Buenos Aires - Week 3

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Last week of Spanish school. On Wednesday night we go with Flor and Martin to a modern ballet, something I would never normally go to but it is short and varied enough to keep me entertained. More exciting is the thought of pizza and Brazilian cocktails afterwards which is enough to make us shamefully 30 minutes late for school the next day.

One of our tasks at school this week is to buy certain ingrediants from a shop, we misunderstand and buy and then cook them for tea. Slightly embarassing the next day when everybody else has brought theirs in to class.

On Friday we 'graduate' from school and get a recognised level of study. Although this may sound like a bit of a joke, we have actually learnt enough Spanish now to get through the day. Although we probably sound like idiots, you only learn by making mistakes and everyday we learn something new.

We were planning on going to a ranch (estancia) out of town for the weekend, however on Friday a better plan emerges and we are now going camping with our Spanish teacher and a group from school. We borrow Martin's camping gear and on Saturday morning get the 1 hour train north to Tigre for 1 peso (20p !!) and then a boat bus to the camp site which is in a great spot by the river. We go for a little hike through the forest before getting on with the important business of setting up camp, chopping wood, making fires, playing drinking games, talking Spanish nonsense to strangers (tengo un gato), jumping fires and then cooking a load of chorizo sausage on the bbq.

The next morning we find that the campsite has been ransacked by local dogs. It doesn't take long to clean up though and at lunch time we get the boat - train back before stopping on the way back by the Rio Plata to hang around with thousands of young Argentines who are celebrating spring day. We have our first taste of the local drink 'mate' (just like green tea) and learn the rituals that go with drinking it. We then play cards (not poker) although Jenny dissapointingly loses a game of spit to our friend Owen after about 3 hours. Apparently they didn't play the 'proper' rules though.

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