Destinations

From guest bloggers: Nannette and Susie Casto Clients

An International Women’s Forum Conference enticed us to South America in May 2008. The conference was in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and post conference tours, arranged by Casto Travel/Rascals in Paradise, took us to Iguazu Falls, Santiago and the Atacama Desert. We found you can still get a very good value for the U.S. dollar in South America.

Buenos Aires offers the experience of a sophisticated European city, with a vibrant South American spin. Starting with the exceptional Alvear Palace Hotel, located in the heart of Recoleta and designated an historical landmark, this hotel has the architectural style and décor of a real palace. On day one, we took a city tour, which we recommend because it gives a valuable overview of Buenos Aires. The city’s architecture was a constant surprise with styles from colonial-era to art deco, and La Boca thrilled us with brightly colorful buildings and sultry tango dancers. We learned to tango, or at least tried to tango, at The National Tango Academy, followed by a lively performance at Café Tortoni, the city’s oldest café. Thereafter, shopping was a favorite activity as fashion abounds, from leather goods on Florida Street to edgy designs found in Palermo Viejo, Buenos Aires’ hippest neighborhood. Of course, be prepared to eat Argentine beef, and plenty of it, while sipping your glass of Malbec wine at the many vibrant restaurants. One afternoon we admired contemporary Latin American art at the Malba, and marveled at the nearby Metallic Flower shaped like a tulip which opens and closes based on daylight. On Thursday, we witnessed the peaceful vigil of Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo which was very powerful and touching. We could go on, and on, but there are some of the snapshots.

Iguazu Falls are magnificent, and a “must see” in our book. These world-famous waterfalls are surrounded by sub-tropical rainforest and are nothing short of spectacular. We toured both the Brazil (you need a Visa) and Argentina falls and viewed them from walkways perilously close to the rim of the falls. Don’t pass up the opportunity to take a riverboat ride into the falls, and we strongly recommend purchasing a water resistant poncho. We screamed and laughed like kids. What fun! Our hotel stay was at the Sheraton in Argentina, with views of the falls from our room. Next time we’ll look into staying at the Orient Express lodge on the Brazilian side; it seemed a lot more exclusive. We stayed two nights, but would have welcomed staying another day or two to hike the national park trails and bird watch. (Continued next week..)

5 Responses to “South America: Sophisticated Travel”

1. Iguazu-Falls » Iquazu Falls Park in Argentina Says:
   July 14th, 2008 at 8:34 pm

   […] South America: Sophisticated TravelFrom guest bloggers: Nannette and Susie Casto Clients. An International Women’s Forum Conference enticed us to South America in May 2008. The conference was in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and post conference tours, arranged by Casto … […]

2. Sophia18 Says:
   July 23rd, 2008 at 5:43 pm

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3. Iguazu-Falls » Argentina Iguazu Falls Says:
   July 25th, 2008 at 11:13 am

   […] South America: Sophisticated TravelThe conference was in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and post conference tours, arranged by Casto Travel/Rascals in Paradise, took us to Iguazu Falls, Santiago and the Atacama Desert. We found you can still get a very good value for the US … […]

4. Iguazu-Falls » Argentina Falls Says:
   July 28th, 2008 at 10:35 am

   […] South America: Sophisticated TravelThe conference was in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and post conference tours, arranged by Casto Travel/Rascals in Paradise, took us to Iguazu Falls, Santiago and the Atacama Desert. We found you can still get a very good value for the US … […]

5. Allison1988 Says:
   July 28th, 2008 at 2:45 pm

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