty of green space inside. As we walked, we got to China Town which had art painted on the walls and very full of people shopping and eating at the variety of restaurants and shops there. Belgrano had people out and about as well but not quite as much as China Town. In the parks we could see people exercising in groups and some just relaxing after work. There also was a couple small museums, a church and a university that all looked like they came straight from Europe. After our walk we went to a local Pizzaria and tried the great pizza that is different than Pizza in the US. Argentina has it’s own style of pizza that is really good. The waiter brought us some free slices to try as he appreciated us trying to speak Spanish and to see Americans in the area. I gave him a tip in US Dollars and he really appreciated it as the US Dollar generally holds its value better than the Argentine Peso. We found Belgrano a really nice area that is safe and nice to live in. We really enjoyed our walk and tour in the area and the chance to ride Buenos Aires’ subway system.

Plaza Libertad and Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Cultural Center

On the other day I went into the office my colleague and friend Veronica (Vero) took us on a walking tour of part of the city that was really nice. Both Jaiver and Vero took time out of their day to give us a tour and spend time with us. We visited Plaza Libertad that was full of statues to Argentine leaders. After we walked through there, we came upon what used to be the huge Postal building. In front of it is a statue to a woman named Juana Azurduy who fought for freedom against the Spanish. The post office has become an amazing cultural center that is free to visit. The building is now called Palacio Libertad There are different exhibits and art inside. The National Theater is inside what looks like a giant whale and the upper floors look kind of like Tron or Tetris. We visited a great immersive experience that showed video on all the walls and floor telling the French story of “The Little Prince”. In the upper floor there was an exhibit about Disney imagery and art from around the world. There were many other floors of different art and exhibits about traditional Argentine life. You can also go up to the roof to get great views of the area, but we go there too late to see it. After Vero gave us a great tour of the center, we headed over to visit Plaza De Mayo to see it at dusk before we headed back to the room. We noticed riot police and a small police tank with a water turret was there, so we headed to our hotel for the night just in case a protest was going to occur.

The Woman's Bridge (El Puente de la Mujer)

In Puerto Madero, there is an interesting pedestrian bridge that will swing open for passing ships in the port area. It’s design is to represent a couple dancing Tango. On our last day in Argentina, we walked over the bridge which was a nice walk. There was a group dancing Tango on the bridge and recording the dance. Next to the bridge is a late 1800s Frigate you can tour but was unfortunately closed (opened late based on a paper posted to the ship).We enjoyed our nice walk on this great bridge.

Teatro Colon

On our last day in Argentina, we scheduled a tour of the Teatro Colon. The theater is named after Christopher Columbus and was completed in the early 1900s. From the outside and inside it’s a stunning work of art. You are able to see so much as you go through the theater. Marble statues, multiple types of Italian and Portuguese marble floors and railings throughout the building. There were beautiful paintings on the ceilings and walls. We were very fortunate when we went into one of the grand halls there a string quartet was practicing for a concert, so we got to hear wonderful music as we toured. We then headed into the main theater where we got to sit in one of the private boxes where we got to see the theaters college/high school symphony practicing. Another great way to tour while hearing classical music in theater. That was our last stop on our tour, and we then visited the small giftshop and then headed to our last stop in Buenos Aires.

The National Historic Museum of Argentina

We met up with our good friend Vero one more time and headed over to the National Historic Museum of Argentina. The museum is located in San Telmo and is in what used to be the mansion of a merchant. Inside there are many exhibits that chronicle the battle for the independence of Argentina. There are many generals’ uniforms, weapons and more. There were exhibits about the lives of Argentinians throughout the years. While we were there, they had a concert played on the piano where the Argentina National Anthem was played on for the first time. The crown jewel in the museum though was the sword of General San Martin that is guarded by Argentine Military guards. We got a picture with one of the guards who was nice enough to pose with us. Vero as always gave us a lot of great information as she knows so much about Argentina and loves history and culture just as much as we do. After we said goodbye to Vero, we headed back to the hotel to get ready to leave Argentina.

The Food and Drinks of Argentina

The food is one of the many highlights of visiting Argentina. The food in Latin America is at the top of our favorite foods in the world and Argentina is at the top of that list. We had many different types of food there and ate at our first Michelin Star restaurant ever with my colleague and friend Florencia. Here are the different types of foods we tried in Argentina.

Milanesa

We got Milanesa Napolitana and a regular milanesa while we were in Buenos Aires. We have tried it in the US and loved it and it was great in Buenos Aires. Our favorite is the Milanesa Napolitana where it has ham on top of the breaded meat with tomato sauce and cheese. It’s one of our favorite foods we have had worldwide. We ate at a nearby small local restaurant and at our hotel to try different kinds from different places. If you go to Argentina or go to an Argentine Restaurant in the US try it!

Empanadas

Another great food is the world-famous Empanadas that come from Argentina. We had them at multiple restaurants and for snacks at Iguazu Falls. They can be stuffed with pretty much any kind of meat or vegetable that you might want and are pretty affordable in Argentina (around $1-$2.50 USD) each and they are fairly large compared to ones I’ve had in the US for much more. There are restaurants that specialize in Empanadas but pretty much every restaurant serves them in one fashion or another in Argentina.

Bife de chorizo (Chorizo Steak)

We went to try the well-known steaks in Argentina, and they did not disappoint us Texans who have been eating steaks in Texas over the years at events and at our many different steak houses from time to time. We visited a nice restaurant called La Posada 1820. There we got the Bife de Chorizo for 2 that came with two large steaks with a fried egg on top, French fries, a salad, bread and different sauces to dip the bread in or put on the steak. It was a great value for around $68 for the two of us for a lot of food. It was really good. The steak was tender and very flavorful. Another great food to try in Argentina.

Argentina Style Pizza

Pizza is a big deal in Argentina and like Chicago, New York, Detroit or Italy they have their own style. There pizza is a deep dish with different toppings. In one pizza the toppings were under the cheese. We went to two different places. Guerrin has been around in Argentina near the El Obelisco since 1932 and is full of neon signs outside. You can get their pizza by the slice and stand while eating or get a full pizza and sit at a table like a full-service restaurant. The pizza there is great and cooked in wood fired ovens. They had a sauce to put on your pizza that was said to be spicy but it’s not overly spicy. In Argentina with its European history the food is not overly spicey there like you might find in Mexico. When visiting the Belgrano area with Javier we went to another great Pizza restaurant called Fiorire Cabildo where we tried the Fuggaza pizza that was invented in Argentina. It is topped with onions, cheese and olives. It’s very good and very filling. We took some to the hotel to eat the next day.

Asado

Probably the most famous dish in Argentina is Asado. It is grilled meats kind of like BBQ without the sauce. Its a traditional cooking that has been around since the gauchos (cowboys) in Argentina. We met up with my colleague and friend Florencia at a Michelin rated restaurant (a first for us) to try Asado. The restaurant we went to was called Cauce de los fuegos. There we got a wide variety of Asado meat. From sausage to flank steak we tried it, and it was amazing. Very tender and flavorful food. Everything was grilled including the vegetables. I’d really like to try more Argentine Asado in the future.

Alfajores

Another amazing thing to get in Argentina is Alfajores. They are a type of cookie/cake desert that has dulce de leche in the center as a filling, two soft cookies/cake on the outside and it’s covered in chocolate. There are many different types with different fillings and some with white chocolate and others with no sugar. Havanna is the largest brand in Argentina, and they have stores throughout Buenos Aires and at airports like the one at Iguazu Falls. They serve coffee and other things like a cafe in their stores. It’s a great desert and they have bags and boxes you can bring home for others like we did.

Mate

Mate is a type of tea that is a favorite in Argentina and other countries like Brazil. You have to drink it in a special cup as the yerba mate plant leaves are put in the cup and then hot water is added. The special straw keeps the leaves from being drank kind of like a strainer. It’s a fairly bitter tea so we like to put honey in with it. We have only had it at a restaurant in the US actually and no restaurant we visited served it in Argentina as we were told Mate is more of a personal drink you make on your own. You will see many people with large thermoses with hot water so they can refill their mate during the day. We were able to get Mate in a tea bag on our ferry ride but that was it on our trip. Mate is supposed to have a lot of health benefits with its high antioxidants and is said to help you lose weight.

Malbec Wine

While we didn’t make it to the Argentine wine region (in the West around Mendoza), we did get to try Malbec at our Tango Show. It’s a red wine made from the Malbec grape. It honestly was one of the best type of wine I’ve tried with a very smooth and unique taste that is hard to describe (try it for yourself!). It was great and someday I would like to travel to Mendoza and visit the different vineyards there as its beautiful countryside and has amazing wine!

German Food in Argentina

One evening we decided to try some German food that was close by. I can tell you it was very good containing different kinds of bratwurst. I am a big fan of German food, and this was pretty authentic to Germany as well. It added to the diverse food options available in Buenos Aries.

Tex-Mex in Argentina

While in Argentina I went to lunch with my teammates at a restaurant nearby and Donna and I got two different dishes. One was a fish dish, and the other was a Tex-Mex Chicken dish. Both were very good but I can tell you the Tex-Mex Chicken was definitely Argentine Tex-Mex as it did not have the spice to it that a true Tex-Mex meal would have. Argentina like Europe doesn’t care too much for overly spicey food so this was no exception. It did have queso on top and crispy tortilla strips. It was very good, but not the same as home. We like trying things like this internationally to see the different takes on dishes from home.

Colonia, Uruguay

Towards the beginning of our trip, we took a day trip across the Rio de la Plata to Colonia, Uruguay. We got up fairly early and headed to the Buquebus Ferry Terminal fairly close to our hotel. It’s a very modern and nice terminal. After checking in we headed to passport control. You have to go through two passport control sections to head to the waiting area for the ferry. You first have to go through Argentine Exit Passport Control and then you go through Uruguayan Passport Control, so you are clear before you get on the ship. There is also a security check. There were quite a few people in the large and nice waiting area that has a cafe and a couple shops. When it was time to board it went pretty quickly and we got seats on the pretty large ferry and grabbed seats by the window. The seats reminded me of seats on a train but cushier and roomier than an airline seat. The ferry had two decks for passengers and had a large shop that opened after the ship left port that sold duty free candies, liquors, and other products like you might see at an airport duty free shop. There were two cafe style places that sold small snacks and drinks. They also had a money exchange office where I got some more Uruguayan Pesos. The ride only takes 90 minutes or so on the fast ferry, so we got our breakfast and drinks and was ready to head to Colonia.

We stepped off the ferry and headed to meet our guide in Uruguay. We met her near the old Colonia Rail Station when the rail used to run to Colonia. You can see the old turntable and the depot near the ferry terminal. As we walked to the old town in Colonia our guide told us about Uruguay. She said that its pretty much the most stable and peaceful country in South America. They have a healthy middle class that some countries in South America do not have much of. Countries become more unstable and have more crime related issues when there is a high percentage of poverty with no middle class and a small elite class. In Uruguay there are many professional jobs like IT in the capital city of Montevideo. They also have a good safety net with free healthcare and other benefits. They are a little more liberal compared to other nations in the region as marijuana and LGBTQ Marriage is legal.

We headed to the walled city of Colonia that is a UNESCO world heritage site. It was once a Portugues settlement right across from the Spanish City of Buenos Aires. This didn’t sit well with the Spanish, so they battled to take the city. Eventually the Portugues gave up the city to the Spanish in a treaty. Because of this mixture you see buildings in the walled city that are original Portugues (slanted roofs with red clay shingles) and Spanish (flat roof), In an area where it rains fairly often the slanted roof works better. The citizens aren’t allowed to change historic buildings so we could see them pretty much as they were. We walked through the main square, to the lighthouse and to the main street of the city. We visited a historic church and they our guide gave us free time to explore.

Colonia has a museum system where they open up 4 different museums each day. They have many different historic homes, so they rotate which ones are open. The tickets are very affordable, so we visited the first two historic buildings that also had a history of Colonia inside before we headed to lunch. Our guide said if we wanted something truly Uruguayan, we needed to try the Chivito. It’s a very hearty sandwich that has beef, ham, bacon, a fried egg along with lettuce and tomatoes. It was really good and very filling with all the meat and the tasty/unique bread. While there we also tried the local ice cream that was great as well. We visited a museum about the natural history of the country including the indigenous peoples who were nomadic. Another museum was about the Spanish period of Colonia in a historic home. Before we met up with our guide, we visited the many nice shops and a craft market where we bought glassware and other souvenirs from Uruguay. We met our guide in the main square where a car took us to the ferry terminal. She waited with us in the pretty long line until we went through security and the two sections of Passport Control that was in reverse on this side (Uruguayan Exit Passport, and Argentine Entry). It was the same ferry ship as before, but the shop was a frenzy of people buying duty free good. It had been a hot day, so we got some drinks, and I bought some Alfajores as gifts. After the ride we headed back to our hotel.

Iguazu Falls

We decided to spend one of our days in Argentina to do the most ambitious and intense day trips we have done in our travels. We took a round-trip flight in a single day to far North Argentina to a small airport in the forest to see one of the wonders of the natural world. Iguazu Falls is the largest waterfall system in the world with over 250 waterfalls! Iguazu Falls is featured in the “Soarin’ Around the World” ride in Epcot at Disney World. We decided taking the time and effort to get up there was worth it as you just do not know if you will ever get such an opportunity again.

Our trip started with an early morning flight on Aerolineas Argentinas (the national carrier of Argentina) up to Puerto Iguazu to the Cataratas del Iguazu International Airport. As we landed, I saw jungle rivers and miles of forest with little infrastructure. The runway suddenly popped into view as the forest goes right up to the edge of the runway. We didn’t have any luggage which is a first for us when flying so we met our guide and driver. We originally were only supposed to see the Argentina side, but we requested to visit Brazil as well. Being so close to another country and having the opportunity to see both sides of the falls was too good to pass by. We switched into a Brazilian car with a Brazilian driver before we headed to the border checkpoint. This is one of the few times in our travels we have entered into a new country through a land border checkpoint. With Europe there are no checkpoints currently and Sint Maarten/St. Martin also has no checkpoint, so the only other land border has been Gibraltar and Spain. We got out of the car and went to the passport officers to get our Brazil Stamp before we headed onward. We arrived at the VERY busy Brazil side, but with our guide and driver we were able to pass by the line and didn’t have to go on a bus.

Our driver took us through the forest where we could see a few animals (different birds) before we started our hike along the Iguazu River. We got our first view of part of the falls and even those falls were larger than any other falls we had seen. We were looking over at the Argentina Falls from Brazil which is a good perspective as most of the falls are in Argentina. We continued our walk to get our first glimpse of the amazing “Devil’s Throat” portion of the waterfall that is in our favorite Disney Ride. We saw millions of gallons of water falling all at once is a ‘U’ shaped gorge flanked by the Brazilian falls. There is a walkway over the river that takes you very close to the Devil’s Throat. It was very crowded, but we made our way to the end of the walkway. The spray from the massive falls gets you a bit wet like you would be standing while its drizzling. We did not care as one it’s worth it to be up close and two it was getting really hot, so it cooled us off a bit like a mist station at a theme park. We also could see amazing Swift birds flying through the falls to get to their nests under the waterfalls. Nature is spectacular what animals can do! After we finished viewing the Brazilian falls we headed back to our driver to head to a Brazilian gift shop as we wanted to get our traditional souvenirs like a flag, magnets, ornaments and other things. I also got a few Brazilian Reals to collect. We saw the outskirts of the small Brazilian city of Foz do Iguacu and we headed back through the two levels of passport control (Brazil Exit and Argentina Entry). Before we got to Argentina, we drove on the bridge over the river that makes the border. The bridge is painted like the country you are in and changes from the green and yellow of Brazil to the blue and white of Argentina midway. After we got back into Argentina, we headed over to the Argentina side of the falls.

The Argentine side of the falls has many trails you can walk on that can take an hour or more to walk them. One trail takes you right up to the top of the “Devils Throat”, another takes you to some of the many side falls, and another goes to the river level to view the falls. There is also a 2-hour boat tour that takes you under some of the falls, so you get very wet. We opted to skip the boat tour and do the walking trails instead. While walking through the visitor’s center we got to see a wild Toucan up close as it flew around a building and in nearby trees. It was the largest species they have in the area and was very colorful. We then grabbed a quick empanada as a snack as we waited for the train. The Argentine side has a small train that takes you from the visitor’s center to different trail heads. You do have to pay for tickets that are timed. We headed to the last stop to go to the Devil’s Throat and then made our way back. It was starting to get pretty hot and being in the tropics it was also humid. We headed out on the trail that took us over the Iguazu River. As we walked, we saw turtles, birds and the most massive catfish we have ever seen in the water. We made it to the top of the Devil’s Throat with our guide and could see up close the roaring millions of gallons of water going over the falls. We got a professional photographer to take pictures of us in this once and a lifetime opportunity as we watched the falls in awe. We were starting to get tired, and I was starting to get dehydrated from the scorching afternoon heat.

We headed on the train to the middle stop to walk one more trail. Thankfully there are shops at the different stops that sold ice cold drinks like Gatorade or Powerade. This upper trail takes you along the top of the many waterfalls before the Devil’s Throat. You pass by canyons, tributaries of the river going over the falls, and views of the Brazilian side. It was a very nice trail as well where you can see the falls from above. We didn’t have time for the lower trail and we missed the train, so we walked back to our driver waiting for us to take us back to the airport. It’s a fairly small airport but it had some shops and a few different cafes and restaurants before and after security. We got some small sandwiches and inside security we got some Alfajores from the Havanna Shop to go. On the way back we flew on JetSmart which is a low-cost Argentine airline similar in concept to Frontier or Spirit in the US. We have flown Frontier many times and have never had any major issues and JetSmart was the same. We got on the plane on-time, and while the seats were not overly cushy the hour-long flight was just fine. The airline did not use gates/jet bridges to cut costs, so we walked on the ramp and used stairs both ways to board and deplane. We met our driver after security and headed back to the hotel after a very long and tiring but absolutely well worth it day. If we had spent more time in the area, we would have headed over to nearby Paraguay that we could see in the distance. That will be a country for the future.

Leaving Argentina and Tips

After we spent the day with Vero and Florencia, we got ready for our overnight flight. Most flights from South America to cities like Houston leave very late at night and get in early in the morning. Our flight was no exception, so the airport was pretty crowded with people heading to North America on their own overnight flights. Ezeiza International Airport is very modern and nice with great art and design. The exit passport control was very long due to the number of flights departing so we were thankful for our normal 3-hour time frame we always give ourselves when flying internationally. Sometimes we end up waiting a little while for the flight but for us we would rather do that than be rushing to make a flight. Before heading out we grabbed a bite to eat at the McDonald’s since it would be quick and they had a Dulce De Leche McFlurry. American Fast-food restaurants are different internationally so its nice to see what they have. There are many of choices including Chili’s and local restaurants. We boarded our plane and had an un-eventful 11-hour flight back to Houston. We almost never can sleep on long flights and this was no exception. We got home after an amazing trip to South America.

To see all of what Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil has to offer you would need months to see it all. In Argentina alone there is so much to see and do in the multiple regions. We only visited Buenos Aires and the far North region in Argentina. Buenos Aires is beautiful city with a lot to do as well. We spent a week there and didn’t visit all the great museums and activities there are to do there. A word of warning as we have found in different areas of the world, just because online says a museum or site is open doesn’t mean it will be. We tried to visit a military museum, a historic ship and the monumental tower and they were either closed when they were supposed to be open or opened later than it was said. We just had a backup plan and went elsewhere so while disappointing, it wasn’t a huge deal for us. Do try to learn some basic Spanish or have a translation app ready. There are people who know English especially in tourist areas, but I found many people do not know English and I had to speak Spanish. You absolutely need to try the local food in Argentina as its amazing. Argentina and Uruguay we found were safe but in Buenos Aires there are some areas like any major city that are not as safe so going with a guide or on a tour bus is advised. The hop-on, hop-off bus gives you a great overview of Buenos Aires. Taking in a Tango Show is also a must see in Buenos Aries. We loved our time in South America and we look forward to visiting again in the future!