January 4-5, 2012: Milwaukee -- Houston -- Buenos Aires, Argentina

Jan 4: Ever have the feeling that you are living an out of body experience?  I look at my luggage and sigh.  I have always prided myself in traveling light -- what happened this trip?  Could it be the sub-twenty degree weather we are now experiencing in WI today after so many days of 40's and 50's -- or is it that I am now thinking penguins!!!  I don't care!!  I am about to step off the end of the earth (figuratively) and enjoy the wonders of a place I never thought I would go.  Some say it is the "bucket list" syndrome -- I say no -- it is a desire to see and learn.  There will be people on the ship I have never met (new friends!); places that I never have been to;  lectures from experts that I will be enthralled  with!  Oh -- the list goes on and I still have several thousand miles to fly to get there!!!

Second half of Jan 4: Houston -- practiced watching for penguins with a five hour layover. Didn't spot any yet but did see a lot of people "waddling" as they tried to get from gate to gate with too much carryon in tow.

Thursday, Jan 5: Arrived after a long ten hour flight into Buenos Aires to 85 degree weather at 10:30 am! Moneyball with dinner and then a long nap. Traveling in economy class on these long flights is an experience in contortionism. People will put themselves in some very comical positions just to get a few hours of sleep. There is the "puppy curl": hip on seat with legs curled up and around the arm rest! The "my legs aren't really long, just need to put them out into the aisle pass the seat in front of me" roadblock! My favorite is "oh, you don't need all that room do you -- I want to spread out a little!" Fortunately that was not my seat mate. She was the "twitcher". While sleeping "jerked around and nudge me in the arm" style.

Once through customs it was off to see the "Paris of South America". Recoleta, one of the nicest, upscale and elegant district of Buenos Aire, is where the hotel is situated. Shops and restaurants are abundant all within an easy walk out the front door. After "freshening up" it was off to the center by the park to sample some Argentinean tenderloin, a glass of wine, and some more people watching while adjusting to the time difference. A slow stroll around and then it is "tea time". When in Rome do what the Romans do-- am focused now on getting the body adjusted to the time and feeding it for the cold that will coming soon! Dinner doesn't start here until after 8 pm, so that is not on my list for tonight. It is to bed early and tomorrow more aggressive sightseeing and then meeting the group for dinner.