Buenos Aires

Really wanting to write something coherent, but that's not where my mind is today.

Forgive me.

Met the group yesterday, only six of us, and all girls (darn), as Brent --the leader-- said "For me!". Who knew you could work that much punctuation into one sentence. I'm trying to deceide what "supr" means... seems to be delete!

My roommate is the oldest among us (probably mid-thirties) and the only one who is not blond or leaning in that direction. She was originally born in Colombia, but now lives in "The French part of Switzerland". She is so nice it is hard to believe, and puts the other skinny shock-blond girls to shame, though the locals do not seem to agree.

These others are: a pair from England and two from Denmark. The English girls seem to be on a continous adreneline rush, and talk a great deal, but I like them too.

The weather is perfect for me, cold and crisp and sunny. I spent all yesterday just walking around. I couldn't tell you where I walked, or what I saw, but I enjoyed it a great deal-- and am doing the same today.

It's funny the radar people have for tourists. I walk, carrying a regular sized bag, not opening my mouth, looking lost, or doing anything spectacularily stupid, and still people stare at me like I'm a lost puppy. I don't mind, I juist find it puzzling.

People here love sweet things, especially chocolate. Every little store has huge displays of candy out front, and McDonald's (renounded for worming its way into local consciousness) has about six chocolate desserts on the menu (don't worry, I wasn't actually eating there, I was just curious).

I went into a large church today, stuck in the middle of a business district, splendid and leaning precariously to the left. There was no one in it and I wonder who had built it. Imagine, a building without a blue information sign. Not that I could read them, of course, they're all in Spanish.

I walked through what seemed to be a protest in the Plaza of Justice (even I could translate that sign!). Lots of people wearing hardhats, eating mini-baguettes, which seem to be the food of choice here.

The streets have an interesting smell (don't they all?). Woodsmoke, and the penetrating scent of a carnival, which I think is from another sweet treat, roast nuts in some sort of glaze, possibly honey, or caramel, being prepared on every other corner.

There are a lot of police around. They don't seem to be doing anything, just around.
I have yet to figure out the system to crossing the roads. Each city I have been to has it's on system, and it is important to learn it quickly (less you die in some stupid preventable mess). Sometimes there are no street lights, or the street lights are for cars only, or for both cars and pedestrians, or just no one pays attention to them anyway. In Vietnam you are supposed to look straight ahead and let people work around you. In China you run. The best approach is always to hide behind/beside a local and do exactly what they do. Here it is more complicated. The traffic seems to go in waves, and by the time you realize a wave is moving they are already across and you are in the middle of the street by yourself with somebody honking at you. I will get it, no doubt, just in time to leave.

I am leaving the city of good winds tomorrow, and flying to Salta, in the North of Argentina. I can't remember what it is I am to do there (talk about living one day at a time!), but will write when I get there. I like the internet when I am away. It reminds me the rest of the world is still out there. Be well.

N.