Did Gov. Sanford go on vacation with a mistress?

UPDATES BELOW

No doubt you have all by now heard the strange tale of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford:

"Sanford's whereabouts had been unknown since Thursday, and the mystery surrounding his absence fueled speculation about where he had been and who's in charge in his absence. His emergence Wednesday ended the mystery."

Both the Governor's office and state security services were unable to reach Sanford for days and days. Then his staff claimed to be in communication (and then not in communication) with him and that he was hiking:

"South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's staff has been swearing up and down, ever since Monday night, that their boss' disappearance was no big deal, that he was just off hiking the Appalachian Trail. Their assurances always lacked for credibility, though, considering the wildly conflicting stories about why the governor had been missing since last Thursday that have been flying around ever since the news of it first broke."

So everyone is worried, news stories are spreading that something may have happened to Sanford, his staff claims to be in some contact with him, and so forth, yet no one can find him. Nearly a week later, Sanford finally appears, claiming he was in Argentina:

"S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford arrived in the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport this morning, having wrapped up a seven-day visit to Buenos Aires, Argentina, he said. Sanford said he had not been hiking along the Appalachian Trail, as his staff said in a Tuesday statement to the media."

Given the conflicting accounts by his staff and their inability to come up with any sort of credible reason for what had happened to Sanford, one can only assume that his trip to Argentina was sudden and not planned. Or that he told everyone that he was going hiking, but had actually been planning on going to Argentina and without his security detail. I favor the latter.

Now, if I remember correctly, Argentina has phones and televisions. Why could his staff or anyone else not reach him for nearly a week? Moreover, his security detail was not with him. So unless the guy actually was in rehab all this time, the only other logical explanation is that he went on an unplanned trip or lied about a planned trip and wanted to keep it secret, to the point of causing national hysteria regarding his disappearance. The only reason to be that secretive is if you are taking a trip with a special friend.

I should note that I am speculating and have absolutely no proof that Sanford was vacationing with a lover. Yet as an investigative reporter I can tell you that his story is not credible.

Let us assume that Sanford did in fact change his mind at the last minute about where he was going on vacation, which is what he claims. There are phones all along the journey he took, including on the plane and the at both airports (assuming he took a direct flight).

I think one of the local reporters should be sniffing in this direction. There is no reason for Sanford to have been unreachable for nearly a week and have his staff say that he was in one location while he really was at another. Sorry, total BS and I don't buy it. He either lied to his staff thinking no one would miss him or he went last minute, thinking no one would miss him. Either way, I would wager serious money he was not alone.

Yes, I know Sanford claims he was alone on the trip and spent his time driving along the coastline. I love driving along coastlines too and have done so in several countries. But you don't sit in your car for seven days without ever getting out. You have to use the bathroom, sleep, eat, etc. That means you have access to a phone. He is a public official, head of a state, and he has to account for his whereabouts. Thus far, his story is laughable.

UPDATE ONE

I told you so!