I had already booked my bus from Iguazu to Buenos Aires (or just "BA" to us seasoned travellers...Okay yah).

Its quite a decision as you book according to the type of seat you want, and there are three to chose from....... cama, semi cama, cama suite. The difference is how far the seat back reclines, and obviously how much you pay.

Everyone I had met had told me to pay the extra and go for the cama suite as you get the full works and basically a business class type seat that fully reclines as well as drinks and champagne. Plus take into consideration the fact it is an 18 hour journey as well.

I had ummed and aaahed and booked the cheaper seat trying to conserve a bit of money, but was finally talked in to treating myself and going the full works by Jessica as she was also going to Buenos Aires. She had been there learning Spanish for weeks so really knew her way round and offered to be my tour guide.

Despite a huge sticker on the side saying free wifi, the wifi did not work, the food was awful and you hardly got any drinks. The seats however were huge and you got blankets and pillows so it was a thousand times better than the bus from Rio, plus it was direct so there were hardly any stops.

For some reason we got stopped three times and had the bus searched by the, military and Had our bags and ID checked, so got woken up in the middle of the night a few times.

We arrived really early in BA, plus it was also the Easter weekend so it was eerily quiet, there was hardly anyone to be found.

I had a laugh with the taxi driver about the hand of God in Mexico 1986.

We went to where Eva made her famous speach, the Congress buildings and the famous San Telmo market which was perfect timing for the day we had arrived. I was amazed at all the stuff that was availble from the seventies on sale. If I was not backpacking I would have bought loads of old stuff. There was tango and music eveywhere, the city had a real buzz about it.

There was also a touring car street race which was really good, but it was so packed you could hardly get near to get a decent view.

There are loads of references and memorials about the Falklands war everywhere you go, so that was definitely a topic of conversation to be avoided.

In the evening was an amazing authentic Argentinian restaurant where we had local stews and of course lots of Malbec, and then I was introduced to the local famous drink Fernet. The only way I could describe the taste was a combination of horrible medicine and licking an ash tray. Apparently it is an acquired taste......you aint kidding.

The evening was topped off by some tango dancing, but sadly due to my ankle injury I could only watch (it was a good excuse)...

What a great start to Buenos Aires I had had......was my good fortune to continue.?

As I checked in to my hostel which was on the sixth floor I saw a sign saying the lift was out of order. I had all my baggage with me, so, a narrowly avoided A heart attack as much later I arrived at the desk puffing and panting.

The hostel seemed ok and as I started to unpack I noticed one of the guys from the room kept popping in, looking around and popping out again.

I eventually asked him what was up and he said that the room had been broken in to the night before and everything had been stolen out of the lockers, so he wanted to keep his eye open.....

Nice.

Not exactly the welcome I had wanted.

Next day I had a wander in to town and passed by towards San Telmo again as I had offered to pick something up for Jessica who had now left.

The person I was supposed to meet was not in, so rather than come back I noticed there was a pub next door, so sent a message I would be in the pub for a while.

Well, what a bizarre pub for the middle of town.

It was designed as an old English pub called the Gibralter and advertised they had Guinness and Ales, however it was really grotty and run down. As I walked to the bar I looked around and realised the clientele were shall we say a little bit shady. I felt I may have come to the wrong place and wanted to walk out but I was right down the far end of the pub and everyone was staring at me.

I tried to look cool and calm and gave the barman the james bond squint and ordered a pint of their finest ale.

I wondered when the last time they cleaned the pipes was as a glass of cloudy mess was presented to me.

That will be five quid (obviously in Spanish).

How much???????

I was thinking I must have mis interpreted and there was no way it could be that much.

Yep it was.

Bloomin ada that is not cheap. That was my daily budget wiped out in one go.

There had been a big fat skin head in a seat by the door, but he had left so I decided to set up station there.

As I sat down I noticed the couple opposite me were petting heavily. They were not far away at all and it was awkward to say the least. They were right in my sight line.

I picked up a paper and pretended to read it so as to put a bit of a curtain between us. As I was trying to make out the news and wondering if I was going to get murdered in the pub I saw the top of a bald head come to a stop above the top of the paper.

I slowly lowered the paper to see the big fat skin head stood looking at me.

Next thing he leaned right towards me.

This is the end I thought as his arm stretched out towards me. It was a good job I was not holding my pint as I reckon I would probably have dropped it.

I was just staring at him as he got really close then he smiled and said excuse me (again in Spanish) and pointed to the side of the chair.

I looked down and noticed a motorbike key under the side of my leg.

With a still look of petrified fear on my face I handed him the key. It all felt like it was in slow motion.

He smiled and said muchas gracias and went out.

I dont think I wet myself, but I reckon I was not far off. Another mild stroke narrowly avoided.

I no longer had the newspaper live sex show curtain up and the petting couple stopped petting, looked at me as if to say what are you looking at and then petted even more heavily.

I felt as if I was in some sort of strange dream as I lifted up my pint in a bit of a daze.

Needless to say it was a horrible pint, but at five quid I was drinking it.

I could not wait to get out and wrote off waiting any longer, I would come back the next day.

I headed back to the hostel and bought a nice bottle of malbec en route.

I went to the communal area and poured a glass. There was quite a big table of people behind me and then out of the corner of my eye I noticed one of them had come and sat next to me.

I was doing something on my phone so just carried on, but I knew he was staring at me. I turned around and sure enough he was just looking at me.

Weird.

So to break the silence I asked him his name and where he was from.

His expression never changed at all and he just said

"we are all citizens of the world".

He looked just like that Swedish mass killer.

Is this my day for nutters or what I thought to myself.

I decided to have an early night so went back to the dorm.

Some Irish girls had just arrived that day and were part of the group drinking on the table. They were well and truly hammered as they smashed the dorm door open giggling. They had decided to go clubbing so had come in for some additional war paint. I ignored them and just pretended to be asleep So they must not have seen me as one of them let rip with what has to be one of the smelliest farts known to mankind.

They carried on giggling and then left to go out.

Talk about choking, it was horrific.

Next thing they guy who got robbed who I now knew to be a new zealand guy called andy, came in on his regular patrol.

"Strewth mate, do you need me to call an ambulance" he protested as he was holding his nose and waving his arms around.

It was not me I shouted it was the Irish girls!

I dont think he believed me as he ran out the door saying strewth again.

Next day I went back and met the person I should have met the day before, so finally it was mision accomplished.

I wanted to go to a famous area called Caminito straight after, but was not sure where to get the bus from. She suggested I try the next street down, so off I wandered.

I was not sure exactly which street to take so made my best guess.

Halfway down the street two young lads stopped me and asked me something in Spanish.

I did not think much of it at the time and smiled and said sorry, no speaka de Spanish.

Do you have lighter amigo he asked as he held up what looked more like a joint than a cigarette.

As it happened I had one in my pocket so offered it to him.

Then it dawned on me as he just looked at me while he lit it that they were probably muggers. Everyone I had met had a story about being robbed or a friend being robbed.

I looked up and down the street and realised that I was the only person in the street.

s***

It seemed an eternity as he lit his cigarette.

Where are you from amigo? His friend asked.

I went for the friendly banter tactic and shouted manchester! You know....manchester united!

I was bricking it as I had my bag with me with everything in it, passport, money, cards, the lot.

There was a delay then his faced smiled and he said, Si, Rooney! And started nodding his head laughing.

Gracias he said as he gave the lighter back and walked off looking over his shoulder.

I just walked really quickly until I got to the main road.

Phew that was lucky I thought as I turned in to the main street.

Crime and theft is a really big issue. If you go on the underground it feels really unsafe which is why I had decided to catch the bus and walk most places.

After my close encounter I thought the best option would be to go back to the hostel as I knew which bus to catch from there.

Just as I headed off it started to rain really heavily.

I thought it might pass soon so went in to a pub in nearby San Telmo for a beer.

I knew it would be pricey as it is tourist central, but I also knew I would be safe.

Cerveza por favour, I said to the waiter.

He said something I did not understand then he made signs as if to say what size did I want.

Grande, I said thinking it would be like half a pint.

I did not want too much as I was not planning to be there long.

Well I dont know what he brought me but it was a pint of rocket fuel.

I had bought some postcards so started to write those, plus the football was on as well and it was a really nice pub, so I was not actually too bothered as the rain got worse and worse. I ordered a few more beers so was well and truly on the way when I staggered out much later on.

The rain had not stopped all day so I had written off going to visit caminito.

It died off for a bit so I staggered back to the hostel and collapsed in my bed.

Next morning as I sat scratching my head while having a coffee I checked the news on my phone and could not believe what I saw......

" Dozens of people have died in the province of Buenos Aires in Argentina after heavy rains caused flash floods"

I knew it had rained badly yesterday, but not so bad as to have caused that.

Naturally the area I had been in was ok, but to the north of the city was were it had all happened.

My brother has nicknamed me the Mothman, as there seems to be some sort of disaster that follows me when I go abroad. On my last holiday in Italy last year, just after I left Bologne there was an earthquake and people were killed. To make it worse I had no idea at the time and did not check any emails for a couple of days, so poor old mum was fearing the worse.

So this time I got straight On the emails to let everyone know I was OK.

Also as I got chatting to everyone, turns out the route I had taken back the night before is famous for muggings......

So it was quite an eventful time to say the least.

Next stop Uruguay..........