Cat..cat for sale

After leaving Recoleta market, I came across this person trying to sell this kitten. Can't saying what the price was..I can't count that high, but I'm sure it would be a lot less than OZ. This guy was saying no problem about getting it back home..yeah right. Just glad you weren't here Mum, because I think there would be a new edition to the Alcock family!

Dog walking

Just a quickie, but there must be a very large dog population in Buenos Aires, you see walkers going down the street with 5 odd dogs in there control. Here's one I came across the other day.

Recoletta Market

Every single girl I know would love Buenos Aires, just for the markets that are held on Sundays. Man, even I enjoyed them, and if you know me, I don't generally like to shop. Recoletta market is just like St Kilda market back in Melbourne, except it has just cool stuff, and there's all this other stuff going on. People are practising juggling, tight-rope walking and Capoerira..which is a dance that was created due to the Brazilian slaves not being able to fight one other. So even though it looks like they are having a barney, generally the point is to look like you kicking each other, without actually doing it.
Today was a great day, did my bit to try and fit in like a local, I cheered on the Pumas, who beat the Irish in Rugby, then did the Recoletta market experience. The weather has also really picked up, it was pretty cold when I arrived on Monday, but it has gradually got warmer throughout the week, today was a balmy 26...so I'm back to shorts and thongs again.
I have found out a couple of things since being in the hostel, Jewish people generally don't like Rugby and Vegemite. I'm basically on my own there, but at least my Vegemite will go further in South America. Every day I get some strange looks when I pull out the Yellow tube!
I had my first amazing meal last night with this cool Israeli named OZ. I can't I forget that one...and it's a lot easier to say then most names I come across...there seems to be lots of gutterel K's in the Jewish language...and that isn't a sound that I'm use to producing unless I've polished off half a slab of Carlton Draught. The meat was so tender, and unlike the meat in Brazil, you could season the meat yourself, so it wasn't salted at all.
I have been getting some very strange looks from others when they find out I'm 30, no one believes me, which is always a bonus.
Anyway will probably head to Uruguay for a few days tomorrow, so hopefully it will be just as nice as BA.

Cruisen the days away in BA

Having a very chilled out time in Buenos Aires. I was going to do some Spanish lessons, but will probably do some after I head back from Uruguay next week. Yesterday I went to the Botantical Gardens, or should I say he Felinical Gardens, there were cats everywhere. They obviously prefer the tropicals plants and lush surroundings than the urban sprawl, even though for a city of 13 million, and one of the biggest cities in the world, BA definitely has a different feeling than some of the other biggies.
I also visited Eva Peron's museum, which gave me a run down, because I have to say, I didn't really know too much about the women. The museum was nicely set out, but I definitely think they could of done more, and it wasn't really 'English friendly'.
Finally had a quick burn around in the Japanese Garden, didn't think I'd be saying that in BA. Some Japanese tripper decided at the end of the 70's that planting a Japanese Garden in BA would be a good idea, and the Argies probably said what the hell. It was nice enough, but definitely not a par with some I saw in Japan...what a surprise!
Having a good time in the hostel, met some cool people, quite a few of them are about to go home after 8-12 months of travelling...I though the Aussies knew how to travel, but the Jewish definitely leave them for dead when it comes to a length of a trip.
Once last thing, managing to survive nicely with my tube of Vegemite, the Israelis won't go near the stuff, but they happily wolf down the condensed milk turned caramel stuff that the Argies love to put on their bread in the morning..errrr

Jerusalem Hostel

Well, another thing has happpened that I wasn't expecting. I thought learning Spanish would help me in South America, you know, being able to comunication with the locals. Since being in Buenos Aires, having Hebrew another the belt would be just as useful, and being on a floor in a hostel where everyone except me is Jewish. Save you jokes, David King of the Jews..haha
It turns out that South America is a favourite destination for Isreales once their military services is over, so they come over in droves.
Went to Boca yesterday with 5 Isreales, they were are very nice when they decided to speak to me in English, but that didn't happen too much...so it was rather frustrating. Anyway Boca was very cool, lots of little bar with couples dancing to the tango. Building with bright colours, and artists showing their wares. Boca is a pretty dodgy area besides this main area, we got told by a local when we started walking away from the main area that this wasn't a great idea.
Today I have just visited the Recoleta area, which includes a very swanky cemetery. Some very famous people are buried inside, including Eva Peron...but I think she actually isn't there, her body has been move elsewhere for security reason, not for her...haha
Now besides that, my eating habits have gone out the window. Anyone that knows me, knows that I keep to a pretty strict eating regime. All you need to do is look at the clock, and every day I'm eating something at the same time every day. I think all that meat that I consumed in Brazil has destroyed my hunger, I haven't eaten dinner for the last 2 nights, and I've missed a few other meals along the way as well. Anyway, I think the hostel is having a barbie tonight, so I will be ready for that one. Shalom

Happy to leave Rainy Posadas

Well, I can't write too much about Buenos Aires, cause I've just arrived, but I feel very happy to be here all the same. Posadas wasn't a great idea, I should of just headed here from the beginning, but how was I to know that Posadas would be a shithole, where it constantly rained, and it was like a ghost town on Sunday. The only thing missing was tumbleweed flying through the street. I got a very dodgy deal from the hotel the save me with their shed from a night sleeping in the streets. Paid 1 night which included some basic Spanish lessons, and a bike tour of the town with her son. I enjoyed that, but the price of 150 pesos was the same as what I've just paid for a week in the hostel in Buenos Aires..but we learn. I kind of felt I owed them something, but 150 isn't exactly going to break the bank anyway.
The good part of this story, the 12 hours from Posadas was spent in the best bus that I've ever travelled, and that is saying something. I'm not bragging, but my ass has spent a hell of a lot of time on buses! The bus had nearly fully reclining seats, plenty of room, provided hot food, beer and champagne and movies in English with Spanish subtitles. This bus wasn't even the best bus that you can get...you can get seats that go completely vertical, basically like what you see in first class on a plane. The next long trip I do, I think I will give one of those bad boys a try because it only about 20 pesos more for that comfort.
Still feeling very jaded, didn't really sleep, actually feel like I'm on a boat at the moment writing this. There was a guy that decided to snore in my ear for the trip, so I didn't get much sleep, I think I need to invest in some earplugs! Anyway, you will be here plenty of stuff about Buenos Aires in the coming days.

A night in a shed

Well, it had to happen soon or later, everything went completely Pete Tong yesterday, well I suppose it could of been worst. I could of headed to the Pantanal, which is a massive wilderness park in Brazil with Leigh and Stew, but it would of meant heading in the wrong direction. So I decided to be done with Brazil, and head into Argentina. I left the majority of the planning at the bus station. I managed to cross Brazil into Argentina with a little bit of hassle, had to get off at the Brazilian customs with this Dutch couple. Did the formalities, but after that the bus had already taken off, so we decided to catch a taxi to the Argentinian side, the buses don't come all the often, and we would of needed to do the same through the Argentinian customs. So after screwing around with various forms of transport, got to the main bus station. Really wanted to head to Corrientes, and then onto Mercedes, but the next bus left 6 hours later, so I decided to choose another destination. Got told that Posadas would be a good and lively place on a Friday night, but unfortunately for me, too lively! Six hours later I arrived, after spending the time on a small rickety bus, not like the luxurious buses that I had been told about, and saw as they passed on the trip to Posadas. Walked around the bus station 20 or 30 times after getting to Posadas, I decided that I didn't want to stay, but unfortunately that was the only option at 8.30pm, the only buses yet to leave were back to where I'd just come from, bugger!
Had a little difficulty with the taxi driver, lots of pointing, and a bit of writing. I pulled out the bible, and ask for him to take me to the first place. Anyway, it turns out that there was some University thing here over the weekend, so every bloody hotel, guesthouse and floor had been taken. I had images of me sleeping the night in a park, just couldn't find one! Was lucky enough to find the Hotel Residencial Colon, which even though they didn't have any rooms available, she could speak great English, and secondly, they cleared some room in their storage room for me to sleep. Definitely wasn't the Hilton hahaha, but it was fantastic compared to the other options, they wasn't any. Had a extremely crappy sleep, had rainfall like I haven't seen since I was last in Seattle, it pissed down. Anyway, if your still reading you have done a bloody good job, but it was a very crazy night! I think I will sleep well tonight....