Antarctica: December 2022: Day 2: World Cup Finals

Antarctica

Day 2: World Cup Finals

Breakfast was pretty sad, but the scary part is I've had worse.

4893 miles covered, 194 to go!

Alvear Icon shows why they charge so much.

The shower/bathtub is even more ridiculous.

The commode is slightly less over the top.

The room itself is pretty ordinary compared to the bathroom.

17th floor isn't quite the top, but it was close (19 floors?).

Back on street level.

Celebrating their first World Cup championship in 36 years.

Puente de la Mujer, aka Woman's Bridge.

Celebrating their first World Cup championship in 36 years.

Local restaurants are all over it, too.

Cabana Las Lilas.

Bread and cheese rolls.

Terrace.

Local malbec served in a beer bottle (?!?!).

Another table went full bore with a tomahawk. Salad.

Salad.

Ribeye. Good and relatively cheap for a tourist place, but I'm sure there's better.

Proper medium rare.

ARA Uruguay, and waterfront lit up for the night.

Puente de la Mujer lit up at night.

Local delis were all packed.

Arriving in Argentina three hours before World Cup finals was a happy coincidence. Glad I ate the so-so meal on the plane before landing because, predictably, Buenos Aires was a mess. National Geographic/Lindblad Expeditions' recommended car service was out of cars, and the main taxi service was over an hours' wait. Public transit was apparenty not running either, and having arrived a day earlier than the official start date for my expedition, there was no pre-arranged transportation for me.

Staggered to the hotel just a few minutes before Argentina vs. France kicked off. Enjoyed a quick shower in the ridiculous marble-lined bathroom, then just barely stayed awake through the match-- and it was a crazy match. Heard the cheering even 17 floors up in my barely-conscious, somewhat-jetlagged state!

Outside, even 2km (over 1 mile) from the heart of Buenos Aires, celebrations were in full force. The brief walk along the waterfront felt like it was 50% Argentina national team jerseys, not to mention flags, cheering, and cars honking. The mood was very festive, and local delis were all packed with locals looking for a bite to eat after dark.

Being a tourist with limited time in Buenos Aires, I opted for a local steakhouse close to the hotel. Cabana Las Lilas may be an overpriced tourist trap, but by American standards, it was still a very decent steak at a very acceptable price, and wine here is indeed pretty good and even more affordable than the beef. That said the server's recommendation for the ribeye might have been a mistake, given I only had time for one steak this trip, spluging on the tomahawk like a nearby table did might have been the way to go.