Posadas - Rosario - Córdoba

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Bus terminals, they often appear as the fag ends of your trip. You turn up with all your gear, you get a seat (if your lucky), and think about the sleepless night ahead of you. Your time there isn't planned, before you embark on an adventure like this, you don't sit around a table and ponder the wonders of Cordoba Bus Terminal. But when it comes around, and you spend as much time as I have sat glaring at ticket counters and dusty marble floors, the wonders of them are obvious. The fluidity of people is abundant and the liminal nature of terminals brings out an honesty in people that is addictive.



Julian approached me and Dec as we sat on our bags looking out at the Cordoba skyline, he was tall, skinny, and although probably only a few years our senior, was obviously a seasoned traveler. His English was good and as soon as the pleasantries were over, he plunged into his travel philosophy and temporary occupations. He was a juggling, bricklayer barman who surfed and modeled on the side. His life was conducted on the premise of good times, all the time, forever and always. Once he had said his piece and our questions ran dry, he offered us a joint, to which both of us declined, and he wondered off into the distance. He wasn't out of the ordinary, we saw people like himself all the time, plodding around the globe, fuelled by an attitude that the world was broken and fixing it wasn't their job. Both me and Dec saw the appeal in living off a shoestring and on your wits for eternity, it sounds like a lot of fun, but what was it for? Pleasure for pleasures sake dries out quick, and after seeing what Julian was, I realized even more that the pleasure you get from achievement, and having pride in what you do, leaves a high far longer lasting than any vice filled year or lifetime in limbo. For me, its people like Julian that remind of how I felt during my last trip. Traveling is like a cheeseburger. The meat of your trip, and the most filling bit is finding all of the bizarre and often likeminded people along your way, speaking in a tongue not native to your own, and exercising the goodness in strangers. Whereas, the bread, cheese and salad, the bits that dress it up, are the wonderful landscapes and geographies that readjust our perceptions of normality. In that spirit, the best way to recount the trip is through the people we have met, rather than in a linear, bullet point esc city to city dialogue. But for those who want to know a little bit about the places we have been, Ill give it a go and fill you all in.



We arrived in Rosario at 7.30am on Friday morning, only to find that the city was full. It was a bank holiday weekend and from the looks of things, the whole of country wanted to party in Rosario. Hostel after hostel was packed, we asked receptionists to call around, asking anyone and everyone to give us a room, when eventually, somewhere had a cancellation and we grabbed the last two beds in the city. From then on in, rosario was very good to us, the weekend was full of interesting street performances and mind blowing Cuba Libres (Rum and Cokes). We went out on the Friday and Saturday with packs of Argentinean students from all over the country. The nights started late, predrinking from midnight till 2, Bars from 2 till 5, clubs from 5 till 7. Just in time for an hours kip before breakfast at 8...having said that, we did our fair share of walking and breathing in the city. On Saturday and Sunday, despite the hangovers, we went out and saw the river front, the national monument and chatted to locals in Cafes. All in all, a thoroughly nice place, somewhere I could definitely make a home.



Our next destination was Cordoba, Argentina's second biggest city. We dug out the a hostel which was touted as being a Mecca of travelers and parties, it managed to disappoint on a large scale. It felt like we were the only ones in there and after a bite to eat on the Monday night, we decided we could call it night and prepare for a day of sightseeing in the morning. The next day, accompanied by a lovely German girl we met at breakfast, we strolled around, getting a feel for the place, visited museums and churches. The day will be remembered for an elderly man called Hugo Cortez. Hugo approached me in the street with and inquisitive eye, asking where I was from and what I was doing here etc. He then spoke about himself, telling me that he was famous in south America (for what I don't know) and that I should join him for a business meeting at his hotel. His Business Network - Amnat had offices in London..Apparently. Anyway, with complete dismay, I watched him walk off and carry on with his day. A hilarious 10 minutes, I wont forget. I didn't go to his meeting, after researching him online we found nothing and didn't want to test his good will further. However hypocritical that may sound.



Anyway, I will update again soon.



Hope you enjoyed



Will and Dec x

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