I’ll admit I left you “hanging” at the end of my last “Out of Town” post. You’ll recall my son and I had just concluded several memorable stops on this trip to Argentina; first to Buenos Aires then to Iguazu Falls and finally the wine country of Mendoza. We enjoyed each locale. But on our return to the airport intending to fly home from Mendoza with the national carrier, we encountered a scene best described as utter bedlam. Hundreds of people were crowded about the Aerolineas Argentinas ticket counters on that November evening. The airport was in gridlock. No one was moving and no one seemed especially happy. Of course, not speaking Spanish meant we had no idea what was causing the problem. Finally, a nearby passenger overheard us and came to the rescue, informing us in English that the Argentine air traffic controllers had within the hour decided to exercise a “limited” strike action by refusing to work any domestic flights. That brought all local traffic within the nation’s borders to a halt. The only flights leaving Mendoza that night were going to Santiago, Chile on LATAM Airlines. We made our way to their ticket counter to discover all the flights out were booked. It didn’t much matter as we had no onward flight reservations from Chile for that night anyway.
We stayed with the throngs of would-be travelers milling about and hoping for a miracle for quite some time. However, reality finally sunk in.There was no way we were flying to Buenos Aires that night and there was no way we were returning home to the US either. So, we did the only thing we could and took a taxi back to the Park Hyatt Mendoza. The General Manager greeted us once again at the front desk although he was very surprised to see us. I explained our predicament and he promised to contact American Airlines on our behalf as well as British Airways as we were flying on their allotted award space on American from Buenos Aires to Miami. We were hoping to fly home the next day. Unfortunately, the suite we occupied previously was booked but we gladly accepted his offer of a City View Deluxe Room with 2 twin beds. While the 430 square-foot room we received was considerably smaller and far less grand than the suite we had enjoyed, it had all the comforts of home and was a welcome haven from the airport pandemonium. In fact, we were happy to have any room at this fine hotel under those stressful, last-minute circumstances.
During our breakfast the following morning at the Las Terrazas de la Plaza, the General Manager stopped by our table to let us know the air traffic controller strike was still in effect and he had yet to connect with British Airways to secure our return from Buenos Aires. We thanked him for his efforts and he requested we check back with him in the afternoon. With another day in Argentina, we made arrangements with the concierge for a half-day city tour. We learned that Mendoza had suffered a number of devastating earthquakes in years past. There was a major earthquake in 1861, however, which claimed nearly 5,000 lives and destroyed most of the city. Instead of repairing all the damage, the residents decided to rebuild a new city center southwest of the original location. They created a large, central area known as Plaza Independencia that’s surrounded by 4 smaller ones. This plaza is the largest green space in the city. It’s a popular socializing spot for locals and features various street vendors, performers and musicians as well as weekly craft fairs.
You remember the story I shared with you about my quite unexpectedly dropping into an irrigation channel several days earlier? Well, I reluctantly came to appreciate them when we discovered that Mendoza’s in a dusty, dry, desert-like region with very little rainfall and relatively low humidity. The irrigation channels are part of an elaborate and sophisticated water infrastructure system that runs along all the streets and irrigates the city’s 50,000 magnificent trees every day. These trees in Mendoza, along with the parks, boulevards, plazas and the canals that water them, are the most distinguishing architectural feature of the city. They’re even more impressive when you’re told about their history. The basis for today’s complex system which draws water from the Mendoza River and utilizes the spring runoff from the Andes' snowfall, was first put in place by the Huarpes. They were the indigenous people who occupied what is now Mendoza when the Spanish conquistadors first arrived in 1561.
We later drove 15 minutes from the city center up to the Cerro de la Gloria (Hill of Glory). It’s a small “mountain top” above Mendoza situated at an elevation of 2,497 feet above sea level in the General San Martin Park, named in honor of the leader of the Argentine War of Independence from Spain. Here we were rewarded with sweeping, panoramic views of the city below and the towering Andes Mountains beyond. The park totals over 1,200 acres and we took some time to explore the green space, tree-lined walkways, playgrounds and sprawling lake. At the top of the hill there’s a huge monument commemorating the Army of the Andes. The striking monument is the work of Uruguayan sculptor Juan Manuel Ferrari. It was begun in 1911 as part of the celebrations surrounding the Argentina Centennial of 1910. At its top, it features an allegorical representation of Freedom with broken chains and an imposing equestrian statue of General San Martin.
Returning back to the Hyatt mid afternoon (and ever mindful of those irrigation channels), we checked with the General Manager to see if he’d been successful. He had yet to connect with British Airways and he also let us know the “limited” controllers’ strike still remained in effect. By now I was getting pretty frustrated but resigned myself to the situation. We took his recommendation to dine that evening at Azafran, one of the most popular restaurants in the city. What a wonderful choice to lift our spirits! It was originally a deli selling local meats and is now one of Mendoza’s best upscale eateries. The focus here is still on local, quality produce. The menu is well complimented by an extensive wine list. Patrons are invited to visit, or even dine in, their unique wine cellar, a street-facing room with a round table in the middle surrounded by racks and racks of their wine offerings covering the cellar's remaining 3 walls.
Over breakfast the following morning, the GM stopped by our table to tell us there’d been no change to the controllers’ strike and he’d been unable to connect with British Airways. Now it was time to take matters into my own hands. Returning to our room, and with the help of my iPad and my iPhone, I made reservations for us on that evening’s LATAM flight to Santiago and their onward connection to Miami and from there, home on American Airlines. It took the better part of the morning to arrange all these flights and I believe we secured the last 2 available award seats to North America for that night. Out first flight wasn’t scheduled until much later at 8:30 in the evening so we decided to stroll about the city one last time. We stopped by the office to let the GM know we’d made our own arrangements and to thank him for all his efforts on our behalf. He was happy to hear it and let us choose our own check out time! Without a doubt, this hotel executive exemplified the very best of the management team at Hyatt and we were grateful for his many kindnesses.
By then we needed a little exercise. We walked over to Las Vinas which proved to be a great location for Argentine souvenirs and clothing (although we wisely decided not to purchase any gaucho outfits). A short distance away we discovered the Central Market where one-stop grocery shopping could be fun. Each stand offered something different from fresh produce to picadas (bite-sized foods) to prepared meats. The wonderful smells filling the market air made us hungry and so we stopped for lunch at La Barra, one of the many nearby parillas. These are local steakhouses where barbecued meat is a menu staple. Argentina just might outdo the US in terms of its passion for barbecue. In many ways, it’s the national pastime and centers on a wood-fired barbecue grill, also called a parilla. The restaurant was nearly empty when we arrived but was soon crowded with locals, always a good sign.
After lunch, we continued to wander about different city plazas and visited any number of shops and boutiques. Towards the late afternoon, we returned to the Park Hyatt, freshened up, packed our suitcases and headed back out to the airport. The scene was quite different this time with only the LATAM ticket counters showing any activity. Before too long it was time to board their B737 for the one hour flight over the Andes to Santiago. Arriving around 9:30pm, we headed right to the LATAM VIP Lounge. Since ours was the airline's final international flight of the day, this lounge wasn’t crowded at all. It featured a nice array of snacks and beverages, proving to be a fairly nice way to spend a few hours before our flight back to the States. The airline was operating a B767 to Miami that night and we were seated in Row 1, Seats A and B on the port side of the aircraft. The meal service began about 30 minutes after our 11:30pm departure. The LATAM cabin crew were quick and efficient so that passengers might have more time for an overnight rest. We took advantage of the lie-flat seats in Business Class, grabbing a few hours of sleep prior to breakfast onboard the next morning. This flight went off without a hitch. We landed on time and easily cleared Customs in Miami, making the onward connections on American Airlines with no trouble.
This journey to Argentina was just great! Sure, we had a bit of a hiccup at the tail end but that didn’t take away from the sights we saw or the many wonderful and unforgettable experiences we shared together.
Until next time…stay safe.
... and like all great tales of adventure you managed to defeat the challenges and generate a happy ending - phew! Great story-telling.
This one was fun and lots of great pictures.