South America- Day 16- Buenos Aires/Mendoza- "Ho-la Mendo-za"

Sad to say it is already the last day in BA. Its hard to believe it's our fourth day here; definitely feeling more settled due to the longer window and also because it is a more typical city than anywhere else we've been so far. Lima had great food etc, but BA is somehow more expected and perhaps more Western than anywhere else we've been. We started the day dealing with the money transfer again so we could maximize by paying for our hotel in cash. Slight blip as they couldn't find the transfer in the system which induced mild panic, but we were able to go by another bank a bit later and they didn't run into any problems so we're all set.

We walked around some more and saw sites like the obelisk and the tribunals, before reaching our main stop of the Teatro Colon. It is an absolutely gorgeous building inside and out. So ornate and exactly what you picture an old theater that is well preserved and very elegant. We actually inadvertently joined a tour (don't ask) so were able to see several of the gorgeous rooms as well as the interior of the theater as well. A must do for sure, and if we hadn't been worried about making it to the bank and a few other stops before lunch we would have likely taken the english tour as it was very in depth and we clearly didn't catch all of it (english tours are on the hour).

Next we got our money situation resolved then walked to the Palacio San Martin which is another great building that houses the foreign affairs department and is mostly used for ceremonies and events, or so we're told. We had a few minutes before our lunch date with another Boothie, and it just so happened that we were right near Casa Lopez which had been recommended to us as a great leather shop. And by happened to be, I mean Brennan was crafty and steered us in that direction. Ended up with a fantastic souvenir from the trip-- a great red leather purse. Very ladylike and classic, so definitely one I will treasure for many years to come!

Had lunch with Rossio who is home on vacation before she starts her job in Santiago. Fun to hear about how she sees BA, her thoughts on the city as well as the other places on our trip, etc. After lunch, went back to the hotel, checked out (super late check out was much appreciated!), and headed to the airport for our flight to Mendoza!! As the adorable kid behind us said in sing-song of sorts: ho-la mendo-za!

After arriving at our hotel, we were able to get a last minute reservation at a restaurant we wanted to try: 1884 by Frances Mallman. Awesome dinner- in the running for best of the trip so far. Quick rundown so I don't forget how delicious it was: B had an appetizer of grilled squid salad (potatoes, artichokes, tomatoes, quail egg) while I had a salted pear with burratta and bacon chips; then we swapped back and forth between goat and lamb, finishing with a normal and a dulce de leche profiterole, paired with a blend of syrah, malbec and petit verdot from Quorum. An awesome welcome to mendoza to say the least....