Well, it seems odd for me to think that I´ve only been away for some 2 weeks. It feels longer and yet no time at all. In 2 days school ends and my Spanish will be as is- time to really put it to the test.

I´ve been busy trying to learn and the while school doesn´t fill me with joy, I am a lot better and getting more confident to speak. Okay, it´s not war & peace but it´s enough to generally get by so far. I am continually surprised at how little people speak of other languages. However, apart from shops etc, if you do meet people then it´s usually a good experience. I´ve been lucky with my host family. Susanna is a sweety and has been helpful with the Spanish as she has good english (+ german, french...). I also have a new house mate, a slightly older guy called Ulrich. Although german born he´s lived in a special community in India for some 30 years. Speaks excellent english and in some ways we are on a similar path here. So that´s nice. We went out for a beer last night (now I know I´m going to upset people here...) in shorts and T shirt, home just after midnight and still warm.... Actually we ended up sharing a table (better that than fight for it) with 2 local argentinian women out for their evening meal. Remember this was beyond 9pm!!! They really do eat late and at weekends party very late- clubs start at 3am, meals 9pm with queues beyond midnight, bed 07.00 etc. Still, we spoke to the 2 Patricia´s (largely 1 each as though I think Uli is ok at spanish he´s only been here 2 days so isn´t confident and 1 Patricia spoke some english) for a lovely couple of hours. I was lucky that Patricia spoke clearly and slowly and we could understand each other. I am pleasantly surprised and proud. Otherwise they speak so FAST (yet slower than Chile, eeek) and that makes it very hard.

So, today has been warm still but those tropical rain storms take some getting used to- feels like the rain for 1 day in the UK arrives in 30 mins... You get a very wet massage but dry quickly too. I still like Bue. It is an odd place for a none city person like me. Roads and pavements like a bomb site but people clean their bit of pavement daily. A lovely relaxed feel to the place but at times aggressive touts for sex clubs or leather shops (I try to avoid the touirist streets now). People look after themselves physically (and I realise the weather being so hot makes people more beautiful as they don´t tend to use make up so are more natural- but they also walk in more real ways, it really seems to be a passionate city) but there are lots of young smokers and sadly anorexic looking people. The beggars are not aggressive, but lots of kids begging and many people sleeping on the streets with nowhere to go. The traffic is busy but okay (bar the fumes). They respect traffic lights well though the horn seems on permanently at certain times of day. The places to see are only ok but it´s the people that carry this place so well. The food is merely okay- quality good but choice limited and a main meal is effectively meat + 1 other thing eg rice, salad, chips. Wonderful steaks though. No sauce so can be dry if not careful.

Come Saturday I start to truly travel. Alone into the sticks, albeit to touristy areas at least at first. I take an 18-20 hour bus to Los Catartes (waterfalls) de Iguazu (big falls). That´s 1 of the photo´s on the front of the blog. I stay 3 days (most stay 2) and no doubt will get mucho wet and try one of the shower boat trips... Then same journey back here before a 36 hour bus to El Calafate on the same day (Perito Moreno Glaciar- world´s only advancing glaciar). Essentially 3 night on 2 buses in succession. Should be fun..... Apparently the buses are like business class on planes so bar the time should be fine. I may not blog again until Calafate so please don´t assume I´m dead. Doh.

To those who´ve been kind enough to leave messages on my board Muchas Gracias. It´s good to hear from you and get some of your news.

So, until Patagonia (yeehaaaa I am really going ) and then Tierra del Fuego (here I come), love to all

Alan xx