Argentina, Ole! (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Hola! Bienvenidos a Sur America!

From Botswana we flew to Joburg where my Scrabble-expert dad was kind enough to take on about 250 pounds of my African purchases before flying home. I spent the night near the airport and boarded an early morning flight to Buenos Aires. If you discount the gigantic group of Malaysian tourists and myself, the plane seemed to be reserved strictly for the transport of attractive Argentinian men. Of course the elderly Peruvian seated next to me was the one exception, but whatever. I was busy sleeping and watching bad Jennifer Aniston movies anyway.

I arrived and negotiated my way easily through the airport and private bus to downtown and then on foot to my hostel in San Telmo, a lovely hip Tango neighborhood in the heart of Buenos Aires. I dropped my pack and went exploring. Sundays in nearby Plaza Dorriego are famous for the local market of amazing antiques, gorgeous jewellery, hipster clothing (it was everything I could do not to buy a green velour hoody with snaps on the shoulder, girls), street performers, statue people, tango dancers, painters, photographers, and artists galore, nevermind the hundreds of tourists and locals alike. I honestly think it might be the best flea market on Earth. I could have spent a small fortune of pesos in five minutes. However, given the current state of my book-videocamera-hiking boot filled pack, I painfully resisted. By around 7 pm, midnight African-time, I was so exhausted I could barely shower and get into bed. I managed to sleep through signifcant hostel ruckus and jet lag shmet lag, slept for 13 hours! Horray! Today I drank my delicious amazing this is why I love Latin America hostel provided cafe con leche, and set out exploring in a gigantic loop. Past Plaza de Mayo, past the presential palace and Evita balcony, to the Torre de los Ingleses, to the famous cemetary with Evita's grave, to a tasty vegetarian restaurant lunch, and now to update all of you on life on the road.

I think you're caught up. That's it for now. Excuse me while I go put my broken Spanish to use inspiring a city's worth of Argentinians to pity the poor foreign girl who can't speak properly. I've decided I must sound to them like a Mexican cartoon character speaking English sounds to us. I'm a slow and stumbling Speedy Gonzalez in reverse. Ole! Con amor, D.