On Wednesday we went to a Pacific music concert. I don't like the music but I went to see friends who enjoyed it a lot, and it was great to see them happy. The main group everyone was waiting for was called Chocquitown.
Yesterday we went to another concert of Los Van Van from Cuba. We got there very early and waited 8 hours for the group to arrive, they were 2 hours late. Waiting for such a long time made everyone tired. We couldn't go to the toilet or to buy food as there were too many people and they wouldn't let you get back to your place. So we waited, thirsty and hungry. I was thinking: I would never do it in Europe, I would never ever spend so much time waiting and doing nothing but here is Cali, you do it because the group is good and the concert is free. In the picture: waiting in the crowd with Yeimmy.
Today I am in Orlando's house, with his family, waiting patiently for the New Year. My friends in Europe  already celebrated it, we are still waiting as there is 5 hours time difference. We don't do much, we are just waiting and trying to talk from time to time but.... the salsa music is so loud that you would never believe it can be so loud in somebody's house. But this is Colombia :) The music will be loud all night long and I suppose tomorrow as well, as it was at Christmas.
To all my wonderful friends all over the world: HAPPY NEW YEAR. I hope it will be happy for all of us and that in 2011 I will be able to meet up with friends I haven't seen for a long time.

Yesterday I saw "the other side" of Cali. Side I haven't known before and to be honest I was a little bit disappointed to see. Eduardo, my tattooist, invited me to a party in a gay club in a district called Granada. It was a famous gay club but everyone could come to this big party. When I arrived Eduardo was still working in a hurry, he had to paint bodies of all the staff. Then the party began. There was no salsa at all and there were many gays, something you will never see in salsa clubs here. Just a big modern, techno, electronic and pop music party. I had fun as I met friends I haven't seen for more than 3 months. Eduardo works in the club from time to time doing some art jobs so all the drinks were free for his "team", including myself. It was interesting to experience this "other side" but I won't come back to this kind of party, and I don't want to remember it too clearly :) For me Cali is the salsa kingdom, and I want it to stay this way in my heart.
In the picture with Eduardo on the right and his friends on the left.
Here is an interesting story about Jovita (symbol of Cali), unfortunately I couldn't find an English version.
http://www.caliescali.com/jovita-feijo/
And pictures of the waterfalls and from Paraguay:
Iguazu waterfalls and Asunción

On Monday we went to see "cabalgata" (horses parade). Horse owners gather on one street and they show off their beautiful horses and the way they walk (for example the "paso fino" steps). It was nothing special to be honest, just horses walking down the street and owners chatting to each other, as if there was no crowd watching them all the time (cabalgata in the picture). Well, at least it was a great way to spend an afternoon with family or friends. Orlando said that before they used to ride horses and drink alcohol at the same time, and then maltreating the animals (and felling down the horses I would imagine). For this reason cabalgata was suspended for one year. They started organising it again however alcohol has been prohibited.
In the evening we went to melomanos meeting. At the beginning they played very old salsa music and then there was a concert of a very good orchestra called Willie Rosario (it's name of the singer and name of his orchestra). The concert was great and all the local people knew words of all the songs by heart.

Yesterday the Couch Surfing people met in Plaza de Toros to dance salsa. There was also stand up comedy and some funny competitions.
This morning I had a long conversation with Yeimmy, my wonderful friend I live with. I admire her so much. She works as a stewardess for Avianka airlanes, one of the best South American airlines. She also sells clothes and cosmetics which she buys in New York, where everything is cheaper than in Colombia. She also works on a project, she asked me not to say what it is until it is finalised but I am sure she will be successfull and her business will go very well. She is doing this on her own. She has a great help from her aunt who lives in US and from few friends but all decisions are taken by Yeimmy. She told me a story of her childhood, it wasn't all roses (just like my life). In fact, her life was very hard until she got independent, found a good job and she understood that she had to cut off all the past to be happy.

Yesterday we went to salsodromo, it's the first event (salsa parade) of the 5-day festival "Feria de Cali". The parade is 1 km long, lasts 5 hours and takes 6 months to prepare. There are 25 salsa schools showing off their skills. Unfortunately, it wasn't a nice experience due to the crowd pushing us all the time as everyone wanted to see the parade and the organisation of the event was bad. The parade itself was very nice but we didn't stay long. We moved to a concert which officialy opened the festival. I liked the concert and I met a lot of friends but I was so tired after my trip through the continent that I came back home early.

In the picture with Orlando and Karen.

In Cali, Colombia again

My trip up the continent was pretty horrible. It took the whole day to travel (well, I did almost 4000 km) and my luggage didn't arrive in Cali. But... I was happy. Orlando and Javier picked me up from the airport, it was wonderful to see them again. We went to Tin Tin Deo, the famous salsa club, where I met other friends.
Then I came to Yeimmy's flat. She invited me to stay with her as long as I like but at one point I would like to rent a room somewhere as Yeimmy's place is really small. It is fantastic to see her too.

Yesterday, on the 24th of December, I spent the evening and night with Orlando and his family (in the picture with Orlando's mum and niece). I enjoyed myself a lot, we had nice food and ron of course :) The street where they live is decorated with many lights. When I arrived in Cali I could see no lights and I couldn't believe it because it's Christmas. But then I saw Orlando's street and some other streets in the city, and they were all illuminated.
In Colombia 24th is the most important day of Christmas, you spend it with family. 25th and 26th is just salsa party, salsa party and salsa party (called Feria de Cali). In Cali you will never hear Christmas carols, all you hear is salsa music in houses, streets, supermarkets and buses.

Last night I went out with Diana. I really enjoyed her company, she is kind of a person you must see in your life again so I promised to come back to Asunción one day, for her wedding :)
I stayed just one day in the city however this day was very long. Diana took me on an intensive cultural ride and I heard a lot of interesting stories about Paraguay. I visited many places, ate typical Paraguayan food and drunk terere (ha ha ha... sorry, the name is so funny). Apparently Paraguay is the hottest country in South America... it was really hot.
Early in the morning I boarded a plane to Cali, Colombia.

PARAGUAY, In Asunción

The bus was 45 minutes late. Too many tickets were sold so as a result people didn't have seats, the bus was overcrowded. The conditions were unhuman as the temperature outside was 40 degrees. We stopped at the Argentinian border and an hour later at the Paraguayan border (it is a big distance between these two custom offices). We arrived in Ciudad del Este and from there I took a bus to Asunción, it was another horrible and tiring trip. When I finally arrived in Asuncion at 1 am, I took a very expensive taxi to Diana's flat. She works as a music teacher in a college, before that she used to play violin in an orchestra. She travelled to many South American countries with the group, playing concerts, until she stopped few years ago and started teaching. She is a great person.
We visited the city centre this morning and afternoon (it's small) then we got caught in the rain so we went to a bar. I tried the typical Paraguayan food, for example the only in the world solid soup. I couldn't believe it was soup!! I tried "terere" (ha ha ha... what a name) - it's tea or "mate" but drunk cold, with ice.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terer%C3%A9
In Asunción people carry thermoses with them too, like in Argentina and Uruguay. However, here the thermoses are big and heavy (but also very beautiful - in the picture Diana and her monster thermos). I really admire the people, I would never ever in a million years carry such a heavy thing all day round, every day.
In Paraguay they speak Spanish and Guarani (and in Asunción also Jopara). Not many people speak Spanish but all of them speak Guarani which was the main language until recently, when they added Spanish as an official language. In Paraguay you can pay with American dollars except from some small shops.
There is a huge hydroelectric dam in Itaipu in Paraguay:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itaipu_Dam

Porto Iguazu is a nice small town. For the first time I felt the atmosphere of Christmas because many houses and bars are decorated with lights, which looks lovely at night.
This morning, very early, we took a bus to the waterfalls. We spent 6 hours in the Iguazu Park, walking, walking and walking. Walking from one fall to another, walking up and down stairs to see them from the top and from the bottom. The falls are absolutely fantastic, they are another proof of how powerful the nature is. Many people were visiting the place which I didn't like but well, I was one of them. The waterfalls are great so no wonder the park is crowded all year round.
We also took a boat which gets to the bottom of two waterfalls. I couldn't breathe several times because of the water and I got completely wet. It was a great fun.
Later in the afternoon I am taking a bus to Paraquay.

In Porto Iguazu, Argentina again

Yes, the driver was going to our destination but he had to stop at night and sleep. We decided to carry on by bus to get to the town quicker but as it was getting late, we were feeling more and more tired. The driver proposed that we sleep in his truck which was big and comfortable, so we did. When we woke up on Monday morning the rain disappeared. It was sunny and extremely hot. We felt great because we had a good rest at night.
The vegetation in the north part of Argentina is fantastic, the colour of trees and bushes is light green, so optimistic! We were very close to Brazil, about 6 km from the border. We could see very skinny and sick dogs near the road - unnourished people and animals on the road are a sign that you are in or near Brazil...
Our destination was Foz de Iguazu in Brazil but we changed our minds and we got off in Porto Iguazu, an Argentinian town. We found a hostel, had a walk in the town and wanted to take a bus to the waterfalls on the Brazilian side (they are very close to Porto Iguazu). However, we forgot that it's one hour ahead in Brazil and they let people in to the Iguazu Park until 4 pm. We were late. We got upset for this reason but only for a moment. Tomorrow we will visit the falls on the Argentinian side, the area is much bigger than the Brazilian side (in the picture). Of course, everything is expensive here as many tourists come to this part of South America to see the waterfalls.
My pictures from Uruguay:
Montevideo and Maldonado

I arrived in Salto at 6.30 am. I asked different companies if there was a bus to Concordia, on the Argentinian side (you have to go there first to get to Brazil). There wasn't. I noticed an European girl with a big rucksack in the bus station. I asked her if she was going to Concordia by chance. She was. So I  hitch-hiked with Francesca from Germany. It was a great fun although not easy to hitch-hike at 7 am on Sunday, in a violent storm.... (in the picture: before the storm).
But... nothing is impossible. A man gave us a lift to the Argentinian border and another one, a custom officer, to Concordia (all the distance: 29 km). It appeared that all the buses were leaving from Concordia to Iguazu late at night. We couldn't bear waiting in the sad bus station all day, so we decided to.... hitch-hike more, in the rain.
There were two dogs I was "talking to" at the bus station. They walked us to the road where we started stopping cars, quite a long way. They were barking at some cars and at some not, like telling us: these are good people and these are not. Interesting.
Somebody gave us a lift to the highway and he spoke to the patrolling police officers. The police stopped a truck for us and asked the man to take us to another city. 5 hours later the driver spoke to another truck driver and we changed at a petrol station. The second truck was going straight to our final destination!! - we did about 1000 km in total, hitch-hiking in South America (cost: 0 pounds!..). I would never ever did it in the north part of the continent. I used to hitch-hike a lot on my own in Europe years ago, and I loved it. But in some South American countries doing it means robbery, rape or death.

In the late afternoon I left Maldonado for Montevideo (in the picture with Nicolas' parents). I had to come back to the capital because you get all the bus connections from the city, all roads lead to Montevideo in this country :)
When I arrived, I bought a ticket to Salto, near Argentinian border. My destination is Foz de Iguazu in Brazil, a town with the famous in the world waterfalls. They are situated on the border of three countries: Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay but only accessible from Brazil and Argentina. First I am heading to Foz.
http://www.curitiba-brazil.com/iguacu-falls.htm
It looks like the whole trip from Maldonado to Foz will be a nightmare as I will change buses 4 times and I will travel for 20 hours. I was also told that tomorrow there are no buses going from Salto to the Argentinian border (Sunday, the only day with no bus service) so.... well.... tomorrow... I will be hitch-hiking for the first time in South America.

Nicolas' parents are wonderful. The mother wasched our clothes and dried them, she also makes breakfast for us every day. The father always watches us, ready to help with anything. They are treating us as they would like somebody to treat their son. I hope that Nicolas will always find such caring Couch Surfing hosts as his parents are (and himself too).
This morning we went to a nudist beach called Chihuahua. Well, I was the only nudist in the group but the beach was beautiful and everyone wanted to see it. I have visited a lot of nudist beaches in Europe but this was the first one in South America. I don't think there are many on the continent, apart from Brazil maybe which is a quite liberated country.
In the late afternoon I went to the famous Punta del Este town with Nicolas. He does a contract work in the town so I had a walk around on my own. Punta is a popular touristic spot, beautiful and clean, with many rich people living there. I saw a lot of tourists, too many to my taste, I prefer the wild beaches of Maldonado.
It's so funny watching people in the streets in Uruguay. Every second man holds a thermos with hot water and drinks mate (mentioned in my blog before in section Cordoba) which is incredible, such a great national habit. I like Uruguay, there is something very charming about the country and the people are lovely. I am definitely going to come back here one day to explore the whole east coast of the country.

In Maldonado

This morning I took a bus from Montevideo to Maldonado. Distance: 134 km, 2 hours on the bus, cost: 5 pounds. I need to relax on a beach for few days and to be lazy for a change. Not much walking and visiting! - I promised myself during a long walk back home from the beach.
My host Nicolas picked me up from the bus station with Dee from Ireland who arrived in his house 2 hours before me. In the house I met his parents, a girl from Peru and Poland, and a guy from Medellin in Colombia. We have had a lot of fun on the beach and we were swimming a lot in the cold sea today (in the picture).
Maldonado is a small town, there is just a main square, many shops and streets. But... it's great, I need a change after visiting several big cities.

When I was visiting the city again today, I couldn't see any tourists. I suppose Montevideo is not a touristic destination as there is not much to see. Uruguay is famous for its amazing beaches, I am travelling to a seaside town tomorrow to find out if the beaches are really so great :)
I've seen so many abandoned buildings today!!... so many of them... some really big and beautiful, like the one in my picture. I will always remember Montevideo for the abandoned buildings, it is so unusual.
Uruguay is not as cheap as you would think it is (or as you would hope...). I had a look in few shops in a shopping centre, the prices were higher than in London. So far the cheapest shops I found were in Chile and Argentina, the richest countries of South America.
People use a lot the word "barbaro" which I didn't hear in other countries. It means "cool, great".
My pictures from the capital of Argentina:
Buenos Aires
And a video:
Aga and Cristian dancing Lambada Zouk in Buenos Aires, 10 Dec 2010

I had a walk around in the city centre yesterday (in the picture the main square). The centre is really nice but some streets outside of the central zone look isolated and unwelcoming. I don't feel as safe as I felt in Buenos Aires, I wouldn't walk here on my own at night. It's probably because there are many people in the centre of Buenos Aires during the day and night, and here not. Apart from numerous beautiful buildings, there are many old and rough ones, and a lot of them are abandoned. Such a pity, if they renovated them the city would look much nicer. Montevideo is a port city. There weren't many people in the port so I just had 5 minute walk along the empty beach and I came back to places with more people. Generally, I feel a good vibe in the city.

URUGUAY, In Montevideo

In the evening I went for the last time to Güerrin, the best pizza place in Buenos Aires. They serve excellent cakes too, I had my favourite flan with dulce de leche and a lot of caramel sauce.
Then I went dancing to get rid of the extra calories :) I forgot to mention before that I met Romina who lives in Buenos Aires. She is a famous lambada zouk teacher and also a very energetic person with beautiful personality. I was watching many videos of her dancing with my teacher from London; I arrived in BA and I met her personally (with Romina in the picture).

The next morning I said goodby to Daniela and I went to Porto Madero to buy a ferry ticket to Montevideo (well, the ferry left us in a town called Colonia where a bus was waiting for us). All the trip cost 34 pounds and it took 4 hours to get from Buenos Aires to the capital of Uruguay. It's possible to do the whole trip by land only but it takes much longer and apparently it's more expensive.
I arrived in Montevideo in the evening and I took a local bus to my host's flat. The city is very different than Buenos Aires. It's smaller and dirtier but it has some charm. Rafael lives in a nice new building on the 7th floor, with a view over a beautiful abandoned train station and the city port.

This afternoon I finally went to the famous La Boca district, which is colourful and charming (in the picture). There are only few safe streets where tourists can walk, but it's enough to get the feeling of the Argentinian culture. There are many restaurants with tango shows, people are singing or bands are playing in the streets. You can find many handcraft shops in La Boca. Lovely place although very crowded.
Later in the day I moved to Daniela's house again. Bruno's mother is coming to visit and she will be staying in his flat. Daniela kindly agreed to share her bed with me this night; I can't have my bed back as she is hosting another Couch Surfer at the moment.
In a couple of hours I am going to the lambada club for the last time. Hernan and his friends are coming too, to do the beginners class. I should be paid for bringing people to the club and introducing them to lambada :)
Tomorrow I am going to Uruguay. I have spent 300 pounds in 2 weeks in Argentina, with no accomodation costs. Buses between cities, food in bars and supermarkets, taxis - all this is expensive here. What is cheap is local buses and tube in Buenos Aires. Entrance fee to the lambada club is 3.20 pounds a night. It includes 1 hour class and 1 drink, which is extremelly cheap comparing to London.
I am very sad that I have to leave Buenos Aires but.... I WILL BE BACK.

The accent and pronunciation of the language in Argentina is very different than in other Spanish speaking countries. It's because of a strong Brazilian influence, not only on the language but also music or food.
Yesterday in the afternoon I took a train to Tigre, a town by the Tigre river. I was warned to be careful on the train, and indeed it was filthy and filled with some dodgy, dirty people. The first time in Argentina I saw ugly districts from the train, on the way to the town. It takes about 30 minutes to get to Tigre, when I arrived I had a walk around but there was nothing to see. I booked an hour boat trip on the river (in the picture: the starting point), which was nice. The river is narrow, there are many boats overtaking one another and a lot of holiday houses on both sides of the river. It must be lovely to spend a weekend by the river, although I wouldn't like so many boats passing in front of  my nose while I am having rest.
At night Bruno's friends came over and they made sushi, it was delicious. His friends are nice but they don't talk to me. I think they are shy and they don't know how to do it. Maybe it's just me who can talk to anyone anytime and about anything. The guys talk between them, as if I was not there. If I say something, they always listen carefully, reply, explain... and then start talking between them again, and I feel eliminated from the conversation.

Yesterday I wanted to go to a district called La Boca. It's a famous and apparently dangerous district in Buenos Aires, with many skilled pick pocketers (but without guns I was told by locals).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Boca
I never got there. It was pouring with rain after breakfast so I decided to wait a little bit on my mattress... I woke up at 5 pm, Bruno came back from work 10 minutes later so I did shopping and I cooked. I like cooking in this house because I feel that Bruno appreciates it.
At night I went to Beleza Maluco. I have many friends in the club now so I was dancing a lot (sometimes with 4 guys at the same time as you can do in lambada), until DJ started playing electronic music after midnight. Beleza Maluco is the only club where dancing starts earlier than in other places.

I met Sandra and David again, they are stuck in Buenos Aires at the moment (they want to travel to Rio de Janeiro as soon as possible). David was robbed in Bolivia, he got into a taxi and few minutes later two men with guns appeared on both sides of him and demanded money and credit card. He told them he didn't have any cash but he gave them his card and a fake pin code. He had some money in a pocket so he was able to pay for the rest of the trip to Buenos Aires but now he needs to pay for the hostel and trip back to Colombia. His friend has sent him money through Western Union but the company tells him every day that the money hasn't come through yet so he has to wait.
I spoke to Bruno about his dog. He said that all Jack Russells have bad character and it's nothing you can do about it. When the dog was little, Bruno used to slap his face when he became agressive to make sure that he will not bite anyone, so now the dog knows he can't do it. But to my surprise, the dog started to behave. He is not coming on my mattress without my permission any more (he sits next to my head when I lie and stares at me, waiting for the green light). When I let him in, he fells asleep immediately and starts snoring like a bear. I can't help it, I have to smile when it happens. I like him, despite his bad behaviour. I respect his bad moods and he respects my wishes, this is  how it's working now. Just like between people.
Yesterday I went to a club called "La Salsera". As the name indicates, there is salsa dancing and classes during the week except from Thursday - it's lambada night!! :)) I arrived at 11.30 pm and there were only 3 people in the club. I introduced myself and danced few times (I love it when the floor is empty). Other people came at about 1 am. Oh my god... it's not how I like it. I like the London way, where the classes start at 8.30 pm, we start dancing at 10 pm and finish at 3 am. You can dance a lot, sleep at night and do something productive the next day.
This time not many guys asked me for a dance, they were dancing with friends. I was observing them for a while and then I started asking for a dance those guys whose style of dancing I liked. I somethimes feel shy to do it, especially when I am in a new club, but it always pays off. Yesterday I made new friends and I was given lift home. I understood that men don't ask me for a dance because they are too shy to ask a foreigner, they are scared of unknown. Shy, shy, shy... wouldn't this world be better without this feeling??...

I found out that Daniela doesn't have a Facebook account. Wow!! - I thought I was one in a million, now we are two in a million :)

It was a catholic holiday in Argentina yesterday (Day of Virgin Mary), people didn't work and many shops were closed. I moved to Bruno's flat which is very close to Daniela's flat. He is photographer, one of the rooms is his photography studio. He also has a little Jack Russells. Changing hosts is tiring but at the same time you meet various people, they all have different lives so you learn a lot.
Yesterday I was invited to a dinner party by Bruno's friend. The food and the company were excellent, all the people were Argentinian apart from one girl from South Africa.
As you all know I absolutely love dogs. But the little creature I live with at the moment is unpredictable and agressive. Yesterday I couldn't leave the house at night because he got agressive when I wanted to leave. I had a tempting thought of kicking him but eventually I managed to shut the entrance door with the growling dog inside the flat. This night he tried to get on my mattress several times so I had to push him out. When I woke up I let him sleep next to me for a while but when I wanted to get up, he became agressive again. Monster!!...
In the picture: one of the streets in San Telmo district.

Yesterday I visited streets with many outlets as I was looking for a lambada dress. At night I met Sandra from Switzerland (who I met in Colombia and who I have been corresponding with since) and David from Colombia who travelled 7 days by bus through South America to meet her in Buenos Aires. Daniela joined us; we went for a drink and we had a great time (in the picture).
This afternoon I met the guys again in their hostel in San Telmo (a famous for tango shows district) and we went to eat the best pizza in Buenos Aires, near obelisco.

I have changed hosts. Hernan had a guest "booked" a lot of time ago so I could stay with him until Sunday, when Julia arrived. She is from Ukraine but she lives and works in Los Angeles. I met her in the morning, we all had breakfast together and I left to Daniela's house. Daniela lives in Palermo district, like Hernan, but in a different part. When I arrived we had a long chat. She is a lawyer who works for ONG but after many years of working in the sector she thinks about going on a long holiday and then changing profession. She separated from her French boyfriend a month ago so she is very upset at the moment, although she doesn't want to show it. She is planning to go on holiday to Ecuador in January as all the courts are closed during this month in Argentina (only few are dealing with very urgent cases). At the moment she is extremely busy at work as everyone is trying to solve their court cases before the end of December.
At night I was dancing lambada :)) Daniela, Hernan, Julia and Pedro from Mexico (who I met in the salsa club on Thursday) went with me and did the beginners class.
Interesting information: we were talking about my dog in Poland whose name is Sonda and Daniela initially thought it was Zonda. Zonda is a very dry wind which occurs in Argentina.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zonda_wind
In the picture: in the city centre with Daniela, before going to the lambada club.

I wanted to see something new in the city but I just couldn't face walking miles again so Hernan took me on a ride in his car. He showed me some great places, for example Puerto Madero, "Pink House" (a government building painted in pink), National Congress building. What can I say?.... I love Buenos Aires. Before I came here I was worried that everything in the city was about tango. I don't like tango dance and music so I was worried that I would be forced to participate in it. But... no no and no. BA is not only about tango; it is about salsa, lambada, friendship, nice weather, amazing just amazing buildings and amazing streets. When Hernan was driving I counted lanes on the 9th of July street. 7 lanes going just in one direction, in the middle of the city!!!!! And 7 on the other side of the road. I can't describe how amazed I am. The city is enormous and very beautiful. I would like to live here (such a big statement....).
At night Federico picked me up on his motorbike and I did more visiting from the motorbike seat. I enjoyed it a lot. I got a hayfever and I had to buy medication because my eyes got really itchy. I asked Federico to keep his mobile ready and to phone an ambulance in case I got an alergic reaction. After my experience in Peru I am really scared to take any medication. But I took the first tablet and hey!! - I am ok. Federico got nervous when he heard the story from Cusco and when I asked him the favour...
We went to the lambada street party at 1.30 am. When we arrived the party had not started yet, people were preparing the music equipment (can you believe it, at 1.30 at night!!!...). They said it could be half an hour longer. I was tired to be honest and Federico got a little bit angry because of the delay so we came back home. Today I am going to Maluco Beleza, the same great lambada club that I went to on Friday.
In the picture: pedestranised Florida street in the centre of Buenos Aires.

Yesterday I was visiting the city centre. Hernan lent me a guide book with a walking track, showing the most beautiful and interesting places and buildings. They included squares, monuments, the biggest streets (9th of July is apparently the biggest street in the world), theatres, shops. Buenos Aires is huge, its streets are long and wide. To be honest after two hours of walking I had enough and I turned my attention to shops with clothes :) The city is incredibly beautiful though and the atmosphere is good, I feel safe. It reminds me of Palermo in Sicily, my favourite place in Europe. People are busy in the streets but somehow it's not the same crazy "busy" that in London.

At night I went to a lambada zouk club where I was dancing a lot. Do I have to say how happy I was??... I found the club on internet, I went there on my own... and I left having at least 20 friends who are waiting for me at the lambada street party tonight. The music was excellent and the dancers were very good. I was waiting for this moment for a long time (I was dancing lambada the last time 8 months ago in Fortaleza, Brazil). I felt a little bit nervous because I thought that maybe I forgot lambada steps but there was nothing to worry about - I was dancing better than ever before :)
When I arrived to the club people asked me about my teachers in London who are the best lambada dancers in the world, from the Kaoma group: Braz and Patricia Cruz from Porto Seguro in Brazil.
After dancing we went to a bar for a drink (in the picture - the lambada team). All the people working in the bar dance lambada :)
I met Federico who lives very close to my host's flat so he gave me a lift back on his motorbike.
So far my life in Buenos Aires could not be better.

On my first night in Buenos Aires I was...... dancing a lot :))) I went to a Couch Surfing meeting in a salsa club called Jannoy (in the picture). I met only two Couch Surfers at the bar, out of 70 who were supposed to come. But it wasn't a problem. I went to the place thinking that I would not find good dancers and I would come back home early. I was very surprised to meet many professional dancers and luckily, Argentinian guys are not shy so they were asking me for a dance a lot. Not like in Brazil where guys were dancing only with friends and I had to ask them for a dance. The place was great, with a lot of space to dance so you don't step on each other's feet.
I met Pedro from Mexico who has been travelling for 14 months now. He is a great dancer; he spent a month in Cali attending salsa classes. I think people attend the classes in Cali and they never use the skills they had learnt as Cali salsa you dance only in Cali. Yesterday we were dancing mainly New York style and surprisingly, a lot of bachata. I was very happy and I felt alive again, after more than two months without dancing.
My pictures from the trip through Andes (Chile - Argentina) and from two Argentinian cities:
Mendoza and Cordoba

In Buenos Aires

Cordoba - Buenos Aires: 770 km, 10 hours on the bus, cost: 29 pounds. The bus was very comfortable but at one point the air conditioning was too much for me. The cold air was blowing in my face and I could hear people behind me putting on clothes and suddenly getting quiet. I had a panoramic seat in front of the bus on the second floor so I went down to speak to the driver. He switched off the air conditioning for the whole night so people could sleep well :)
We arrived in the bus station in Retiro, a district in Buenos Aires. It is very cofusing when you want to board a bus to BA from another city. It always says Retiro on the bus and you think that it's not Buenos Aires. I took tube and I arrived in my host's flat. Tube is cheap here, it costs 18 pence a ride.
Hernan lives in a nice part of the city, by a small but beautiful park. When I arrived I had a sleep and I woke up at 4 pm again.
In the picture: the huge Avenida 9 de Julio in the centre of Buenos Aires (the famous obelisco in the background) and Avenida Cordoba.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obelisk_of_Buenos_Aires

Yesterday I did some visiting again; visiting, visiting, visiting. Visiting is all my life at the moment. Walking miles to visit something. I went to Museum of Natural Sciences and did more visiting in the centre. Cordoba is a beautiful city I have to say.
This morning I woke up at 7 am (ouch!!...) because my host Cristian invited me on a trip outside of Cordoba. It was the first time I met my host as he lives in a different flat. We went to Villa los Aromos where Cristian girlfriend's family has been building a summer/weekend house and Cristian (who is an architect) is supervising the work. The village was very nice and the air so fresh!! Then we took another bus to Alta Gracia, a beautiful town where I visited museum of Che Guevara (in the picture).
What is really funny for me (I couldn't stop laughing...) is that if you ask a passerby or a local for information, you shout: hey, flaco!! - which means: hey, skinny!! - and nobody gets offended :) However, you can't shout: hey, gordo!! - hey, fatty!! because this is offensive.