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I had promised myself that after leaving the ranch I would regularly update you all with what I am doing and thinking, but somehow, life has been getting in the way a bit. But I'm determined to sit down and try and update you before things get too confused to make sense (that might have already happened, let me know).
So after leaving the ranch I went on a torturous bus ride, squashed into a small minibus with too many people and their luggage to Colonia Peligrini. From there, there are boat trips out onto National Park IBERA lakes. The lakes are stunning, measuring many kms across, they are covered in floating islands. The islands are made up of floating plant debris that builds up over hundreds of years to form islands big enough to support trees and a huge variety of wildlife. There are hundreds of caiman (small crocodiles), capybaras (large rodents), and different sorts of birds. I was lucky and saw some of the marsh deer as well, who seem equally at home in the water of the lakes as on the islands. I was sitting in a small motor boat sipping mate watching the sun go down... idyllic. I wish you could see the photos... but that's the next story...
...I don't know if you remember me mentionning that I might have fallen for this guy in Mercedes...Yes? Well fallen big time. We decided to move to Buenos Aires together. I would start Spanish classes, he would get a job at the race course, I would get a job when the Spanish was good enough, we would get a room in the suburbs and live happily ever after ... so we spent 10 hours overnight on the bus, and arrived in San Isidri (surburb of BA), headed straight for the race course to see Marcos´friend, leaving our bags at the security gate whilst we entered a vast area of stables. I've never seen anything like it. Each trainer has 10 stables or so, and the stable block are packed together like some sort of overcrowded council estate. There are literally thousands of horses there. We arrived at 7.30 as the sun was rising through the mist, and as we walked along the training ground horses galloped past in a cloud, like a sort of fairytale magic. I liked it immediately, maybe because it reminded me of home? Or just the smell of horses again, or the otherworldly beauty, I don't know. We waited for Marcos´friend to finish work before heading back to his at 12, and after a quick chat and mate we hit the streets to look for a room nearby. Bearing in mind neither of us slept much, it was exhausting, and after 5 hours no one had a room and we ended up going to a grotty hotel for a bed for the night.
I awoke in the morning to go to get my camera to take a photo of us, us together possibly for a while. Only my camera is no longer in my bag. It's gone. Stolen.
My digital camera with all my pictures of the ranch, of Marcos, of my friends, of the horses, of the lakes, all those memories gone. And gone the ability to capture them again. And I feel numb, the day is spent in a whirl, and I'm glad he is there to translate, take me to the police, the bus terminal.
So the new plan; Cordoba for a week, then back to Mercedes to see him for a couple of nights before I revert to the original plan and meet Zoe in Brazil. And then when I finished travelling I will go and find him, and we'll set up home in Mercedes, have kids, ride horses, and live happily ever after...
I am in a beautiful city. I am living with some lovely girls, my Spanish is improving slowly. I have my SLR camera, and I'm taking photos again. My house is next to an ice cream parlour (nothing compared to Mercedes, but then what is?), and I have a kitchen to cook in and a TV to watch, with MTV (Argentina style). I have a wonderful family and supportive friends, and even though the distance is great, I don't feel as if any of you are far away. It is autumn here, and the leaves are turning golden and falling from the trees in some strange snow like fashion. I'm reminded of Mr Nonsense (of the Mr Men fame) who went sledging in custard coloured snow
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Brian
non-member comment
Men!
Anna, this is truly heartbreaking to read - it would be sad if it happened to anyone, but to a friend such as yourself it makes me quite angry...my gut instinct is, sadly, that these text messages you receieved are probably truthful. Why would some random woman lie to you like that? And to be fair, you havent known Marcos very long...I would be inclined to err on the side of caution, and cut him loose while you can. I understand the intense feelings you are having at the moment, and I hope it is lust disguised as love. I am glad you are otherwise well, and if I find out this guy stole your camera, I will send some of my NY connections to Mercedes to destroy him...you don't mess with a NY'ers friends. No siree. Stay well, Anna, and get up and meet Zoe!