So here I am, in BA, Buenos Aires, the big Aires, so great they named it once... I'd been filled with reticence about coming to this place but also child-like excitment... It seems everyone has a story about BA and they seem to revel in telling you... there are travelers about who just revel in spreading scare stories, in making you scared... maybe its to allay their own fears through sharing... maybe in their subconcious it makes them feel good to pass on scare stories but say that they were fine in BA, as if they beat the thieves or something... ... On the bus from Montevideo an old Uruguayian women surprised me by knowing superb English... she was very nice a friendly but when she started re-telling scare stories I decided it was time to pretend to be asleep... and being the great actor that I am, fake sleep soon turned into real sleep...
... Buenos Aires is more ferrel then Montevideo... more dirt on the streets... more obvious poverty... but also, its a very grand city... the main street is about 75 meters wide and flanked by massive buildings leading up to a large obalix at in the center... the buildings are grand and colonial... I'll take my camera out when I go for a wonder, I thought... ... I'm at a massive hostel called Milhouse, the largest hostel I've been to in South America... one of those hostels that doesn't get going until about midday because people only returned from partying when the sun rose... its still quite nice though... I have already sorted out to go on the football tour to watch Boca Jrs play tomorrow and I enjoyed the banter with a staff member who became upset when I asked about buying tickets for city rivals River Plate... boys boys, it not like I'm asking for something offensive like Bristol Rovers tickets!
... I went out for a wonder... the streets are busy with shops and market stalls of people selling knock off things from blankets in the street... I'm wearing my Penarol t-shirt which provoked good natured shout which I didn't understand from people... I just smiled and nodded... I went in to get some fast food... I was eating while listening to Ricky Gervais... a woman says something to me, I give he my now legendary look of frustrated misunderstanding... I turn back and my rucsac is gone... I look back and the woman has gone... oh Fuck! ... oh Jesus! ... Oh piss! ... So I've had my bag stolen... damn... ... luckily I left my passport and my debit card at the hostel... well not luckily actually, I left them because it would be folly to go out with them... but I lost my new digital camera, my mobile, some cash, my only jumper (I'm glad its not cold!)... and the rest was just books and my note books (So if anyone from Argentina comes out with a wieldy successful novel about talking brocolli... I'll know they were the one who stole my ideas note book!)... ... oh yes, and I'd left my USB sticks in the bag... so I've lost all my photos... that made me feel genuinley sad... I did back up but the last time was the day before I left Asia... so except for the ones I've put on here, I've lost all the subsequent photos... I know facebook can help me fill the gaps with friend's photos, but it is still a dam shame... ... So I'm very glad I've kept this unstealable blog for you people... this will act as my memory, my memoirs... good job I'm such a damn fine writer;)
... So its a big shame and frustrating to be caught out like that but ce la vi, it could have been a lot worse and at least it wasn't a face to face confrontation... part of me is glad I didn't see a person walk out with my bag... or see the women who had distracted me as she made her get away... If I'd taken an impulse to go after them that would have been very foolish... Its a shame I got caught out, but at least I'm healty (although I am becomeing a fat bastered... the swimming shorts that fit me at the start of the trip no longer do... damn you 'the enavitability of time catching up with me'... well either that or they shrunk in the wash!)... the women at the hostel said I took it the best way possible (#boasting)... its happened, lets get on with life... smile and look forward to the football tomorrow:) ... ... ... the truth is, the most embarrasing fact about my bag getting nicked is that I was in Burger King at the time! ... I'd just arrived in the land of the beautiful steak and I was eating a grease ridden lump of mock cow in a soggy and shabby bun... please forgive me, I was tired and in a new country... these familure places are meant to make you feel a bit more comfortable compared to going into a steak restruant and not quite understanding the menu... OK Mr Fate, I take your hint, I'll go to a proper steak resturant next time... just a shame that my Spanish-English phrase book was in the bag that was stolen so I can't use it to translate the menu... bloody sods-law, you strike again!
... I just had a phantom bag urge... looking down to see where my bag was and then remembering it was gone... I imagine this is the feeling people have after losing limbs with phantom pains... it is really like I've lost a limb, a traveller without a rucsac... it just ain't right! ... ... I'm worried about fate now as well because I thought I was going to go my whole 7 months of traveling without getting mugged or pic-pocketed... I thought I was the special one... but now my bag has been stolen and the spell lifted... samson once had his hair cut and only this weekend Jose Mourinho lost his first home league game in 9 years (not bloody football again!)... so that could only mean one thing... my luck is going to run out and I'm finally going to succumb to travelers belly, which I've thus far successfully avoided... oh fate, what games you play with us fragile beings... ... oh well, guess it is all part of the experience! :)
... So life goes on... and so does my stay in BA... now the hostel has made a good first impression, but there are set backs... the hostel backs onto a 24 hour adult cinema... and from my room I can hear the "dialogue"... sigh... I guess there is no perfect place... I'll ask to change rooms tomorrow... ... at one point I used the music for the song 'Danny boy' used in one of these blue movies... that song being used in such a movie!... when the sound producer did that he must have died a little inside... for me though, its a rather comedy situation at the end of the day ... but I'll see how I feel after a night of it! ... good job they didn't nick my mp3 player with the bag today... it might come in use to muffel out the sounds of the cinema tonight:)
... So to treat myself after the annoying stealing of my bag, I'm having a nice Guinness tonight... mmmmm:) ... have a little read and maybe listen to music or a podcast... I need an early night as football awaits tomorrow... ... I'm really glad I have a crappy old camera as a spare which didn't get stolen... so as long as I don't piss fate off again, soon I'll put up some lovely pictures of the Boca game at their stadium, La Bombanera... The Chocolate box:)
... Keep well folks... keep safe, and look after your bags!
Lots of love,
Matt:)
... Buenos Aires is more ferrel then Montevideo... more dirt on the streets... more obvious poverty... but also, its a very grand city... the main street is about 75 meters wide and flanked by massive buildings leading up to a large obalix at in the center... the buildings are grand and colonial... I'll take my camera out when I go for a wonder, I thought... ... I'm at a massive hostel called Milhouse, the largest hostel I've been to in South America... one of those hostels that doesn't get going until about midday because people only returned from partying when the sun rose... its still quite nice though... I have already sorted out to go on the football tour to watch Boca Jrs play tomorrow and I enjoyed the banter with a staff member who became upset when I asked about buying tickets for city rivals River Plate... boys boys, it not like I'm asking for something offensive like Bristol Rovers tickets!
... I went out for a wonder... the streets are busy with shops and market stalls of people selling knock off things from blankets in the street... I'm wearing my Penarol t-shirt which provoked good natured shout which I didn't understand from people... I just smiled and nodded... I went in to get some fast food... I was eating while listening to Ricky Gervais... a woman says something to me, I give he my now legendary look of frustrated misunderstanding... I turn back and my rucsac is gone... I look back and the woman has gone... oh Fuck! ... oh Jesus! ... Oh piss! ... So I've had my bag stolen... damn... ... luckily I left my passport and my debit card at the hostel... well not luckily actually, I left them because it would be folly to go out with them... but I lost my new digital camera, my mobile, some cash, my only jumper (I'm glad its not cold!)... and the rest was just books and my note books (So if anyone from Argentina comes out with a wieldy successful novel about talking brocolli... I'll know they were the one who stole my ideas note book!)... ... oh yes, and I'd left my USB sticks in the bag... so I've lost all my photos... that made me feel genuinley sad... I did back up but the last time was the day before I left Asia... so except for the ones I've put on here, I've lost all the subsequent photos... I know facebook can help me fill the gaps with friend's photos, but it is still a dam shame... ... So I'm very glad I've kept this unstealable blog for you people... this will act as my memory, my memoirs... good job I'm such a damn fine writer;)
... So its a big shame and frustrating to be caught out like that but ce la vi, it could have been a lot worse and at least it wasn't a face to face confrontation... part of me is glad I didn't see a person walk out with my bag... or see the women who had distracted me as she made her get away... If I'd taken an impulse to go after them that would have been very foolish... Its a shame I got caught out, but at least I'm healty (although I am becomeing a fat bastered... the swimming shorts that fit me at the start of the trip no longer do... damn you 'the enavitability of time catching up with me'... well either that or they shrunk in the wash!)... the women at the hostel said I took it the best way possible (#boasting)... its happened, lets get on with life... smile and look forward to the football tomorrow:) ... ... ... the truth is, the most embarrasing fact about my bag getting nicked is that I was in Burger King at the time! ... I'd just arrived in the land of the beautiful steak and I was eating a grease ridden lump of mock cow in a soggy and shabby bun... please forgive me, I was tired and in a new country... these familure places are meant to make you feel a bit more comfortable compared to going into a steak restruant and not quite understanding the menu... OK Mr Fate, I take your hint, I'll go to a proper steak resturant next time... just a shame that my Spanish-English phrase book was in the bag that was stolen so I can't use it to translate the menu... bloody sods-law, you strike again!
... I just had a phantom bag urge... looking down to see where my bag was and then remembering it was gone... I imagine this is the feeling people have after losing limbs with phantom pains... it is really like I've lost a limb, a traveller without a rucsac... it just ain't right! ... ... I'm worried about fate now as well because I thought I was going to go my whole 7 months of traveling without getting mugged or pic-pocketed... I thought I was the special one... but now my bag has been stolen and the spell lifted... samson once had his hair cut and only this weekend Jose Mourinho lost his first home league game in 9 years (not bloody football again!)... so that could only mean one thing... my luck is going to run out and I'm finally going to succumb to travelers belly, which I've thus far successfully avoided... oh fate, what games you play with us fragile beings... ... oh well, guess it is all part of the experience! :)
... So life goes on... and so does my stay in BA... now the hostel has made a good first impression, but there are set backs... the hostel backs onto a 24 hour adult cinema... and from my room I can hear the "dialogue"... sigh... I guess there is no perfect place... I'll ask to change rooms tomorrow... ... at one point I used the music for the song 'Danny boy' used in one of these blue movies... that song being used in such a movie!... when the sound producer did that he must have died a little inside... for me though, its a rather comedy situation at the end of the day ... but I'll see how I feel after a night of it! ... good job they didn't nick my mp3 player with the bag today... it might come in use to muffel out the sounds of the cinema tonight:)
... So to treat myself after the annoying stealing of my bag, I'm having a nice Guinness tonight... mmmmm:) ... have a little read and maybe listen to music or a podcast... I need an early night as football awaits tomorrow... ... I'm really glad I have a crappy old camera as a spare which didn't get stolen... so as long as I don't piss fate off again, soon I'll put up some lovely pictures of the Boca game at their stadium, La Bombanera... The Chocolate box:)
... Keep well folks... keep safe, and look after your bags!
Lots of love,
Matt:)
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