Events in Buenos Aires

When we say that Buenos Aires is one of the most exciting cities in the world we do not exaggerate. It  is one of the most culturally oriented cities with lots of interesting things to do.



First of all we want to share with you the news that we have season tickets for the Colon Theater for the 2012 Opera Season for which we are very happy.

The shows are:
MAR 15TH – La Pasion segun San Marcos (The Passion according to St. Mark)
APR 26TH – La Forza del Destino (The Force of Destiny)
JUN 1st – Edipo
JUN 15th – Rinaldo
JUL 26th – ERWARTUNG – HAGITH (2 one act Operas)
AUG 30th – I due Figaro
SEP 28th – La Cenerentola (The Story of Cinderella)
NOV 30th – El Oro del Ring (this is a worldwide launch of an abridged version of the Opera of The Ring of the Nibelung).

We have 2 tickets per show and the cost is of U$S 200.- per person for each show. The seats are great – main hall row 15 – so an opportunity not to be missed. We are only offering them to clients who buy packages.

Weather is Buenos Aires in January and February can be really warm but this makes up for great evenings and lots of activities in the open air. Just to give you an idea of the amount of things that can be done in Buenos Aires during these 2 months, let us share with you the agenda the government of the city of Buenos Aires has prepared:

CIRCUS – Polo Circus. There will be circus functions from Thursdays through Sundays at 0500PM every week till the end of February. Admission free (San Telmo)

JAZZ & FOLK MUSIC – Every Friday at 0830PM starting February 10th open air concerts. Admission Free (Puerto Madero)

ROCK & REGGAE – 2 weekend Concerts –Fr to Sunday – during the summer (the first one on Jan 27th and the other one to be confirmed) – Admission Free (South of Buenos Aires)

TANGO in CAMINITO (La Boca)- Every weekend there will be tango dancing and live orchestras in Caminito through the end of February. Everybody is invited – Admission Free (La Boca)

BAFICITO – A Film Festival dedicated to the children – Fridays and Saturdays at 0830PM in Parque Centenario (Parque Centenario West of the city)

DRIVE-IN THEATRES – In beautiful Palermo there will be this drive in theatre exhibiting mostly Argentine films such as The Secret in their Eyes (the award winning ). Saturdays at 0900PM

THEATRE & MUSICAL SHOWS – There will be 2 Musical shows based on Argentine characters (Sarmiento –who was a president that modernized Argentina in 1880 – on Thursdays and Belgrano who is regarded to be the creator of the Argentine flag and one of the mentors of Argentine Independence – on Wednesdays). Certainly not to be missed.

The Museums in Buenos Aires will also be part of this cultural activity by offering shows, special exhibitions and theatre;

So as you can see really lots of great ideas to be in the city and enjoy the splendid evenings outdoors.

Amazon Tours and Cruises

I was reading the article entitled "Jungle Bookings" in the Dec. issue of Conde Nast Traveler and wanted to say a few things about it.

First of all, they quoted 2 agents in Brazil. One of my operators in Brazil said that Americans and Europeans want to know "how far into nature are we going to get" , while a lot of Brazilians want to know "how far away from the pool are we going to get"?  So that is a completely different mindset.

They did mention some good Amazon lodges in Brazil, but one of them said that the only cruise in Brazil they recommend is the Amazon Clipper Premium. But the cruise on the Tucano is very highly rated by National Geographic and by our clients - http://www.amazonadventures.com/amazoncruise.htm

They also mentioned 2 deluxe cruise ships in Peru. But what about the highest rated lodge near Iquitos on Tripadvisor? http://www.amazonadventures.com/rainforest.htm

I realize that Conde Nast mainly appeals to the more upscale travelers, but I would just like to let people know that there are also more affordable or different options that are also available.

One of the agents in the article mentioned that he talks 90% of his clients out of going to the Amazon and sends them to the Pantanal instead, because of the wildlife. You can see wildlife more easily in the Pantanal, but there is more to the Amazon than the wildlife. It has the mystery and allure that has captivated people's imaginations for years and has characteristics that are different than those in the Pantanal.

Update on Fire in Torres del Paine National Park in Chile

There was a big fire that started in Torres del Paine National Park in Chile last week and they had to evacuate people from the park. The fire, which crossed the Pudeto-Pehoe sector left considerable ecological damage, although, in spite of this, the touristic infrastructure of Hosteria Peohe, Hotel Salto Chico and the docks and boats of Hielos Patagonicos have not been affected. The last hotspots in the area were extinguished, which left the internal roads of the Pehoe Lake sector functional and out of harm´s way.

The hotspot that was located near the French Valley sector has been fought since early Sunday morning by more than 40 volunteers, using the Cuernos Refuge as an operational base. 30 brigadiers were also transported to the frontline via helicopter,  giving vital aid in the whole operation.  Since about noon on Sunday until now,  the winds have been greatly reduced and abundant rainfall is helping incredibly. Thanks to all of this,  it was possible to control and eliminate all threats in the area.

There are very important tourist areas inside the park which have not been affected by this wildfire and that, at this very moment, are in complete operation. Even sectors in which the fire has passed through such as the Pehoe - Pudeto Sector, Grey Lake Sector, and Paine Grande Sector are now out of harm´s way and may be utilized once again in a very short period,  taking all the ecological precautions to not affect its quick recovery.We are expecting the decision of CONAF and Chilean government, about when and which sectors will be available to visit by tourists.

Why Use an Agent to Book Travel?

I was reading a forum the other day and someone asked if they should book with a particular company. Someone replied that they should just book directly and eliminate the middle man.

I could see where that would be ok if you were just booking a simple day tour or if you knew exactly which hotel or lodge or cruise that you wanted to book. But what about someone who is booking a complicated itinerary or isn't sure which hotel or lodge they want to book?

Is it going to be worth it to book directly for every service and every property and keep track of the confirmations and contact numbers?

If a person calls a hotel or a lodge, do you think they are going to give that person an objective comparison with other properties they are considering? No, they are going to promote their own property.
And a person can't make a good judgment just from a pretty brochure or website. That doesn't mean that the service is going to be good.

In a recent survey of American travelers, 76% said they needed to find new ways to reduce stress in their life and 73% said life has become too complicated.

For people like that, and for many others, wouldn't it be worth it to have someone they trust do most of the work for them? And if something goes wrong during the trip (such as when they closed several airports in Argentina recently), wouldn't it be nice for somebody who has connections to be able to make the neccessary changes, instead of the people having to try to do it, especially if they don't speak the local language?

Pantanal in Brazil

Here is a nice little video about the Pantanal in Brazil, taken while a couple of our clients were on tour there in Sept. 2011.

Bariloche Argentina Airport Closure

The airport in Bariloche will be closed effective October 20th through December 20th.  The reason is because of the ash from the volcano that erupted months ago, but also to make repairs and improvements.

Because of this, Aerolineas Argentinas and LAN have decided to divert the flights to Esquel or to Neuquen. Esquel is a small city south of Bariloche; located some 4 hours by vehicle on a nice and panoramic road.

Aerolineas has informed that they will provide a transfer service from the airport in Esquel to Bariloche and back. The drive is 4 hours and for the departure flights the check in time at the airport in Bariloche will be 5 hours before the flight departure. We believe LAN will follow the same procedure.

If we look on the positive side, we can say that the drive from Bariloche to Esquel is a nice one, panoramic and can be a bonus to travelers. They could take the arrival or departure transfer with Aerolineas and for the transfer in the other direction, we may suggest that they pay a little extra and we can do it as if it were part of a tour via El Bolson and Lago Puelo, 2 beautiful areas that deserve a visit.

Carnival of Oruro in Bolivia

The Carnival of Ururo in Bolivia will start on Feb. 28 in 2012. It is an exceptional religious celebration with  over 28,000 dancers and 10,000 musicians participating in a procession that lasts 20 hours. What an event to see live! It was declared "Masterpieces of Oral Heritage and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” by the UNESCO.

http://www.amazonadventures.com/bolivia.htm