I have no idea about this font. The iPad did it, I can't figure out how to change it!!!
I have so much to write it's hard to think of the best way to get it all out so I don't miss anything.
A quick wrap of what has happened since I wrote last
* I went on some walking tours of Buenos Aires including checking out the grave of Madonna Evita ( The movie confuses me)
* I spent the day out of town on a raunch = protein overload, listening to "grandpa's" drunk stories and busting some moves on the dance floor with OLD men. Whooooo old old men.
* flew to Iguaza for 3 nights to check out the amazing Iguaza falls that make Niagra Falls look like baby falls. I met some young girls here who were lovely, but the highlight of their conversation was when you meet a boy for some " good times" do you do it in the dorm with everyone else or the bathroom? It was a thrilling conversation, if only I was 20 again.
* I've just arrived back in Buenos Aires for 3 more nights. Row arrives tonight! Yay!
Bueons Aires walking tours
The walkING tours are the best. It is a great way to learn how to get around town and the traffic is crazy so walking is often the quickest option. I did 2 tours, the first was a historical tour where they showed us government house, the old part of town and lots of information about when Peron was president and Evita was the first lady I guess you call it. What I learnt about the history was this place was mostly settled by the French and Italians, which explains the architecture and all the pizza/pasta shops and bakeries. When Evita died ( aged 33 due to cervical cancer) her body was kept in a government building for 3 years ( of course she was well, ummm, I can't think of the word.... Her body was well preserved shall we say.) I spent about 3 minutes in the room her dead body hung out for 3 years. Lucky she was dead, the room was was boring with no windows. Anyway.... Her body was then kidnapped for several years and passed around to different places. I still don't quiet understand how you steal a dead body, but it was stolen and put in the hands of bad guys who did horrible things to her body. It was years later until they finally got the body back and her final resting place is in the Recoleta province cemetry in Buenos Aires. The most expensive cemetery in town. There are no more spots at this cemetery anymore, unless your family is already there and you go in their grave. This sounds weird, but if You could see what the tomb stones look like, they are like little apartments that you go into. I do have photos of all this, but they are on my camera Which I can't get onto here.
The second tour focused on Evita, that was cool, I covered most of the highlights in the above. Though I can tell you that they filmed the movie ( with madonna in it) here, but they had to finish the film else where as the locals didn't like how it was being done.
The raunch
The ranch day was fun, I seemed to have picked the day to do the tour when it must have been pension day. More old people than anyone should have to handle.
There were 8 of us who were bused out of town to the ranch where there was probably 100 - 150 all up. 3 from the USA, 2 from Japan and 2 from Brazil. So really only half of us spoke English. Grandpa USA decided I was going to be his friend all day. He's a retired lawyer, travels lots, when he got to Buenos Aires he went to find his hotel. Turns out the one he booked was in Spain. Pissa! Anyway, I know his life story now.
There was a horse trail ride and horse and cart ride. I did both. And then you basically head into the ranch where they feed you like you haven't eaten for 3 years. Beautiful grilled steak, lamb, chicken,chorizo black pudding ( I tried it, blah) and salads, breads and as much wine as you could drink. The food was so good, the lamb won me over!
Now I mentioned all the wine you could drink right? Yeah, well now I'm sitting next to a very drunk grandpa who decides to sing out loud waltz sing Matilda, each verse. Pffft, I don't even know them all off by heart! I think he thought I was impressed.
Next minute, the entertainment begins and grandpa has pulled me onto the dance floor. Bloody grandpa was so drunk I was doing all the leading and holding him up! After the first song I told him I was To exhausted And had to sit down.
Next ranch cowboy grandpa targeted me and I'm up on the dance floor again. Though cowboy grandpa had all the moves, if only he was 50 years younger!
For the rest of that trip USA grandpa kept saying I was hogging all the men. Jealous old man haha. If he really wanted me he totally should have fought for me, like in the old days right, maybe a shoot off or something? Isn't that what cowboys do?
Iguaza Falls
I can't explain these falls in words and the pictures don't do it justice. But I was at the falls for a whole day and they were truely worth the visit. I went on a boat tour there which basically puts you at the bottom of the falls so you get covered in water! Then you can walk to different parts of the falls to experience a different view. I've attached a picture for those who haven't seen the one I posted on Facebook.
The girls i meet while staying at Iguaza were just too cute, both 20 and on their gap year before uni, one was from Sweden and one from Denmark ( i think). It's always good to have someone to speak English too. We went out for dinner a few times and as mentioned above, the conversation come down to the best place to get it on with a boy. One girl was totally for doing it in the Dorm when everyone else is there, the other said that is so disrespectful and that she does it in the bathroom! Gross! That's just disrespectful to yourself, if you could see some of the bathrooms here.... I couldn't contribute to this conversation. I wouldn't do it in either, Prince Charming has a castle, So that's where I'll do it!
Back in Buenos Aires
I'm back in BA now for a few more days, can't wait for Row to arrive tonignt. I added a couple of pics below to show you the streets of BA.
Next
More exploring BA for 3 days
Flying down to El ecalafate, getting on a bus for 7 hours and meeting up with the whole trekking before for our planning before we start the 8-10 day trek around Torres Del Pane. Bloody pumped for it!
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Rick
non-member comment
The only thing I know about Buenos Aires is that it gets blown up by a bunch of insects in the movie 'Starship Troopers'. So all of this is very interesting about a part of the world I know little about. Looking forward to reading more.