I was glad that I came back to BA early on Monday morning - admittedly I didn't do anything exciting whatsover all day, but it was nonetheless productive. I completely overhauled my backpack, threw out all my smelly old socks that I've been dying to do for months, and organised everything so that my last two full days would be free for pure enjoyment! You see, after a year on the road, I don't do any of this packing-at-the-very-last-minute nonsense, I'm a lean, mean backpacking machine!!! I did go back to La Bomba de Tiempo that evening, and it was even better than the first time, and was completely different, with different supporting artists. Shame I can't go again next week!!!
The weather here has been spot-on here this week, so off I went yesterday (after the best brekkie so far in South America) back to the cemetery, as there is a free English tour there on Tuesdays. Along came Sam, Jed & Nick (UK), three guys from the hostel that were also heading out that way, but who didn't yet know their way around BA. Not to worry, Tour Guide Indiemma Jones at your service! I quite liked being a Know-It-All and showing them the sights, after all, I'm quite well-travelled these days you know!!! Even though I'd been there before, it was really good to actually find out about the history of the cemetery and about some of the people there.
It was then time for lunch, as of course the boys were starving. Annoyingly, the TV in the hotdog bar was showing live images of the airforce flying over the Obelisk on Avenida 9 de Julio, just like the Red Arrows, painting the French and Argentinian flags across the sky - we would have been able to see it from our hostel, but we were now in a completely different area of the city! Drat, drat, drat! Oh well, the day was still young so we headed into La Boca, the most dangerous area of BA, but with a really interesting tourist area by the waterfront, where all the houses are brightly painted. The boys said that they would be there to protect me, but I knew that I'd was wearing the trousers as they would have had no idea how to get there without me! Bless them, they had only needed to walk 4 blocks from the hostel to see La Bomba last night, but it turns out that they walked for ages in the wrong direction and finally arrived there an hour late! Whippersnappers!
After visiting the tourist area, declining to have our photographs taken with a fake Maradona, avoiding a boy who practically demanded Sam hand over his camera, (erm, NO, mate!) and buying a lovely painting from a sweet old guy who didn't want to fleece us out of $25, I took the lads to the best ice-cream place I had found in San Telmo... they weren't disappointed. I let myself down a little bit though, on the metro trip home, when we missed our stop because I was talking too much! It was a bloody good day, we ended up having a right laugh about it all! Last night, I stayed in for a barbecue at the hostel, well is it ever possible to eat too much steak?
Today was my last full day of my year's trip. I've pretty much seen everything I need to in Buenos Aires, but I did cram in a trip to see some graffiti near Aguero this morning and to buy tickets to a tango show tonight, before returning to the hostel at midday to check in for my flight tomorrow online. I've abandoned the idea of trying to get an upgrade tomorrow as A) it is highly unlikely, and B) I'm not buying a new outfit just so I look presentable enough to be in with that minuscule chance! Controversially, I have NOT chosen a window seat and NOT even an aisle seat! I'm between two other people, but there is a passage in front of me, so unlimited legroom and I can go to the toilet whenever I need to without waking anyone up. Well, you have to think about these things on a 15 hour flight!
I spent my last afternoon shopping, but not for leather jackets and tango shoes like most of my friends have; oh no, I bought half a kilo of ice cream, four empanadas and yet another pair of Havaianas! I also had a cheap manicure - admittedly it wasn-t as bad as the one I had in Peru, but I should learn by now that you only get a good CHEAP manicure in Asia, everywhere else, you get what you pay for!!! For dinner, I went back to my favourite all-you-can-eat buffet with Ross & Marianne (UK) and Colm (Ireland) and then we headed to the tango show. It was quite swanky and we ended up paying the same each for one glass of wine as the buffet and a coke! However, we were all pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable the show was and how well put together. It seemed appropriate to have one last tango in Buenos Aires!
So, I'm back in the hostel for my last night, eating one of my tubs of ice cream - I'll have to have the other one for breakfast, or in the taxi to the airport! The backpack is packed, I just have to shower, eat, throw my daysack together and nip to the ATM. This time tomorrow, I'll be somewhere over the Atlantic, hopefully not rueing my choice of seat! I have no idea how I will put my Havaianas on over my flight socks, but I'll tell you all about it on Friday... for the final blog.
Dear reader, how will you cope without any more tales of my travelling adventures?
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