Goodbye Argentina!!!

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I made the 20 hours on the bus back from Puerto Iguazu and rolled into Buenos Aires on a sunday with full intent on heading to the markets again, sunday is my favourite day here. I dump my bags, this time I have decided to stay in Palermo and check this area out more. I head again to the Recoleta and San Telmo markets where I have a great day wondering around checking out the stalls, listening to the bands and random people playing drums, watch the buskers, eat good food, chat with the stall holders and basically just take it all in. That night I caught up with a friend of Sal´s, Tilly, who lives in San Telmo in a great little flat right in the heart of the suburb. We ate dinner at her flat with her flatmate, Simone and one of her friends, and not only was it a great meal but it was a novelty to be hanging in someone´s home rather than in a hostel. Lots of red wine was drunk and when we ran out we headed down the road to the bar where more red wine was consumed and once that was done back to the flat to consume more red wine. By this stage the music was turned up, the lounge room floor cleared for a bit of impromtu break dancing and dance routines and many many laughs. Thanks Sal for putting me in contact with Tilly, she was so much fun and looked after me well that night. The next morning I wake to feel like a truck has hit me as my cold has come into full swing now and no doubt all the red wine does not help my situation. All my plans for my last days in Buenos Aires are thwarted as I can hardly get myself to move out of the hostel and I feel like a complete germ sneezing, coughing and blowing my nose continually. An unfortunate way to end such and amazing time in my first country in Sth America, but Argentina will be remembered for:

Absolute beauty, big things, lovely people, mountains, lakes, great cheap wine, massive steaks cooked to perfection, chocolate, great buses and service to match, big waterfalls, a lot of wide open spaces, dulce de leche (caramal you can get everywhere including in tubs at the supermarket), raspberries, blackberries, markets, mate (the local drink which is drunk the whole time - similar sort of to tea but not really), breakfasts of dried cold toast, salsa, tango, short people, not very many overweight people, wild nightlife, going out to eat dinner at 10.30pm and being early, crazy mountain hikes, trustworthy people, open displays of passion in the street, cheese & ham sandwiches, fashion conscious people, very european, beautiful old buildings in BA, dog walkers with up to 10 dogs at a time, football lovers, lots of stray dogs and dog poo to go with them, the habit of putting everything in plastic bags even when not needed, their love of plastic bag use which made me sick, friendly and patient people and overall a fantastic place to visit!

I am sad to leave but I am definately ready for some warmer weather for a while and Brazil is the next port of call. A little nervous and apprehensive about landing in a new country without knowing the language or how things work, but excited to be going to BRAZIL!!!!

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Photos

Night out with Tilly
Tilly & Me at the bar

Night out with Tilly
Tilly, Dom, Simone & Me at the bar in San Telmo

Recoleta Markets
Random drummers at the markets