I Can't Count

October 29, 2015

ARGENTINA is the principal country I'll be cycling in. I've included a link below: a brief history of the country.

www.localhistories.org/argentina.html

It is the most European of South American nations. A large percentage of Argentines have ancestry from Italy, Spain, Germany, France. Ireland and Britain, as well as many small groups from countries such as Croatia, Ukraine, Lebanan, to name but a few. Also, a small group of people from the United States made it to Argentina, most famously Harry Longbottom, better know as Butch Cassidy. Also Argentina's first holder of a pilots licence in the early 1900s was a dentist who originated from New York, George Newbury, or Jorge Newbury: the domestic airport in Buenos Aires is named after him. And not to forget the Welsh, who spread out and developed a whole province, Chubut in Patagonia.

In the nineteen century, the British built railroads and banks and also introduced football and rugby. Irish missionaries built English schools. And French architects laid out and built Buenos Aires to the beautiful city we see today; sometimes called "Paris on the Pampas".

The people are very sociable, like southern Europeans, when in company, they chat non-stop. And I've found, for the most part, very warm hearted and genuine. As a foreigner during my many past visits, on a regular basis, people have befriended me, for no better reason than I'm a foreigner: a curiosity to be welcomed.

Some trivia on myself.

I am extremely vain. I carry a mirror, in which, I look in first thing every morning checking for wrinkles and grey hair. People I meet usually guest my age as ten to fifteen years younger than my actual age; something I find very flattering. I have a designer beard and go to the barber often and wear designer cloths off the bike. And like hanging out in the most hip places in town.

My bike is a touring bike, other than that it is just a bike, which serves it's purpose very well. I would write an equipment list, but I just find such things so boring to look at, never mind read. This journal is a stats free zone: the one exception, is daily distance and overall tour distance, which I use the Google map to come by as I no longer use the cycle-computer. I couldn't care less about average speed, fastest speed, metres gained, metres lost. And my pet hate is photographs of cycle-computers showing overall tour distance 10,000 km, reached. So what. This is meant as no disrespect to those that have taken up cycling comparatively recent and are out on their first big tour, I realise ten-thousand kilometres is a milestone to them.

Generally speaking I avoid figures in my writing.

I don't like stating the obvious too. That's why this journal isn't called "Sean's cycle tour of Argentina" The title of my last journal can be interpreted many ways "Green" represents Ireland. It also is the colour of my bike. Or, partly, most of the landscapes I passed through were green. It rolls off the tongue, like the present "We're So Happy...." and it can be linked to me on this tour. The "we" me and my bike. I'm so happy: well I am, why wouldn't I be. I can't count: true: I've just told you I don't like statistics.

My first day in Buenos Aires, it poured down rain all day and I just made it out briefly to get money from an ATM and buy toothpaste and eat in a self-service restaurant. The next day, Friday is dry, but grey, well more of a white misty sky lay low over the main avenue.

I go for a long walk west to Recolecta, the famous cemetery, the last resting place of the good and great of Argentina's history. The walkways between rows of mausoleums are as usual crowded with tourists, so I don't go in, instead I sit on a bench in the park out in front. It is quite a beautiful Spring day now: the mist is whiter and green buds are opening on the trees and the pink jacaranda is in bloom. And the chirp of birds can be heard above the traffic noise beyond.

I walk on, doubling back and down along the busy Avenida de Liberador and pass by Retiro rail station, continuing east along a narrow street parallel to the riverfront to come out on Plaza de Mayo with it's seat of government palace "Casa Rosada". Then continue to the cobblestone street old town, St Telmo, where now the sun is breaking through in brilliant rays of yellow. I have a feeling of deja ve, in a good way. The pastel colours of grand but peeling nineteenth century shops and houses. The flymarket in the square, many selling souvenir mate-orbs. And the soft ambience of street music floating in the air. Spring's green buds and pink jacaranda blossom.

Changes abound. There is a new bus only lane either way down the centre of Avenida 9 Julio, with rail station like platform sheds at stops. There's a city-bike system with parking bays like most European cities; and, there are more cycle-lanes.

Prices have shot up since last I was here. Argentina is now more expensive than Spain and more like expensive European countries such as France or Ireland. Furthermore there are tourist taxes, I think. When using a foreign card in an ATM, there is a poor exchange rate. Most of the other travellers in the hostel are talking about it; and many exchange imported dollars, pounds or euros with street money-changers. They mention an online app in which this can be done. The ordered money is sent to a shop where they pick the currency up a couple of days after using the app. Presently I get fifteen Argentine pesos for one pound. Travellers using pounds are getting twenty-two pesos to a pound, when importing currency and exchanging it on the street.

Its a far cry from when I first came here in 2004. Then, the hostel and most cheap hotels cost twelve to twenty pesos (£4-£7); now, the price is 150 pesos (£10), which isn't too bad, but food is really expensive. A steak meal in a restaurant will run to 200pesos (£13) and upwards. In 2004, the same would be twelve pesos (£4). Beer and wine is equally dear, with a litre bottle of "Quilmes" the national beer, costing sixty pesos out (£4). And supermarkets prices are on a par with expensive Europe.

Though, having said the above, as I find my feet in the new price regime, it is possible to eat out for less in big city Buenos Aires, by eating in places offering "Menu del Dia", always priced about ninety-five pesos (£6.33): a set menus including a soft drink, desert or coffee. Usually the main course is "milanaise" (a scallop of thin steak, or chicken in batter deep fried) with salad.

So that's that. Tomorrow I'll be opening the box and putting the bike together ready for the road. I'll leave you with photos of beautiful Buenos Aires.

Next update will be a cycling day. I've really enjoyed putting this new journal together and look forward to developing it further in the months to come.

Many thanks to all the readers coming along. You are much appreciated.

Puerto Madero: the redeveloped old port.

Restaurant patron's quote. "There come such people that love my establishment. I am going to for this reason continue working, always. This is my life."

Retiree couple obviously on a trip to Patagonia, by the bright fleece attire, sit in Plaza de Mayo in front of Casa Rosada.

Aging Tango dancer. What is interesting here is the architecture in the background.

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