9 Days of Freedom: Initial Attack of Buyer's Remorse

Since purchasing my ticket, I have suffered a bit of buyer's remorse. Maybe I should have gone to a country I haven't been to before, maybe I should have been more adventurous, maybe... *** The fact is, I really liked BA my first visit. Visiting a different part of the country will be new for me and therefore adventurous. *** Ultimately, my mind was put to rest as a result of a fortuitous coincidence. A day after I bought my ticket I was glancing through the new issue of Men's Journal, and on the last page is an interview with Robert Duvall:

Question: Where's your favorite place on earth?

Answer: My favorite place to roam around and hang out is Buenos Aires. I've been there about 60 times. I just feel at home there, although I'm not great with the language. It's just an aura. I'm a stranger, and many of them don't like Americans, but I feel like I fit in.

See Men's Journal, June 2007 at 186 (no online link)(admittedly, he met his wife there so that may have somthing to do with it, but BA is a great town for roaming around (walking) and hanging out (taking things at a more relaxed pace)).

There you have it. I needn't say more.

(p.s. I wrote a review of Duvall's movie "Assassination Tango" on an older blog).

9 Days of Freedom: Major Travel Decision

Following an extensive analysis whereby destinations deemed to be too: (1) hot; (2) dangerous; (3) far away; (4) expensive; (5) overrun by American tourists; or (6) some combination thereof, were eliminated from consideration, I have decided to make a return visit to Argentina in late June/early July. *** Direct flights of less than 9 hours, no jet lag, an elementary grasp of the language and an exchange rate that continues to be very favorable for the dollar were the deciding practical factors. *** While I spent the entirety of my time in BA and its environs during my first visit in April 2005, this visit I will be splitting my time between the Andean northwest of the country and BA. *** Though it will be relatively cold (highs in the 60s in the northwest and 50s in BA, with lows in the 30s in both areas), it should provide a pleasant respite from the south Florida summer.