Thieves x two

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Good day blogging buddies it is Sunday morning and I am just having my coffee and to my great joy some peanut butter and banana!! I had not been able to find peanut butter in the stores I have visited and do so enjoy it in the morning so can tell you I was very pleased to find it yesterday. It actually found me in a mystical and mysterious way.I was grazing through the fruit and vegetable secuopn of the store near my appartment and there it was sitting on a weigh scale!!! Totally alone and out of place and yet there as if appearing for me. Well I am not going to fail to acknowledge such a miracle and will certainly be writing to the Vatican to put the peanit butter appearance on the list of confirmed miracles used to devine the next Saints.Sadly the peanut butter did not form the face of Jesus or any of the other biblical figures when it was spread on my toast this morning.I still do not know where to find PB in the store so am now dependent on divine intervention to feed my cravings which is a bit troublesome.

Yesterday,being Saturday meant waking up with a day off of school,a new feeling.I had decided to go on a free bust tour that was advertised in my school and after getting a coffee and a few medialuna's in me off I went to the rendezvous point. Streets were again much quieter with the weekend in the big city and the walk not too far but I still found myself late and was already disappointed with myself for missing the bus before I even made the appointed spot. Arriving there however I spied a green shirt (the noted colour ) of a guide and asked about the bus.The question was met with a large smile.free bus, we can not afford to give free bus tours this is a free walking tour!. Well I will go back to school monday and change the information posted but was not put off by the prospect of a free walking tour so bought some water and joined in.

We were all standing by a very impressinge fountain and monument completely surrounded by a high metal fence erected quite permanently though not meant to be so. When the tour started we were told the fences are inplace to keep the many families living on the street from setting up camp there.We did see a number of exactly that in small parks near by with tents and tarps strung between trees, women washing clothes and kids running around or simply people sleeping on mattresses on the street or in a doorway.I have seen many people living on the street here but they are more obvious on a weekend when some business is closed and doorways are not in use. The park scene was in the shadow of the Congreso Nacional the Argentine parliment.

Virginia our guide took us the long tree lined avenue that links the Congreso with the "Pink House",which is where the President works.The avenue is the scene of many protests with marchers moving between the two focal points to make their claims and voice their opinions or to demand the gouvernments. It was Saturday so no marchers beyond our small group of cheap touristas. Virginia was very demonstrative and loud, her arms always waving as she spoke to us, an obvious manifestation of the Italian blood that courses through so many here in Argentina.

Dad, if you are reading this to mum skip the next paragraph!

Walking back towards the Obelisko I stopped at a juice vendor to get some fresh squeezed.As I was standing waiting and watching her squeeze the sweet oranges a woman tapped me on the arm and said something pointing to my back.I reached back and felt something creamy on my shirt,she started to talk about something and offering me a wet towelette.I knew something was going on and had my camera and shoulder bag at my feet.Sure enough as she tried to distract me a young guy made a grab for the camera.I saw it immediately and turned on him making a grab for him and my camera getting both.He immediately released his hold on the camera but I held him and grabbed a camera case he had in his hand.He was yammering something now clearly not comfortable and I let him go and kept the case.He and the woman were gone in a flash and I was surrounded with bystanders who had observed but not intervened. Interestingly the juice women told me she knew what was going on with the women and the cream but could not say anything!! I assume it has something to do with working the street herself and perhaps some code of silence required or enforced of not turning anyone else in or getting in the way of their "business" for reasons unknown but presumably some intimidation and fear.Anyway adreneline had kicked in and I walked away with my juice almost forgetting to pay for the juice, before being reminded, and rejoined the group with my story to tell. A man in the group told me of a similar thing in the subway having occured to him where someone threw some water on his back and when he was distracted he was jostled by three guys and stripped of his camers from the case on his belt without realizing it. As I was walking along with two others after the tour we all felt something hot our backs and reached around to touch something like dijon moustard and sure enough there was a woman ready to offer a napkin to clean it off. We all started yelling at her and the man she was with "Rateros" thieves! They quickly crossed the street and were gone.I have been pickpocket before in Equador and Ann had a thief make a grab for her purse somewhere.The whole something on your back thing is not new anymore and will just make for increased and immediate vigilance.

After the tour was overI headed to the Pink House with a couple of american friends to take the tour which is only available on the weekend and only as a special event due a special anniversary.A beautiful building being upgraded and refurbished inside but I did get to stand on the balcony made famous by Eva Peron and Madonna and their famous speech's. Wandering back to Recoleta again I stopped into the Alamo for a cold beer and watched some NFL football with expat Americanos.

Bye for now I have to get out into the sunshine again and also sometime today do homework!!

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Photos

Self Portrait
This portrait was framed in the mirror of the Presidents elevator.