And Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

Sorry for the brief hiatus. Last time on Jamón Jamón: I was in Buenos Aires having a jolly-good time, and getting ready to leave for Patagonia.

Buenos Aires

Monday was my last night in Buenos Aires, and we went out for final hurrah on the town. Barb, Missy, and I met up at this fantastic bar called Milion. They took an old, fancypants townhouse mansion and turned it into a bar. If we were in New York, I guarantee that this bar would have a velvet rope and bottle service and preppies would be getting The New York Times to write articles about how they have a prep school reunion there every week. (And I would have to come prepared with a huge stack of "you are a douche" cards.)

But, fortunately it's not in New York. So, it is just a normal bar, but in the coolest setting. You enter through a side door off the street, presumably where the carriage used to drop off the lord of the house before heading back to the carriage house. Anyway, you go up a fancypants wrought-iron staircase to the second floor bar. All the architectural details of the old house are there, like old doors and beautiful carved wood molding. But, it's still manages to look hip. It's an eclectic mix of people, too -- from a group of suits enjoying some post-work drinks, to someone entertaining their grandparents, to regular people like us. Even better, it's cheap. Combined, we had six huge glasses of delicious wine -- probably the equivalent of twelve glasses, if the bartender had been filling the glasses to regular level. Total bill for all the drinks: 39 pesos, or about $13 USD. Un-friggin-believable. So, not only is the place spared from being overrun by pretentious status-seeking wannabes, it's ridiculously cheap. Best. Bar. Ever.

Afterwards, we tried to go to my favorite restaurant in BA, La Cabrera, only to find out it was closed on Mondays. I was crushed, as it is truly fantastic. So, we went somewhere else and had some tasty steak and empanadas. Then, I said my goodbyes and headed home to pack. I was pretty sad to leave Buenos Aires. But, I have a strange feeling I'll be back soon enough.

Patagonia

So, Tuesday morning I was off to Patagonia. I was working on about four hours of sleep, and I made my way to the airport looking like I had slept even less. (Of course, there were women there dressed like they were getting ready to go to a charity benefit or Junior League luncheon, or whatever they call it down here. I have always had a serious distrust of anyone who shows up to an early-morning flight in makeup and heels and a small purse. Why don't they have toothpaste on their sleeve and an overstuffed carry-on to schlepp around, like everyone else?)

After several hours in the airport waiting for Aerolineas Argentinas to decide they felt like operating aircrafts, I flew into El Calafate, a small town in southern Patagonia on the edge of the Andes mountains, and a short trip from about a gazillion glaciers.

I have lots more to say about the last two days in El Calafate, but I'm ex-hausted from all this activity and heading off to bed. Also, if I kept going with this novella, no one would read anything. So, like a bad episode of Lost, I'm leaving you hanging. More details -- and hopefully some pictures -- tomorrow.