Buen Día en Buenos Aires

It's been a couple of days since I last wrote this, but it seems like ages. I'm back in Buenos Aires now, and so glad I still have a couple of days here.

On Thurdsay, I had a really great last night in Posadas - I couldn't have asked for better, actually. We all went round to Marcelo and Veronica's for what was my last asado in Posadas! Marcelo cooked up tons of meat - probably more than a whole cow - and it was delicious. We sat outside on the terrace, even though it was about 25 degrees (in the dark!) and the air conditioning in the house was much more pleasant. We talked and played stupid games until about 1 in the morning - and (thankfully, I have to admit - I must be getting past it), we just went home afterwards. I was really grateful that everyone else was a tired as me and wasn't fussed about hitting the clubs. Phew!

I got bitten to pieces by mosquitos, though - they don't seem the least bit bothered by my insect repellent, and I have been bitten much worse than anyone else. I have ripped my poor legs to shreds scratching the bites - they are so much worse than midgey bites. Luckily, I have discovered that the antiseptic gel I bought for cleaning my hands with after a day in the Refugio dulls the itch. It has been a godsend all round!

Speaking of insects, or bichas as the kids call them, I was horrified on Thursday (so horrified that I forgot to mention it) to discover that I am now playing host to a rancid bunch of headlice. Charming! I had been getting Sile to check my head all the time and we had been congratulting ourselves on being bicha-free, but when Analia from Arcoiris checked me, she found a massive LIVE one - I saw it right there in her hand, squirming its foul little legs. Don't worry, I will quarantine myself once I am home until I have had a chance to cover them in shoe polish, or turpentine or whatever it is gets rid of then parasitic little swines. The shame of it!

On Friday morning, I had a bit of a lie-in and then finished the rest of my packing. I was really surprised that I managed to fit in my snowboarding jacket. That jacket has been over the Atlantic 4 times so far, and I have only worn it twice. I have no intention of wearing it on the plane back, though (it's so bulky!), so although I have now unpacked it again in my hotel here, I'll need to make sure it fits back in the case for flying home. I hope I don't have to leave behind any of the shoes I bought here...!

I went into town for a last look round and to get some last-minute bits and pieces. Sile and I bought a huge bunch of flowers for Cuca - they won't last, but apparently she loves flowers and she has already started using the tartan teatowels that mum and dad bought for her, so she will have a lasting Scottish influence of some kind! She has bought me a t-shirt with a picture of the Iguazu Falls too, so we have made a good swap!

The gang had one last reunion for luch before I left, which was really nice. Hannah had swapped her work for the day to help Jenny at Arcoiris, and it sounds like the kids are still in one piece there, anyway!

Then I did my goodbyes and headed off. I wonder if I will see them again - I hope so, anyway. Especially considering that I only got 2 weeks with the new lot - there still seemed so much fun to be had.

My flight from Posadas to BA was delayed by 4 hours, which was really annoying as I could have had longer in town with my friends and going shopping. Marcelo and Carolina took me to the airport as they were meeting the next raft of volunteers - I wondered if they would be feeling as lost and nervous as I was on my first day in Posadas.

Finally we left - the flight to BA was uneventful, apart from the landing, which was shaky and a bit scary, considering how close to the buildings we were. We landed with all the lights of the city around us, and I couldn't help but fall in love with the place all over again.

My taxi driver to the hotel was another friendly sort, and we spoke (in Spanish) all about how many Scottish and Irish people there are living in BA, the nightclubs and the difference between taxi drivers here, London and Edinburgh. Random, but very satisfying! My hotel turned out to be a bit of a rustic dream - the bathroom is the same size as the bedroom (although it is a single room and I do have to turn sideways and walk like a crab to get round the end of the bed) and - wonder of wonders - has a balcony. I spent a while standing out there last night, just feeling the breeze on my face and watching the cars go by on nearby Avenida de 9 Julio (at 16 lanes, apparently it's the widest street in the world). I was pleased to find that there is a minibar, and was half-tempted to tuck into the champagne, as it was only about 14 pesos or suchlike (2 pound eighty?). Instead I opted for a Quilmes, the local beer, but managed to pull out a Coke instead... and I'd opened it before I had realised - it was too late, so I had to drink it!

I woke up this morning all excited about the things I could do today. I had another good look at the city from the balcony and thought about how lucky I am - if you have the chance, you MUST come here. It's so amazing. I love it.

I braved the restaurant alone for breakfast, then headed back up to the balcony to plan my itinerary. I had actually already seen a lot of the city from when I first arrived in Argentina, but there are a few more of the smaller things to see. I first of all headed out up Avda de 9 Julio to the Obelisk, as I didn't get any pictures of that the first time around. From there I walked to Plaza de San Martín, which, according to my guidebook, used to be a slave market. It was hard to imagine that as I sat on a bench there in the sunshine, looking at all the gleaming skyscrapers all around me.

I then went to see the Torre de los Ingleses, which was a gift from the city's British contingent many years ago. It is now covered with "Malvinas Argentinas" ("The Falklands are Argentine") graffiti, but on one side it also has the British coat of arms with "Dieu et Mon Droit" on it, which surprised me with its incongruousness to its surroundings.

I was pleased with myself after that, because I plucked up the courage to go up what looked like a bit of a dodgy street to find the Museum of Immigration. What a reward! It was sited in what used to be the immigrant' hotel, where new arrivals to the country could stay for 5-15 days while they got settled in and found work and homes. It was really interesting seeing where the immigrants to Argentina had come from - they were encouraged to come from all over Europe. Some of the first families, apparently, were Scottish.

There were great photos of the new immigrants stepping off the boats to their new lives - it was impossible to see from their faces what they were thinking, but I would love to know what was going through their heads at that time.

I keep seeing planes taking off from the nearby international airport, and part of me longs to be on one, coming home. But in the meantime, there is still so much to see and do. Sile should be here in a few hours and then it's time to hit the town. It should be good.

Will try and write some more tomorrow, but now my fingers (and no doubt your eyes!) hurt.

¡Ciao!