Just landed in Buenos Aires

Hi Everyone,

I am here! With a few hitches on the way. Wheels broke on my large suitcase the night before I left so a pink elephant has joined the adventure - less stable than the turquoise one but more generous hearted in her space. I left my flight confirmation at Jake´s but no-one seemed to mind and I forgot to remove scissors and a nail file from my bag so they were conviscated - but nothing disastrous.

Sat with a friendly Chilean lass on the flight to Madrid. Her husband is involved with the company rescuing the miners. For the flight to BA I palled up with a young girl called Jess who lives in Belgium. She is only here for 3 weeks and was heading off to Patagonia to meet another friend. We got on instantly - it would have been fun to travel some more with her. Maybe we shall meet up when she comes back through BA. I slept really badly on the plane but hey I have time to recover. Fabulous sunset in Madrid and grey skies in BA. We all came round slowly as our breakfast arrived - strange cake and meat filled croissant.

´Slow eyes chat over seats while eyelids are persuaded to remain open - against their will. Slow smiles play around tired faces.´

2nd October 2010

A few days have passed - I have been on an open topped tourist bus to try and get my bearings of the city - amazing new architecture on the port - Norman Foster has even designed for Buenos Aires. In some of the richer areas the old houses are very beautiful but much of the city if in need of repair. Lots of French influence. Health and Safety wouldn´t pass any of the pavements- they can be hazardous. The poor of the city come out in the late evening to sort and scrounge through the rubbish before the lorries remove it. Lots of parks with trees about to come into flower. I have seen one jacaranda in flower - very beautiful. The mimosa will be out soon too. Loads of monuments and a fabulous metal flower sculpture that is enormous and opens and closes with the sun. Several Art Galleries to visit. All manner of buskers from those playing the bandeon to a harpist, to bands and of course one Peruvian playing the Andean pipes. Tomorrow I am going to San Telmo for the Sunday market.

Yesterday I met up with Tania and Steve from Norwich who have already been hear for two weeks. It was their last day. We did a tango workshop together with their teacher Oscar at El Beso and then had a delicious veggie lunch. They had two private lessons while I tried to chat to Oscar´s partner in very limited Spanish - we did OK! LaterTania and Steve took me to my first Milonga which I found fascinating. I sat for a while with no dances but gathered courage after had a dance with Steve and managed to cabaceo several tangueros. One or two misunderstandings when I had thought it was for me and it wasn´t but I got the hang of it. I found the seperating of the men and women on arrival to separate sides of the room extraordinary. Tania was glad of my company as I was certainly glad of hers. On the other side of me were two very friendly tangueras one who spoke good English - one also reminded me of Meryl Streep. They have invited me to a Milonga next Wednesday called SuenoPorteno. Apparently the men can invite a woman with a flower and the women with a chocolate- yes, women can ask too. I look forward to this one.

Today I have spent with the family. I took Maite and the children out to lunch in a seemingly posh restaurant that turned out to have an incredible play area for the youngsters. We all had a good time. Then I went shopping at the supermercado while they went off to a birthday party. I had wanted to treat them to lots of delicious fruit - grapes, nectarines etc.- but there was only seasonal and very little choice. I am so used to buying fruit from any time of year and any country. This is a suburb of Buenos Aires - Avellanada It is difficult to tell whether it is poor area as a lot of places are run down. As far as the shopping goes I think I am just used to huge choice and it does me no harm to get used to less.

So far everyone I have met has been friendly, patient with my lack of Spanish, helpful and warm hearted. Apart from the lady in the post office where Maite has to rescue me. You can apparently only buy one stamp at a time and it can only be posted from there. You see post boxes but they are mostly derelict and nobody collects letters from them. I wonder how many unsuspecting tourists have despaired of their post cards ever arriving thinking the Buenos Aires postal system was like England.

Tommorrow I move to my host family and start Spanish school on Monday - I certainly need it!