As a prologue to this journal, I should explain how I am now basically travelling as a group of 5, with myself and Karl joined by Lex (who we met in Rio) and two 28 year old teachers (they will love me for letting everyone know that!) Emma and Zoe from London, who we met on our first night in the Millhouse hostel in Buenos Aires - which, by the way, is a wicked hostel situated next door to a 24 hour porn house! Already we are like a group of best friends. Anyway...... First I fell in love with the city, and then I fell in love with a girl from that city. There is only one place to start this journal and that is to talk about my last 4 days in Buenos, days which were just surreal. After days of flirting with Stef (one of the workers from the hostel) without even dreaming that anything would come of it, last Sunday came along. We had cooked enough food to feed the entire hostel and so had invited Stef to join us for some food and drink, which she did, despite the fact that she was supposed to be working. By the time her shift had finished we were well into the swing of things and she joined us again before at around 130am we decided it was time to venture out somewhere else. To cut a long story short, we went out to an 'interesting' bar until the others left, Stef and I stayed behind for another but actually took it back to her pretty swanky flat, right on Av. 9 de Julio - the 14 lane monster road punctuated by an obelisk that is symbolic of BA. Monday morning got no less dreamlike. I made breakfast in bed (well, by that I mean I made a cup of coffee and brought out some crackers!) and then she dragged me out into the bustle of a Monday morning in BA with her, just to pay some overdue bills that some raving bloke had woken us up to chase! It was such a strange experience sitting next to her whilst she chatted away to a bloke trying to change something, obviously sticking out like such a gringo! Then we went for a coffee as we chatted and looked out onto the sidewalk, letting the world go by, with me still unable to get my head around what I was actually doing! It was strange to say the least seeing her in work on Monday, but after she had joined us for some drinks again after her shift, I made my excuses and sneaked out of the hostel to meet back up with her at her place. Then Tuesday was possibly the best night of my trip so far, as the two of us went out on a date in the swanky area of Puerto Moreno. We drank champagne all night, had a gorgeous meal of pasta with salmon, prawns and caviar, all as we sat looking out over the docks illuminated by the lights of Buenos Aires. It wasn't lost on me the fact that the restaurant was on the main road I had walked down on our very first night, and never in a million years could I have imagined then that I would be out with such an incredible 27 year old Argentinean chica! To be perfectly honest, the whole night left me feeling slightly overwhelmed. Anyway, I'll leave my love life behind for a little while at least. Here's the truth, the 10 days spent in Millhouse have in the main been 10 days of partying! My body clock is completely messed up since we usually get in from clubbing any time between 6am and 9am, only to sleep for most of the day before doing it all over again! Of course, I have forced myself to get up and do at least a few things during the day. Last Sunday myself, Lex and the three Aussie lads that we met in Montevideo went to the Boca Juniors v River Plate match, a game which had everything including 3 sendings off (one of which the Boca goalie) and a last minute penalty which allowed Boca to equalise - meaning we got to experience the home crowd going mental and felt the stadium literally rocking! Monday night we went to a really good tango show, well and truly entering into the Argentinean culture, before I did me sleuthing to Stef's. We probably got in about 230 and then I had to get up at 7am to get back to the hostel because it was Lex's birthday and we were getting picked up early to go and do a skydive! After waking Lex up to find him still drunk from the night before (see what happens when I'm not around to look after him?!?), he fell asleep on me in the car as we were taken out of the city to the airfield where we were to do the jump. After a lot of waiting around, and sobering up for Lex, we finally donned our extremely sexy jumpsuits, got harnessed in so tight that we it seemed like our voices hadn't broken, and then took to the sky - seven people in the smallest plane imaginable! The cosiness in the plane was spoilt half way through by a hangover fart from Lex, before we started singing United songs for the cameraman. He first few seconds of the freefall were literally breathtaking (thank goodness the camera doesn't pick up what I am saying!), and then once the parachute had opened I got to guide us for a few minutes before a non too graceful landing brought it all to an end. Back on the ground, I found out much to my amusement that Lex had been sick half way down - something tells me the beers the night before didn't help with that! Back at the hostel, it was a case of a quick shower, pack my bag for leaving in the morning, have a panic attack over my camera charger before eventually finding it, and then pop round to pick Stef up before meeting everyone else at our favourite steakhouse - the third time in 10 nights! Finally, we had a couple of celebratory drinks with Lex before Stef and I left to have a quiet hour or so to ourselves. After 12 nights in Buenos Aires, I leave feeling a mixture of emotions. I am completely exhausted after so little sleep (I don't expect any sympathy), but have loads of memories of great nights out. But I also feel a tinge of sadness at having to leave Stef behind. We got on so so well and I was completely smitten with her eyes, smile and laugh, plus the way she said Jonathan in a Spanish accent! I asked her to fly south with us, and she asked me to stay longer in Buenos - I wish I could but I know I just can't. I will be content with the amazing memories of times spent with an amazing person in an amazing city. From Buenos to the edge of the world........... Jonny