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Dear Carlos,
Once again, Condor Travel has constructed an interesting, educational, and safe study abroad program for my students in Argentina. The quality of the service provided, especially the logistical support once in the country, makes for a smooth and rewarding adventure. On 21 July 2006, I departed Miami International Airport with 12 Armstrong Atlantic State University students for Buenos Aires on Aerolineas Argentinas. This is my fifth study abroad program arranged by Condor Travel. After arriving in Buenos Aires, we were provided with a tour of Buenos Aires that included the Plaza de Mayo, the Casa Rosada, and the Recoleta Cemetery. Our guide, Nicolas, was a delightful and informative young man. We then departed for Patagonia where we were to spend half of our Argentine adventure. In Puerto Piramides we took a boat to see whales and elephant seals in the South Atlantic. In Esquel, we took the Trochita Patagonian train and later saw trees in the Andes over 1,500 years old. In Bariloche, we were stunned by the beauty of winter in Argentina. Our return journey included the eighteen-hour Tren Patagonia from Bariloche to Viedma. The service and food on the train were exceptional, while the cost was minimal. The Tren Patagonia, which allowed the students to view the change in terrain from the comfort of their sleeper car was a highlight of the trip.
After returning to Buenos Aires, we departed for Iguazu. Before arriving at Iguazu, however, the group stopped at a Jesuit Mission near Posadas in Missiones Province. Our tour guide, Val, had been my guide of Iguazu in 2002 (during a faculty Fulbright program) and in 2004 (during the study abroad program in Brazil arranged by Condor Travel). He is a very competent and informed individual who enriched the experience of the students. Although the falls were diminished by a drought in Curitiba, Brazil, they were still a magnificent sight to see. Iguazu Falls is one of the most spectacular natural attractions in the world. After returning to Buenos Aires, Jean Cavanaugh from the US Embassy gave an informative discussion of US-Argentine relations to the students. The night before our departure, we attended a Tango dinner show that left the students enthralled. Before departing, we visited La Plata, the capital of Buenos Aires Province. In addition to the fascinating museum, one of the best in Latin America, the students were able to visit the location of Noche de los Lapices, a film depicting the horrors of the Dirty War.
I look forward to working with Condor Travel for the rest of my professional career!
Sincerely,
Michael R. Hall, Ph.D.
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