S and J's Big Adventure(s)

Friday, October 7, 2011

Leaving for Buenos Aires, Argentina!!!

October 1, 2011

We leave the Aloft Airport Hotel in Laval, QC, for the Elliott Trudeau Airport at 7:15 am or so. Wait in line for an hour to check in.
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Waiting in line with all our earthly possesions

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We are "guided" by new friends

The flight leaves for Mexico City at 10:05 am arriving @ 2:35 pm. Going through customs takes about ¾ hour. As many times as I have been in Mexico City for a layover, I have never had an 8 hour plus layover. I was dreading being in the awful Mexico City Airport but it has been remodeled and is now quite beautiful, clean and comfortable. Even tho the airport is new and much more comfortable than I had anticipated, we decide to change some money and do some sightseeing. We get a taxi to take us to the Zocolo (Centro Historico/Constitution Square) and visit the Metropolitan Cathedral, then walk the walking mall with all the shops and restaurants, living statues and street performers. While waiting for our taxi to pick us up, we watch the Mexican Flag in the center of the square being taken down for the day– quite a ceremony, 200 soldiers march out of the Federal Building with drum and bugle to take down the largest flag I have ever seen. It takes at least 100 men just to carry the flag once it is brought from the flag pole.

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The Metropolitan Cathedral

The Mall

Viva Mexico!

Once we got back to the airport, we found a restaurant with white table clothes, waiters in white jackets and a maître d' in a black suit, so we have a lovely leisurely dinner there before looking for our gate. Even then, we arrive at the gate 2.5 hours before departure, so we take turns going to the bathroom to brush our teeth and ‘clean up” for the 10 hour overnight flight to Buenos Aires. It was a brutal flight. Even tho I bought 8 tablets of Nytol for $10.00 US at an airport store, we had an uncomfortable sleep cramped into the small seats. Johns knees had a particularly painful trip.

The best part of the flight was fairly decent meals and free alcohol!

The first view of South America
We are close to Buenos Aires. . .YES!!!

We got to Buenos Aires Airport a little groggy and I was a little cranky so John was trying to avoid me by taking care of everything himself, which I guess was better because whenever I tried to “help”, I was not too nice about it and seemed to screw it all up (even tho my Spanish IS better than his…lol)

The keys - clés or llaves

When we arrived at the apartment, Irma, the apartment manager was there to greet us and gave us all the info we needed to get settled and the “clés” (she spoke little English and some French so when she didn’t think we would understand the Spanish, she spoke French to us…???)

Window view from the 5th floor window

The apartment is lovely and comfortable and we are getting to know the place and making it our own. I feel like I’m living in another era here in this lovely apartment with high ceilings, sconces, parquet floors, leaded windows and a tiled patio.

Looking up at the ceilings

Looking down at the floors

Leaded Windows

Tile Patio

Of course the marble stairs and the cage elevator helps give that other era feel, too.

Quinto Piso, Por Favor
(5th Floor, Please)

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More about the first week on Monday...

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Our Last Week in Montreal

This last week in Montreal, John prepares his work (“the book”) for traveling and starts the preparations for cleaning the condo and packing. I, on the other hand, do some preparation and fit in a last Montreal excursion by taking one day to go to the Botanical Garden and Insectarium with my last bus passes. The Gardens were beautiful.

Chinese Garden was celebrating with Chinese Lanterns

The Japanese Garden was lovely with its
gentle waterfalls and calm koi pond.

The Greenhouses had a wonderful herb and spice section and lots of familiar tropical plants that we see in Southern California and Mexico. In the greenhouse setting leaves seem to be most beautiful with the varigated greens and white veins…

I almost passed on going into the Insectarium. My friends Diana and Ruby would have been very disappointed if I hadn’t gone in because I saw the most beautiful displays of insects – butterflies, dragonflies and ... the beatles!!!!