It’s a beautiful day here in Bueno Aires. The sky is a nice blue. The city really is physically impressive and I can see what people mean when they rave about the cityscape here. Both old and new buildings are visually spectacular. The architectual flare has obviously been passed down through the generations. The builders have done their job but It is the people who fail this city. They are largely charmless. There is no warmth. The happy, helpful people don’t live here in Buenos Aires any more, if they ever did. Although the man at the postoffice was charming and helpful. It was such a pleasant surprise I wanted to kiss him…in a manly kind of way of course! It wouldn’t have been out of place – they do that here. How to Fix Buenos Aires? Fill it with Peruvians or moved it to Peru. Then you would have a magnificent city.
Me and my buff in Buenos Aires.
I’ve started wearing my ‘buff’ lately. Buffs are a stretchy head cover worn by cool out-there people…and me apparently! Since I’ve been wearing it I have been getting ‘looked at’ a lot it seems, or am I being too self conscious. I suspect they are either jealous or wondering which asylum I have escaped from. Right now, like a Bali dog, I don’t give a shit. I might even walk around naked tomorrow! Only three days to go, yahoo!
Anyway, Buenos Aires is what it is. It has the people it has whether it deserves them or not but that’s its problem. And no doubt it will continue on well passed my poisonous view of it. As mentioned previously, South Americans have their saying ‘It is South America after all’! I have my own saying for Buenos Aires. ‘It’s not South America, it’s Buenos Aires’. Of the places I have visited in South America, Buenos Aires is different – not in a good way.
It’s 7.30pm and I’m having a quiet beer at a corner cafe by myself. Friends are hard to find here, unlike other places I have been. Across the street is a pile of rubbish in big plastic bags, as they do in Buenos Aires, awaiting collection. Before it is collected a mother and son are going through it all for anything of value. They rip open the bags, which must make it hard for the official collectors. The young boy is around 10 years of age and reminds me of some beautiful kids I know back in Australia. And as he finds drink cups with straws, he drinks the dregs, going from one to the next. Far out! All around are chic cafes with well-to-do drinking and eating for the pleasure of it. I’m included. I’m heart broken and tearful. Its darkish and no one notices I think. Again my own circumstances are put in pitiless perspective.
angusmccoll 
Great to see that you still got your charm and sense of humour! You look fine with your buff!! In fact you do look cool.
Enjoy your last few days there and I will not be going there that is for sure.
Cheers
Ha, thanks Janie. I’m hoping something will happen to change my point-of-view but it hasn’t happened yet. Maybe over the next few days.
PS. I don’t know when you read that blog. I have added to it do it might be worth revisiting.
Go the buff Angus. Just match it with a skateboard and you will be too cool.
Glad you were able to get your slimmer trimmer passport so quickly. Those other ones are such a nuisance, all those pages and stamps 🙂
By now, if you are still on schedule, you may be sitting at the handle end of a stein of a really good beer, and enjoying a bit more of a sense of calm in Europe? Dunno the German for cigar, but I’m sure you could do a good mime. Safe travels, all well here. Dee and Kev
Hi Dee and Kev. Not quite out of the madness of Buenos Aires. I fly out tonight and just pray there isn’t a problem with the flight! The Stein and cigar is mighty fine advice and I will be thinking of you when fully armed!! Take care back there.