Ayer.

Yesterday. Yesterday was a wonderful day. I shall probably have to document it right here.
It involved waking up in Buenos Aires' Micocentro District, full of street vendors and old men sitting in cafes and business people and a few daggy tourits and street markets and and the peatonal (pedestrian mall) that runs stright through the middle of town.

We (me, Emma and Rosie -Dudley St reunited) luxuriously meandered down to the hostel breakfast which included free medialunas (croissants), bread, dulce de leche, tea, coffee on endless supplies. While Rosie and Emma went out to book their bus tickets outta this crazy town, I read, journaled, Alexander-techniqued, hung. They came back 1ish and we picked up our newfound friend Jess and took to the world.

Flagging a taxi, I sat in the front seat helping the newcomers out with the language barrier. Their knowledge is muy muy muy basic so whilst we're together I'm trying to get them on it a little. So I chatted to the taxi driver about Buenos Aires, the port, the weather, the rich porteños. We then arrived at our destination.

THE WORLD'S FIRST RELIGIOUS THEME PARK.





It was a little bit shut when we arrived, opening at 4. However, this allowed ample time to go for a river-side walk along the Rio de La Plata, the river spilling out into the Atlantic. If you travel for three hours across it you will bump into sleepy Uruguay.
Along this walk we came across rich porteños on their lunch breaks. Poor fishermen with beat-up cars pumping music across the pavement. Many ´hóla chicas´, ´que hermosas´ and ´ah, mi amor´'s were given our way. It comes when weird-looking ladies hang out together.

After our walk we went to a tenedor libre (all you can eat) which the taxi driver had recommended for us. Siga La Vaca. So we were a bit confused about the situation, what the dealio was. However we flagged a camarera and sorted out the deal. Jess and I went together to the parrilla and loaded up with some asado, I also some intestine for the curiously disgusted ladies. Then salad, and ya estar, done. It was wonderful, but I shan't detail it too much.

However, when it came time to pay the $46 pesos each ($AU13) the waiter was telling me something which I couldn't understand. I had to tell her that I didn't get it, and after a few minutes I realised that she was telling me that

SOMEONE HAD ALREADY PAID FOR ALL OF US.

A random. Anonymous gift of kindness. Happy times!!!! We were so thrilled and were asking the waiter who it was but she wouldn't give! They shared all of these coy smiles between each other but wouldn't budge. We think we guessed it was a man sitting by himself talking on the phone for most of the ordeal. That was just his way out of it, I think.

So feeling most spritely we embarked on our journey to the theme park.

It was great, mechanical nativity plays (nothing on the McGowan one, mind you), all of the employees decked out in Middle-Eastern Attire, FREAKY SCULPTURES EVERYWHERE, it was amazing. We left before the resurrection scene though, when an 18-metre tall mechanical Jesus rises 10 metres into the air before descending again, ´displaying 36 mechanical movements´. What a bloke! Stellar effort.

This satisfied my desire to see weird things in Argentina...usually people are pretty straight down the line...but this was a whole other ball park.

Last night we caught up some Sam and Luke, two Gappers, in Palermo. We shared beers and maní until 5 am. It was swell. Caught a cab back into centro and I was safe and snug in bed by the tender hour of 5.20am.

Now it's nearly 1pm saturday and people are just rising. The plans for today are a big walk, visit a massive park, art galleries, and the Recoleta cemetary, where Eva is buried, amongst plenty o others.

Buenos Aires is beautiful.

Goodbye you.