The Road to Mendoza

When is a cama not a cama? What's the difference in cama ejecutivo, cama suite, and cama cama? These are important questions if you are contemplating taking the bus out of Buenos Aires. Argentina is vast, and the distances huge, so if you don't want to fly or can't afford to (and the airlines charge foreigners more than double), the alternative is one of the many bus companies that travel everywhere you may want to go.

I've been coming to Buenos Aires to dance tango since 1997, and living here since 2004. Yet until last year I never got out of Capital Federal--always too expensive, too far, not enough time, etc. But I've vowed to make as many of the highpoints on my list as soon as possible. What's the sense of waiting? So last year Ruben and I went to Mar Del Plata and Iguazu, and last week to Mendoza.

I booked our bus tickets online (through Plataforma 10). Our all-night trip to Mendoza was on CATA with Cama Ejecutivo seats. I was disappointed that they didn't recline all the way, but ok, we managed. The worse thing was that due to the blockade on the highways, the trip took several hours longer than expected.

Coming home Tuesday night we were on SENDAS, with Salon Suites, just a little more expensive. My oh my, it was like a dream of riding in the Pullman car of the Union Pacific Railroad on the City of Los Angeles, as I did with my grandmother when I was a little girl.



There are only 4 seats in the bottom level of the bus which has it's own bathroom sporting slippers inside to not chill your tootsies on the cold stainless steel floor. Every seat has it's own TV monitor, the hostess kept us plied with wine, champagne, whiskey, tons of food (well ok, the hot main course was exactly like a Swanson Pot Roast TV dinner, but hey!) The first movie was actually fantastic and intelligent (Even Money, with Danny Devito, Kelsey Grammar, Kim Basinger, and other stellar American all-stars), and the second looked good too but it was dubbed, so I didn't bother, just reclined my huge easy-chair seat 180 degrees and went to sleep.


Now if only I can take the bus all the way to L.A.!



'Nite, Ruben!



More later on Mendoza.