Well, the days in Buenos Aires were filled with walking to seemingly every part of the city and eating steak for every meal! I think I ate more steak in one week than I had in the past 5 years combined. One day we went to an ´Estancia`, a working gaucho ranch outside of the city. I rode a horse for the first time since I got freaked out riding my sister´s horse about 20 years prior. They aren`t too bad actually. Went to a tango show, saw Evita`s grave and her museum, went to La Boca (the colorful part of town), and ate more steak.
Said goodbye to DB and headed to Mendoza, Argetina´s equivalent to Napa. It is such a beautiful part of the country with many wineries. The clubs don`t really start getting crowded (and some don`t even open!) until about 2-3 AM. It takes some work getting used to and definitely can`t plan on doing much the next day! At one point, around 5am, I fell asleep in the chair and had to be woken up a Spaniard guy I was out with. I definitely was not representing the Americans too well! In the clubs, the music is all in English and everyone sings along. The problem is that most of the people don't speak English and have no clue what they are saying. It makes for good conversation.
The wine in Mendoza is amazing and about $15 US Dollars for the best bottle. Too bad my backpack already weighs about 40 lbs, otherwise I would have carried bottles around with me for my remaining time!
On Saturday night, I got on my longest bus trip yet. Scheduled to be 19 hours, it took nearly 22 hours to get to Salta. The bus broke down at about 2 am, near who knows where, and I was on a bus with no other English speaking individuals. My prospects were looking great at this point! I definitely had one of those moments of fear, nervousness, helplessness, and excitement once I realized there was absolutely nothing I could do and it was just part of my journey traveling in South America.
Once I finally got to Salta I was able to relax in this beautiful city. The appearances (skin/hair color, height and demeanor) of the people are definitely starting to change the farther north I go. I went on a run this morning to the bus station (my home away from home in every town) and I may as well been an alien. Mind you it is about 50 degrees...I am wearing just a t-shirt and boardshorts, have blond hair, and (being 6`2``) am taller than 90% of the people. Everyone just stared at me thinking I am the crazy `Gringo`.
Tomorrow I am going on a trek to the Argentinian Salt Flats, about 4200 Meters high. Then going to Bolivia the next day for about 10 days.
Go Blue, Congrats Ian for doing so well in the Ironman, and Happy Summer everyone. I posted a picture for those of you keeping track of my beard. It has been 4 weeks. And I posted a pic of the Argentinian Gaucho who fell in love with my mom. :)
I had to start a new web album, so here is the link. http://picasaweb.google.com/balltommy/SouthAmerica2FromBuenosAiresOn?feat=directlink
Good Things.
Haha, it is so funny reading about your experiences because I had very similar ones. I went for a jog once in a small town in Chile and felt so uncomfortable that I never did it again. People looked at me like I was the strangest thing they had ever seen. And on a bus in Bolivia the guy in front of me was drinking wiskey and throwing up out the window while everyone on the bus was bouncing out of their seats. Those were the WORST buses! Sounds like you have been having some great experiences nonetheless. Oh and Happy Birthday!!
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