So we managed to get our grabby hands on the new issue of Budget Travel, which as usual is packed with fun tidbits. One particular piece snagged our attention: BA blogger Ian Mount's "Buenos Aires... Then What?", an eight-page package on three great places to visit once you've had your fill of buttery beef and sultry porteños dancing tango (too bad that it's not online yet).

Idea numero uno is to kick it like a gaucho for a day in San Antonio de Areco, 90 minutes outside of town. Estancia La Bamba has your horse hookup. Also a possibility is Mar de las Pampas, where the sleepy beach scene is a complete 180 from BA nightlife. Ian's final pick is a trip across the river to Uruguay and the UNESCO-friendly Colonia del Sacramento. It's a historic colonial town but that doesn't keep people from "singing Spanish karaoke versions of Eric Clapton." Now that's our kind of place!

Ever wonder what it takes to put up with the smelly guy in seat 16B, the drunk in 5F or the family of terrified first-time fliers? The latest issue of Budget Travel has your answer with Confessions of ... A Flight Attendant. An "anonymous confessor" breaks down what it's like to be on the other side of the beverage cart, and it ain't all gravy.

Flight attendants, we're told, go through "four or five interviews" during which they have to smile like a botoxed mannequin. The women have to wear heels when they're not working on board a flight. And, get this, FAs have to "Stare at the same dull airline food" every day--we def. sympathize on that one. Yep, it's a generally interesting read, but not too surprising. Until we get to the last bit:

If you want to meet flight attendants outside the work environment, it's as simple as going to the bar of the hotel nearest the airport, where you'll find airline crews unwinding at any time of day. Sometimes we party with staff from another airline in someone's room, the hotel lounge, or poolside. Snacks and cocktails are always provided by the airline (wink, wink).