It’s not hard to find a tango show to attend in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Tourists have dozens of them to pick from, which is kind of a problem in itself. Which is the best? In the eyes of our contributor Carole Edrich, who is a dancer herself, it’s the Tango Salon show at Faena Hotel + Universe. See the full story here: Red Tango/Rojo Tango.

We have a full review of Faena Hotel and Universe as well and if you’re staying there, you have even more reason to just pop downstairs and take in the show. It’s definitely a hipster hotel though, so if you’re into frills more than fashion, you might be happier taking a cab over from the Four Seasons Buenos Aires, Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt, or  Alvear Palace Hotel. Carole is heading back to the city next month and she’ll be checking out the new St. Regis there (upgraded from a ho-hum business hotel, so we’ll see) and a couple of boutique hotels that rise above the sea of overpriced too-cool-for-you little places that have sprouted up like mushrooms there.

Meanwhile, see the tango show article if you are headed to Argentina and would like to learn more about the scene and the lingo.

We just posted a feature story from Carole Edrich on the top spas in Argentina, the best places to get pampered in Buenos Aires, Bariloche, Mendoza, and Salta.

Argentina, the land of vinotherapy and cosmetic surgery vacations, may not contain the fountain of youth. But it certainly tries hard. Look around the posh areas of Buenos Aires and the ladies don’t look that much different than the ones trying to keep that youthful look going in Palm Beach or Beverly Hills. Just speaking a different language.

This round-up has spa descriptions of some of the hotels we have reviewed in full, including Llao Llao, Cavas Wine Lodge, and Patios de Cafayate. In my opinion the Park Hyatt in Buenos Aires belongs in this company too, so perhaps it will get added when the writer swings back through the capital. Meanwhile, you can’t go wrong scheduling treatments at one of these spots.

[photo - Hammam at Faena Hotel + Universe]

We’ve got a few nice photos in our review of Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Los Cabos, Mexico. If you really want to see what it’s like in a $3,000 ocean view luxury suite the size of a house though, gaze at this pic and then check out these photos from HotelChatter.com.

This shot is a view from the private infinity pool and if you follow the link above there are some others that will make you want to drop everything and head out, especially if it’s snowing where you are.

Speaking of HotelChatter, we also like how they call a spade a spade when it comes to hotel hype, as in this post and this one that explains why we don’t include a hotel like ME Cancun in our listings.

Here’s an interesting article on cruises to Antarctica called “Bragging Rights.” The author, Marie Javins, went on a (relatively) bargain-priced cruise to the icy continent from Ushuaia, Argentina, and notes that most of the time was spent in transit. Upon arriving at disembarkation points, she was sharing her “pristine view” with 100 other tourists at a time.

As the recent sinking of an Antarctica cruise ship illustrates, these are inhospitable waters that are not really so conducive to tourism anyway. Do we really need over 37,000 people a year heading down there just so they can say they’ve been? I’ve never understood the appeal of bragging about how many countries you’ve been to anyway (especially since that seems to be a favorite pastime of cruisers who make lots of one-day port stops).

If you must to to Antarctica, please do it right. Treat it as a major event and spend accordingly to go with one of the very best operators. Groups should be small, the ship should be top-notch, and the tour company should voluntarily follow the guidelines of the IAATO. This is a fragile area: let’s not let it turn out like the Galapagos!

Literally, southern Chile is smokin’ as a volcano near the aadfa park is erupting. If you visit the story page at the BBC, you can see some amateur video that makes it look like quite an impressive blast.

The Llaima volcano is about 400 miles south of Santiago, so it doesn’t look like it will affect any major population centers. Those evacuated so far were about 150 tourists visiting the Conguillio National Park.

The volcano has been active for centuries and the last big eruption was in 1994. If you’re heading to this part of Chile in what is about to be high season, reroute!

[photo from The Guardian story]