Don't cry for me

With my report nearly completed, I now turn my attention to departure preparations. I leave on Tuesday, and I'll be meeting up with my friends Megan and Brian, who at this moment are in the lake district of northwestern Argentine Patagonia, but who will be back in B.A. in time to meet my plane.

Where is Buenos Aires? (Besides being in Argentina, that is.) Having consulted our world atlas, my husband informs me that Buenos Aires is at about 35 degrees latitude (south), which is roughly the southern hemisphere equivalent of Wilmington, NC; Little Rock, AR; a whole lotta nothing in the middle of the US; Albuquerque, NM; and Santa Barbara, CA. Longitudinally, Buenos Aires is five full hours ahead of Seattle. Because of the weird ways in which printed maps are distorted, we tend to think of North and South America stacking up tidily one above the other, when in fact South America veers way out into the Atlantic towards Africa.

The plan, in addition to some time in Buenos Aires, is a road trip across South America, from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso, Chile (actually slightly north of there, but I can't remember the name of the town). Megan has a strong urge to stick her toes in both oceans, and who am I to argue? So across the continent we will go, with a rental car, our international driver's licenses, and a Hungarian friend whom Megan met at Spanish language school.

First to Mendoza, the center of Argentina's wine country and a gateway to the central Andes. Then over and through the Andes under the shadow of her highest peak, Aconcagua. On through Santiago, Chile, to the beach at colorful Valparaiso, to end up slightly north in some (hopefully) cute little beach town. Total driving time: 19 hours.

Valparaiso, Chile is at 33 degrees latitude (south), roughly equivalent to San Diego, CA; Yuma, AZ; Dallas, TX; and Charleston NC. It's the same as US east coast time, I think.

The travel time to Buenos Aires is 20 hours - yes, you read that right. Four hours to Chicago, a layover, and then 12 hours to B.A. I've been to Europe and Central America, but nothing this long. I know there are much longer trips in the world - an Indian colleague was recently recounting the 48-hour ordeal required for her to visit home - but 20 hours seems unfathomable.

Fortunately, I will be packing some excellent sleeping pills, along with a good book, my knitting, and my meticulously prepared Spanish-language study sheets. I figure, 20 hours of flying time should be ample to to knit a baby blanket, re-learn Spanish, and catch 8-hours of chemically-induced sleep.