Argentina Aviation Adventure 2006
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Back North to the Aeroparque
Our Austral MD83 LV-VAG was more than an hour late due to the delay of the inbound flight, so we had some time to relax in Ushuaia’s bright and airy boarding area. We were again seated in our pre-reserved seats 25 A and B, and shortly after take-off, a very satisfying hot dinner (stew and rice) was served, along with free beer and drinks. North American airlines take note! We were very impressed with the food and drink generosity on Aerolineas Argentinas! With favourable winds helping us along, our flight time back to the Aeroparque was only three hours and two minutes, a whole hour quicker than the south-bound flight three days earlier! Once again we landed on runway 31, and after a quick taxi-back to the main apron we were marshaled onto a stand facing the terminal, albeit it one without an available air bridge, so buses were waiting to transport all the passengers the short 50 yard journey to the baggage claim area.
Back to Ezeiza.. and the Journey home
After another two days in Buenos Aires it was time to say good-bye to this wonderful city. We did some more shopping and sight-seeing, returning to the terrific Santa Fe shopping district in Recoleta. A wonderful opera house has been converted into what must be the most impressive book shop on the planet, called El Ateneo, located on Avenue Santa Fe between Rio Bamba and Callao. A visit to Buenos Aires would not be complete without a visit to El Ateneo, and be sure to visit the cafe situated on the old stage, where you can sit and enjoy a terrific meal, drink, or dessert and coffee. I enjoyed their lunch special which included a salad, very generous helping of pasta and sause, a fancy desert, and an ice cold beer, priced at 11 Argentine Pesos, which works out to less than $5 US including the tip! You really shouldn't miss visiting El Ateneo, and you won't find this tip in any guide book!
Our hotel had arranged a Remis (private car) to take us out to Ezeiza, which was a lot more comfortable than a taxi yet the same price of 55 Pesos ($18 USD). The remote parking stand is visible from the motorway into the airport, and the cluster of Delta, United, American and Continental aircraft gave the impression of being in the United States rather than Argentina. The old Staff Argentina DC-8-32 is still there, after some 25 years, rotting away in the bushes behind the Aerolineas maintenance ramp. A mixture of Aerolineas narrow-bodies and wide-bodies were present at the Aerolineas hangar, along with a few 737 hulks. We checked-in early at 1500 at the new terminal A for our 1800 Air Canada flight to Toronto (via Santiago) and successfully secured our preferred seating for the long haul journey home. With plenty of time to kill, a detailed survey of the new terminal confirmed there are no aircraft viewing areas from the non-gate areas of the terminal.
Once through security, An Air Sur 727-200 and Varig Triple Seven were on gates near our Air Canada 767, but the security guards would not allow access into the exterior glass walkway to take a photo, and it was impossible to take photos from the segregated boarding areas. This just confirmed that there is no need to spend any more time at Ezeiza than is absolutely necessary! As we relaxed in our seats during climb out from Ezeiza, it seemed fitting to be leaving in the midst of a torrential downpour. We were lucky and had superb weather during our visit in Buenos Aires, and it seemed like perfect timing to be leaving as soon as the weather turned bad. The rain was only localized at the airport, and within a few seconds after lift-off we were back in clear skies.
Marveling at the terrific sprawl of greater Buenos Aires through the window, in the far distance I could see the Aeroparque, and my memories raced back to that fantastic little airport that every enthusiast should visit at least once in their life! In no time we turned west towards the Andes and Santiago.. but the allure of Buenos Aires remains, and even back home we can’t wait to return!
The End.... Until next time!!
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