I survive another 20hour bus journey from Buenos Aires and arrive in the afti at Puerto Igauzu, northern Argentina. I step off the bus and the 35degree heat hits me. YES!!! FINALLY a chance of a tan. Our hostel is a bit out of town but it has a POOL. Muchos gracias! I waste zero time in getting in my bikini. Just my luck the sun goes in. Agggghhhhhhhhhh. I am doomed forever in this white as frigging milk British body. It's still dead hot so laze about in the pool and meet a few people. I spy some Brazilian girls and am baffled at the mystery that is a thong bikini... 1. I don't see the problem in having a white bum and 2. these girls do not have the arse for it. At this point I am thanking our mam for being petite and the no cellulite gene and think I am truly blessed. You still wouldn't catch me in a thong bikini.
Day 20- Miércoles
There was a thunderstorm last night and it's meant to rain today. I'm cursed!! I'm mega excited as I'm going to see Igauzu falls which are enormous waterfalls recently classed as one of the seven wonders of the natural world. As the border runs along the river you can see them from both Brazil and Argentina so I'm doing a cheeky day stopover to Brazil! I go with a danish guy Mikkel and a German woman Vanessa. The hostel is pretty big but met a few people which is always good. We cross the border and they stamp me out of Argentina but I don't get a Brazilian stamp! Great so I'm just a nomad. The weather isn't as bad as was forecast and I love the falls. They say Brazil has the view but Argentina has the falls. True as you get a wide panoramic view from Brazil but I'm still in awe of how big and loud they are and we get to go across a walkway and get drenched and I get to wear my cag in a bag!!! I've had to explain to a lot of people what a cagoule is, which is a thin waterproof for any non brits, but mine is in a bag but really its a pocket as it magically turns into a cagoule!! I feel like a kid watching Peppa pig going "again!" as I can't wait to visit the falls tomorrow.
Later I go for a run but stupidly leave it when it's dark and raining so I have to run along the grass verge of the highway. Nothing like a few trucks and buses going at 70mph alongside you to give you a cheeky adrenaline rush.
Just hang out in the hostel in the evening and chat to this kiwi guy Robbie who is into hunting, like actual deer and stuff, and this Aussie girl Rachel pipes up she's hunted before too?! Ah great so they can actually be in the Hunger Games. Plaiting my hair to yearn to be Katniss from Hunger Games seems pretty lame now. But I think owning a gun in Brixton might get me into trouble.
Day 21- Jueves
Off to the falls again from the Argentinean side whoop! I go with Mikkel and Robbie early doors. We head straight to the Devils throat a point where the falls converge. Its so misty with the pressure of the waterfalls and with the added touches of birds and butterflies everywhere it looks incredible. My camera has ran out of battery, I forgot to bring my charger with me, I'm daft I know, but chuffed it's lasted this long and I have my iPhone. Robbie tries to set up his mug-me-now camera on a tripod on some rocks and a security guard gets SO angry it would be funny but he storms off muttering gringo on his phone and we wonder if he's bringing in an army of tanks.
I love this side of the falls but its crazy busy. There are tons of tour groups which is bizarre as its self explanatory. There are so many fences and walkways its not like you can wander off, spesh with Sergeant don't-step-over-the-fence-or-I-shoot-you. Its like having a guide round Disneyland.
In the evening me, this Canadian guy Casey and an Aussie guy Tyler and go out for tea and for the third night in a row I have, you guessed it, steak! I tell Casey he looks like someone in Twilight, he's a teacher and says his students say he looks like Emmett (a vampire in the film) spot on! I am so wise!... and have the mind of a 15year old. The restaurant we go to has a band outside and all these Argentineans are all over it dancing and singing it's brill. Ace day, and I realise a total sausage fest of one too.
Day 22 Viernes
My bus is early evening to BA but any plans to do touristy crap have been sidelined as the sun comes out so it's bikini time! Bit miffed there are no lads to perve on round the pool but it means I actually read my book and swim some laps so burnt off probs 1% of the steak and chips from last night.
A mate from Oz, Daniel, I used to work with at the council is in south America too, and is flying from BA the same day as me and is also coming to Igauzu. A bit of confusion as he arrives at the hostel a few hours before I have to leave for my bus but we manage to catch up as its been a few years and are going to be in the same hostel in BA tomorrow night. And so later I get on my last long bus journey hurrah!!
Day 23- Sabado
The only thing less fun than a 19 hour bus journey is a bus journey that turns out to be 23 hours long, has no bingo and all the films are dubbed in Spanish. I am ready to gnaw my own arm off with hunger by the time I reach Buenos Aires. I have a random burnt patch on my back that resembles Antarctica and screams "I am alone and attempted to put sun cream on myself". Makes carrying my backpack extra fun.
Daniel arrives at the hostel after flying (jammy git) and we go out for my 4th steak this week. We go Argentinean style late and don't leave the restaurant until 1.30am. We went to a bar after which is pretty cool, no tourists too. I get chatted up by some Colombian guys I think are trying to speak English but they're so drunk and I'm pretty merry I can't decipher anything. I find Daniel and some Peruvian girl is chatting to him and he is insisting on telling her she looks like a pirate and not a gypsy. Good chat.
Day 24- Domingo
We got in 5am ish so I'm feeling pretty ropey today. We're wander the enormous market in San Telmo that is just as full of crap as last time I went. But we come across a huge Italian market, well we couldn't miss it from the singing and smell of pasta and pizza, thats more like it.
I was recommended to do a street art tour in Buenos Aires (graffitimundo.com) and since my first few days here I spent ages trying to find a Che Guevara mural (which I never found) I am keen and drag Daniel along. Its a bike tour with seven others. I had noticed lots of graffiti here but not just tags (which I hate) but actual murals and art. Turns out the reason for this is due to the economic crisis in 1999-2002. I'm no economist but basically a number of factors contributed to the huge devaluation of the Argentine peso crippling people of all their money. As you can imagine it became a pretty dark time and place for people and riots kicked off in Buenos Aires. From this street artists began to focus on colourful cheerful art rather than anything political. In the 90s they were doing it at night, as in most other cities, except they realised noone seems to care so they paint in the day. Usually with permission too as people like it or want to cover up tags. I won't bore you with anymore but I took enough photos which I think say enough. We also got to go to a studio of some of the artists, I felt quite intrusive doing this so didn't take photos inside. Great moment when the woman told us one of the artists had made wooden bikes. Daniel goes over to a bike goes close up and starts tapping the (quite clearly metal frame) and listens to it... Me "what the hell are you doing?" and gesture to the bike behind it which is planks of wood with wheels attached and obviously is the wooden bike. I laughed a lot.
After we go out with my friend Amandine and her boyfriend Mike for drinks and a eat a greasy Mexican. The cuisine that is, I didn't eat a Mexican bloke.
Day 25- Lunes
So in three and a half weeks I've covered 4700miles (7580km), spent
120 hours and £500 on busses round Argentina. And tonight I have to leave... can you hear me sobbing as I type this, my spiritual journey is over!! Ok well my long holiday is and I'm gutted, I don't want to give up my backpack just yet. Though I am looking forward to not fearing I might fall out of the top bunk, not eating hostel diet (aka eating as much cereal and bread at brekkie as humanly possible to make the most of free food), not feel like I'm starring in Lady and the tramp surrounded by stray dogs. And, get this, I haven't been mugged!!!!! Self five!! I didn't dare say this until now in case of jinxing it but I've met so many people who have had their bags nicked. At the same time, I've hardly got anything of value with me unless they are interested in primark and big W clothes.
Anyway all in all I've had a cracking trip, Argentina is a beautiful (although expensive) country and the people (minus the corrupt thieving ones) are lovely. Hopefully I'll come back one day knowing more Spanish as asking "¿Hablas ingles?" feels like I'm admitting I have an STD. Very embarrassing.
Muchos gracias
On that lovely ending I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for reading! Appreciated all your comments.
Adios amigos! Xxx
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