Chile & Argentina: Andes To Patagonia Day 17

Day 17 - Wednesday, April 1, 2015 - Aerolineas Flight Rio Gallegos to Buenos Aires; AA Flight Buenos Aires, Argentina to Miami, US; AA Flight Miami to Denver, Colorado

We had a 4:00 am wake up call and the hotel had a few sweets, tea, and coffee for us before we departed. Andres loaded our bags on to the bus for the last time and Christian reminded us of our belongings. An item left this far from home would be an item lost!

The ride to the airport only took a few minutes and we were the first in line when the Aerolineas staff opened the check-in desk. Security opened at 5:45 and there were no concerns, another wave, and smile for this domestic flight.

The plane did not arrive until 6:30 but amazingly we had an on time departure at 7:00. The little red bag fit nicely in the sizer and we were allowed to carry it on the flight.

The flight was completely full with people like us who could not fly yesterday and in addition all of those people who were scheduled to fly today. Christian had gotten us to the airport in plenty of time.

He said the flight would likely be overbooked. As usual, he kept his promise to get us all on the same plane.

After our three hour and 15 minute flight we landed at the domestic airport in Buenos Aires. A bus was waiting for us to take us back to the Argenta Towers Hotel.

We had time to organize our bags and then at 1:00 we met the group to go to an upscale neighborhood that previously housed warehouses and docks but are now converted to pricey condos, restaurants, and exclusive offices.

Christian took us to Villegas Restaurante de Carne, a carnivores dream. The steaks were cooked perfectly and we shared salads and French fries for the table.

At 3:30 we returned to the hotel, took a quick shower, and finished packing for our overnight flight to Miami and then on to Denver.

We arrived at the airport, checked our bags, and went through security, and then passport control. The Argentinian government is very thorough and agents took our photo and thumb printed us again upon leaving the country.

The officer then checks your “before and after” photos so the same person who comes in to Argentina leaves the country. Because of the strike yesterday, there were many people trying to fly today and the airport lines were long and the security attendants were a bit grumpy.

The next adventure was winding our way through the Duty Free shops to find our gate. We found Gate 9 and then we went to the Admiral's Lounge to catch up on the mail and work on the journal.

The flight was called at 7:15 pm and we found our seats, had some juice and nuts, and then declined dinner. We were able to sleep for a few hours.

Breakfast came as we were passing over Cuba. As we flew over Miami, we had a full moon guiding us back to the USA. We touched down at 4:00 am and landed at Gate 21.

We made our way to immigration control and were able to use our new Global Entry cards for an easier reentry back into the USA.

We retrieved our bags and went through customs. Our bags were put back on to the luggage belt and on their way to Denver. The Admiral's Lounge was very close to our Denver gate so we stopped in to relax for a bit and take advantage of their speedy internet.

The flight to Denver was scheduled for 7:10 am. Because it was the first flight of the day, we were supposed to be off to the Mile High City on time. The Sky Chef crew had catered the wrong plane so the captain told us it would be fifteen more minutes before they would be able to restock the galley and we could fly.

As it turned out it was 30 minutes but we did not have to worry about making connections in Denver. Flying always has its challenges, with so many things that could go wrong, it is amazing that there is ever an on time departure.

Our Boeing 737 landed at DIA at 9:40 but it took another 40 minutes to get our luggage. This journey was a long one; after 10 separate flights, 22 days of GarciaTrip Journals, and over 4,500 photos, we were ready to get home.

We shared this experience with our fantastic and professional tour director, Christian Vera, and ten new friends. All in all, it was an outstanding Overseas Adventure.

Accommodations: Home - - - Meal: B, L & D

Thank you so much for sharing your trip! I looked forward to your daily reports! Now I hope you have a bit of time to sleep and rest a bit! Happy Easter!

Fabulous trip - thanks for taking us along! Glad you made it home safely! Did you get snow? We have a dusting!

What a hectic trip home, but so glad to be on USA soil again and in my own bed!! We were watching the news this evening and they were showing the flooding in Chili, but we didn't know where. I was thinking you were out of there by then. This was an exciting and informative trip, and once again, thank you for carrying me along with you. Time to rest up for a while. I know your four-legged animals were glad to see you!!!

Day 13: Azores & Madeira: Portugal's Unspoiled Archipelagos

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Island Beauties

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Day 13 - Saturday, April 22, 2022 - Depart for U.S.

The hotel prepared a box breakfast for us as we had to be in the lobby way before the breakfast room was open.

Last night we found out that our departure flight back to...

Continue Reading Day 13