Fri 31st October Buenos Aires

After we took off from Sao Paolo it was bright and we could see down over Brazil then Uruguay, and then the wide Rio Plata as the plane made its final descent to Ezezia airport low, over Buenos Aires. On the ground we had to queue for quite a while to get through immigration and then to get som money changed into pesos. I had been unable to get Pesos in either Dublin or Heathrow as apparently the peso is a restricted curency.

Once I had my bags it was a case of finding a bus into town. I had the choice of a taxi $100 (25EU) or the bus $1.50 (35c). I took the bus. The one downside to the bus was the length of time it took to get into the city centre, nearly 2hrs, but it wasn´t unpleasant. Getting on the bus some locals stood back and gestured, smiling, for myself and two other backpackers to get on first. It was a nice gesture. On the bus people seemed quite friendly. One lady to whom I´d offered my seat took it upon herself to make sure I knew where we were in the city as I kept glancing at a map I had to try and figure out just that. When she was getting off she said goodbye with a gentle pat on the shoulder.

Finally we did get into the centre and at Plaza Mayo I and the other backpackers got off. The hostel was a 20min walk down Avenida Defensa which runs south for a couple of mile from Plaza Mayo. After a fairly leisurely stroll I got to the Hostel which was located just a block from Defensa in an area which, at first glance, didn´t look the best with a number of homeless people kipping out nearby.

The hostel itself, Sandanzas, had two security doors to pass through. You had to be buzzed in from reception. When I presented myself at reception the guy behind the counter said my name, welcomed me and offered me a can of beer. This was impressive. The can went down rapidly as I was parched from the travelling. Not having drunk much on the plane to cut down on trips to the toilet, and then not having drank anything since we landed. It was now 3pm local time. I was absolutely wrecked and sticky it being 31hrs sine I´d left home. .As soon as i was given my bed in a 4-bed dorm I lay down.

I dozed for a short while and got up before I really slept. I went out to buy some drinks in a shop nearby and have a look around the locality. After sending some emails in an internet cafe I showered and went to eat at a place recommended by the guy in the hostel. The restaurant was on Defensa, the street I´d followed earlier.

There was only one thing to order in Argentina and that was steak. I downed a litr of beer with the meal and a bottle of water, forgetting of course, that I was drinking around three pints of fluids in a short space of time. (I shouldn´t have done that). After the meal I went out for a look at the city centre. As I wandered around the wide avenues I soon needed to go to the toilet. This quickly became an urgent need. Nowhere could I see public toilets or a fast food outlet. Where´s a Macdonalds when you need one? Becoming frantic I tried to find a secluded part of a street. I was heading back towards the hostel but there was no way I was going to make in time. Uncomfortable incase somebody saw me I found a secluded spot and after checking noone was approaching unleashed with a very guilty sense of relief.

Uncomfortable in case somebody had indeed seen me I turned down a side street and into a street parallel to the one I´d just been on. Making my way along this street back towards the hostel some guy shouted over to me, asking me the time. He came towards me swigging from a can of beer and repeating his question. I slowed down as he got nearer. He came up to me and asked again, blocking my route. I stopped. On a balcony above us watching, a lady began to shout something and I could make out the word Policia. The lady kept shouting Policia as the lad said something more, pulled up his jumper to reveal a kitchen knife. Before he managed to take the knife out I ran, instictively, back the way I had come. My reaction had been so quick it surprised me as much as him and he didn´t follow me. I retraced my way back on to the street I´d just left. Passed the scene of my ´deluge´. I wasn´t afraid.......!!! but I stayed on the busy main streets, happy to get back to the hostel without further mishap. That ended my adventures for the day. I was very tired anyway. In a city where the night life doesn´t get started until after midnight I was in bed shortly after 10pm.