The Flight

One City, One Month

Destination: Buenos Aires

Travel Dates: January 5^th – February 5^th

Travel Journal: The Flight

In which our heroine learns to knit.

The flight to Argentina is a total of 12+ hours long. The first leg of my particular flight to Buenos Aires was a 3 ½ hour trip from Los Angeles to Atlanta. The second leg of the trip was a grueling 9 hours from Atlanta to Buenos Aires.

So, what is an over-active, city girl to do for such an extended period of sitting still? Well, I decided to teach myself to knit. I had tried this once before, somewhat unsuccessfully. Years ago, I produced half a scarf and then quit. My incomplete scarf was curled around some rusty knitting needles and a misshapen ball of yarn in the back of a hall closet. Two days before my departure I dug around in the closet and found the scarf. I also found the book I had originally used to teach myself to knit, Stitch and Bitch, by Debbie Stoller. I examined the pages, picked up where I had left off, and completed the scarf.

Then I went to my local knitting store, Unwind.* It is located on Hollywood Way in Burbank. I showed my scarf to Stephanie, the charming and enthusiastic proprietor of Unwind. Stephanie had very great faith in my nascent knitting abilities. She was very encouraging and informed me that, if I was industrious, I would be able to complete an entire scarf during my 12 hour flight. She also assured me that I could indeed bring large, sharp knitting needles onto a post-911 airplane as long as they were made of bamboo. I purchased some bamboo needles and 10 balls of yarn. According to Stephanie, it takes 5 balls of yard to knit one scarf. I would knit one scarf during the trip from Los Angeles to Buenos Aires and one scarf on the return flight home.

I decided to knit a red scarf for my valiant beau. I diligently worked on the scarf, counting stitches, dropping stitches, undoing stitches, knitting stitches. By the end of the seeming endless flight, I had produced only a disappointing 16 rows of knitting. The scarf in question is about three inches long, and my enthusiasm for knitting has diminished considerably. If I had a hall closet in the apartment where I am staying, I would shove the abbreviated scarf, the super-safe knitting needles, and the remaining balls of yarn into the very back of it.

At this point, it appears doubtful that my valiant beau will ever receive his scarf. On the plus side, the 12+ hours of my airplane voyage did seem to pass more quickly and I was considerably less wiggly in my center airplane seat.

More information about Unwind can be found at www.unwindyarn.com.

Travel Tip: Upon Arriving in Buenos Aires

Exchanging Money

Before arriving, check the exchange rate for converting dollars to pesos. The exchange rate is also posted on yellow placards around the airport. Do NOT exchange money at the very first Casa de Cambio adjacent to Baggage Claim. They offer a considerably lower exchange rate than the Bank Branches at the airport entrance. For example, the Casa de Cambio immediately beyond baggage claim offered us a disappointing rate of 2.98 pesos for the dollar. The daily exchange rate offered at the bank kiosks was about 3.2 pesos to the dollar. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and shop around. Nearly all of the workers at Casas de Cambios speak English.

The current rate for currency exchange in Argentina is 3.45 pesos to the dollar.

Finding a Taxi

If the apartment or hotel where you are staying offers airport pick-up service, take advantage of it, even if it costs a little extra. It can feel very welcoming to have someone waiting at the airport exit for you with your name inscribed on a sheet of paper. If your apartment or hotel does not offer a pick-up service, obtain your taxi at one of the kiosks in the airport. Avoid individual taxi drivers. The kiosks offer fair rates and the workers there speak a bit of English. There is one big indoor kiosk as you exit the airport and another one right outside on the curb. Both of them are large with blue and white lettering. Currently, the going rate for a cab to Buenos Aires is about $100 pesos (approximately $ 30 U.S. dollars). Pick-up service to our apartment cost $118 pesos, a difference of about 5 bucks.