A Setting Sun in the big cities

We have come at the end of February and my last two days in Buenos Aires, where I have given myself the luxury of staying in a private single room in a friendly, quiet hostel that attracts the more mature traveler.  This is just what I need after the excesses of the previous festivities. It feels like the end of the first stage of my journey; a feeling that I expected because my flight was booked before my initial departure.

 I have decided to use my time here to rest, to catch up with some friends and source some decent books to read. I am not a convert to electronic books and I have concerns that I will not find what I want to read. I am yet to find a second hand English language book exchange shop the like of which that are prevalent in India, here in Argentina or Brazil. Fortunately I do find a really good one back in San Telmo and buy three books which will give me enough engrossing reading material for the next month or so. This will be supplemented by my Spanish exercises that still remain to be completed from the classes I took last month. I greet every successful Spanish conversation with a local with a smile of satisfaction as if it were a small victory in my war with words.

Another task I have set myself is to also procure some half decent underwear! From what I have seen thus far, the shops mostly sell pants made from polyester. What kind of people  are they out here? All I want to do is to walk into a department store to select and pay for decent boxers without having a conversation about it in one of the many smaller mens’ shops.  My quest is finally over when I see a Zara store in the upmarket barrio of Ricoleta.  Bingo! My friend Ali and I still have to discern between the cotton and synthetic underwear but I finally find what I need so much after two months of relative discomfort!

Due to government  import restrictions,  many items are just not available here in Argentina; the most surprising of which are guitar plectrums.  I can’t be certain whether the country manufactures these harmless bits of plastic, but I was told by a salesperson in a well-stocked musical instrument shop that he had none to sell.  I suspect that Argentina is getting by, but not in a way in which they are now used to. Time for me to cut to size a plectrum or two from my shaving cream can top!

Next stop Ushuaia - 'the town at the end of the World' , well the nearest one to the Falkland Islands.

Peace

G