Finding tranquility through the hangover

A few days in a remote hostel without internet and I am scrambling to get on top of things... So let´s start with Sunday, shall we.

I woke up with a hideous head - yes, even I can be human sometimes - and clambered to get my things together for the trip to the ferry port and beyond, Uruguay. Luckily, I had decided to be organised beforehand and didn´t have all that much to do, although with this head it seemed like a million and 1 missions. Oh, the pain.

The reason I hurt so much was that the night before, Saturday, had been rather large for a number of staff members, all of us joining in the bday party of one of Moving Bar´s barmen, H. He was in good spirits, of course, and looking good, and I just may have given him a bday kiss as a present... but he was massively distracted with all his friends so either he didn´t want anything more or he didn´t notice he could have gotten it should he desire. He spent all night telling me I was gorgeous so I gather it was the latter.

In the end, I was bored of the club we went to and ALL the guys in the club - friends and people I randomly kissed then tired of - so I started scanning for a girl. Eventually my eyes met a pretty BsAs-born lass and it was on. The group all left shortly after and I was taking up the rear hand in hand with the girl, trying (but not that hard) to not be too obvious about my intentions.

As the group got to the hostel and descended downstairs to re-open the bar, I shot a glance to the girl and said, "Arriba?" to which she duly nodded. Done. Some new girls had moved into my room, but as I wasn´t technically breaking any rules bringing another girl in there, and I was leaving the next day, I cared little about them hearing anything. Selfish I know, but we did TRY to be quiet...

At one point, she got up to go to the bathroom and I happened to glance after her... the bathroom being right next to the exit, I actually saw her take a quick look over her shoulder and BAIL out the door. Baahahaha that is totally something I would do... snaps to her for having the balls. I was kinda relieved anyway, wanting to get SOME sleep before battling the next day.

So here we are. At the next day. It was hell. I could´t face food yet my stomach craved something to soak in what was at frequent intervals trying to surface again through my mouth. I chose famine. Got the bus and walked to the ferry station, deciphered eventually how to check-in, buy food (which I could do after I put down my hectic backpack), go through immigration, get my stamps (2 - one for exit from Argentina, 1 for entry to Uruguay, lazy Uruguian bastards haha) and board the ship. Sounds easy, but not for me. Not this day. I swear I almost missed my boat.

Just 1.5 hours later I arrived in Uruguay, having not seen any of the beautiful water scapes out the window - just trying to sleep on the cuntish plastic leather seats they provided, trust me to choose the cheapest ferry co - had my apple confiscated at quarantine (mother fuckers, only bit of nutrition I had in forever), and boarded the bus to El Galope hostel. Peace. Quiet. Tranquility. Por favor.

I got dropped off at a random bus stop seemingly in the middle of nowhere - perfect for tranquility - and actually almost cried when I sat on my backpack to wait... the sky was settling into what I now know is typically beautiful Uruguian sunset, pinks n purples seeping into the blue of the day. Despite being by a main road, the tranquility was dripping from every paddock, every fence post, every bird flying above... this is what I needed.

I was picked up by the wife of the couple who owned the hostel, and taken to the little 10-bedder they call home. Set in the country, but not all that far from either the town of Colonia or the capital, Montevideo. In the paddock surrounding the rooms, 3 horses grazed in the fading light while in the main room, a fire was slowly stoked by the few other girls staying for the night (2x German and an American). My tired, Buenos Aires-out body instantly felt warmed by not only the nice company, but the total atmosphere.

After a delicious salad (yes, salad, time to eat a LITTLE healthier) for dinner and a gaze into the clearest night sky I have seen in a long time, I retired to bed. Well, we talked a little together beforehand but I steadfastly refused to indulge in any more alcohol. But when the clock struck twelve, yes, this little lady needed to sleep.

I need air!!!!

I am getting a bit sick of this city. Buenos Aires, for all it offers in terms of a good night out, is at the end of it all...dirty. There is ALWAYS rubbish around, and if it ever was in a big plastic bag, the homeless ensure it doesn´t remain there, ripping them open in the search for bottles they can return for a small amount of money. That part, at least, shows an attempt by the city to recycle. Beyond that, no care at ALL is given to the environment. Yesterday, a man actually threw his cigarette out the car window and almost into my cheek. Pelotudo.

Yesterday I woke up after my roommates had left, so I had no one to hang with, and I took myself for a walk around the city. Obviously not the whole city because it is MASSIVE, but finally made it to a place that sold phone chargers. Thank fuck. I now have an alarm clock, a normal clock (although that I could do without) and potentially a place to contact me, although all my credit has disappeared somewhere. Maybe in the deep crevice of time...

So my walks yesterday and also today reminded me that I need to get OUT of this city. I need clean air, I need pastures new, I need animals, I need space... But they´re not making it easy for me. I have tried several times to book my ferry to Colonia, Uruguay but my card won´t work on the website (I hope at least I haven´t booked my ticket 3x!!) so now I have to walk to the office tomorrow and try to get it for the same price as the internet. Hmmm.. let´s see how I go with that. Bad Spanish, start your engines!!!!

When I return from Uruguay, I will have friends from Australia to party with for a couple of days and possibly that hot tattooist, although I think I will be too early for him. That is a shame. Anyway, bed is calling me... I woke up at a reasonable hour today to try and promote the ill-fated Pub Quiz (seriously, GIVE IT UP people) and also check out the Botanical Gardens with my roommates. Full of cats. And not allowed to lie on the grass. Grr. Yawn. I am out.

In amongst the waterfalls

Waterfall time. I woke to chatter in the common area of my hostel... some snippets of English here n there. Maybe I will find a buddy to see this water display. Ended up talking with the girls I met briefly checking in the night before, and ended up going together with them to the falls.

This is the first really touristy thing I have done in South America (besides Carnaval, but that wasn´t too expensive in the end) so I knew I would go over budget. Am working out a new budget tonight. Anyway, we paid to get into the national park and got a nice touristy double decker to the falls.

We were told the Brazilian side of the falls - literally, the river is divided in two with the Argentina and Brazilian sides (the town itself borders 3 countries including Paraguay) - was more restricted in the boat rides than Argentina so we kept to the boardwalks. First lookout I thought quietly to myself... hmmm, this is alright... but actually thinking the view of the blue-eyed (yay for the blue eyes of the south), olive-skinned Brazilian selling abseiling was mildly more entertaining. You can sail my rocks any day, boy.

About this time, I got a tap on my shoulder and English boy from yesterday said a bright hello! So with my posse of 3 in tow, we moved on to the next lookout, and the next, and the next... all the while sweating up a storm and posing for photo after photo. I must get those email addresses for those photos... The butterflies were the tamest I had ever come across, which is awesome becuase at one time I had 2 licking the sunscreen/sweat combo off my arm (that would´ve been a treat for them, probably actually poisonous) and we got some nice pics of that too.

Then came the finale... da da DAAAA!!! There was the boardwalk, leading out almost INTO the falls with mist falling at a deceivingly rapid pace on all the tourists. L had said to me, "Oooh, let´s go there, I want to get some mist on me." Several minutes later, her hair dripping and eyes almost slits trying to keep sunscreen from seeping in, I asked her, "Misty enuf??" It was a quick snap-and-hide mission for all cameras too, for fear of ruining them in the wetness.

We came out, soaked but happy we were no longer drenched in sweat, and headed out of the national park. Having faffed around probably more than necessary - but enjoyed ourselves doing it! - we had missed the opportunity to go to the bird park where apparently you could have a toucan put on your arm for a photo, we jumped on the bus and fought off sun-induced sleep so we wouldn´t miss our stop. Still, I ran out and didn´t have time to ask J for his email. Bummer! Hope we run into him at the Argentinian side of the falls tomorrow...

I wanted to leave the hostel in Brazil tonight instead of tomorrow as it would be much cheaper to split the cab cost across the border to Argentina than get a bus - with a bus, although it´s cheaper, you need to get off at every checkpoint and therefore wait for another bus after your passport is stamped. So I gingerly asked my hostel for a refund and a day-early checkout, and surprisingly the same awesome lady that changed my original stuff-up around without dramas said it was not a problem. Woot woot! First and probably last time that will happen in my life, I reckon.

We got across the border without dramas - it was just 15 mins away - but when we got the girls´ pre-booked hostel there was absolutely no room for me so I went to the hostel down the road and found a room. Plan to meet the girls tomorrow to check out the Argentinian side of the falls. Maybe convince myself it´s not a waste of money to get the rapido boat ride into the actual falls... ahh fuck it, I´ll just do it. Now... to get some bloody sleep... have to make the most of this free internet but I am so tired. The sun has DRAINED me.

Oh, and in the meantime, I have found some CS accommodation in Uruguay and already have some parties to go to on the weekend... just gotta find a way to get there!