Buenos Aires... the Kissing Policemen... final enstalment from Tango city!

Its now 21 March, but returning to update my blog slowly, given the opportunity to use a PC (thats free and available!)! So I am back to early March and my last few days in Buenos Aires! They were to be a testing few days.... but also had a wonderful time dancing and eating more steak!

Wednesday 3 March... a day I would rather forget.. well not completely! I met up with Kim and Lucy H whom I volunteered with in Rio. Hayley and Lucy F were also in town, but had not had an opportunity to meet up with them. We had all spent a few days in BA at this point and it was only on this day I found out what happened to Hayley and Kim!

When I met Kim and Lucy H, they told me what happened to them on their first day in BA and also told me what happened to Hayley and Lucy F on their first day in BA. Similar incidents and basically 2 out of the 4 had been robbed!

Kim had her small bag stolen when distracted by some people whilst waiting at a bus stop, with Lucy H and all of their bags. Luckily her passport was on her. Whilst Hayley was robbed when someone threw vomit on their bags, when some people came to "assist", but were actually there to rob. As they distracted Hayley and Lucy, one ran off with Hayley`s bag! Passport, bank cards etc.... gone! So I get told all of this whilst with Kim and Lucy and spending early afternoon in the colourful district of La Boca. On our return, we stopped in San Telmo for food, in a restaurant down the road from their hostel.

The 3 of us sat inside, we were the only ones in the resturant, mid afternoon, 3pmish. It seemed quite a nice place. Authentically decorated in Tango style, with umpteen photos on the wall, I guess of some famous people, or those who had performed at the restaurant, as I noticed a stage area for singers etc... A couple of people were sat outside having lunch al fresco, but as all tables were taken, we were sat, alone, inside.

I had my small back pack with me, having taken photos around La Boca and also planned to stop at an internet cafe to upload some more photos, given I only managed to upload a random few some days previously. Uploading photos is a bit of a chore, as often you need a downloading software to be active, which often it is not or is difficult to download in itself!

My bag also contained some books, including my spanish phrasebook which we used to work out the salad items on the menu, along with my SA guide and my"Chica Galesa" hoody! Why am I telling you what was in my bag..... well, .. you guessed it... I was ROBBED!!! I didnt even know it! So was unharmed, but shocked!

Kim and Lucy were equally shocked, given I had been in my bag 10mins previously and we had not long been eating. My bag was at my feet, hidden beneath the long table cloth... but somehow someone managed to snatch it without us knowing! There were at least 6 members of staff in the restaurant and they did not know what happened either... though I first was suspicious of them. They spoke no english, but then mentioned there was a man on a table behind me. I had my back to the restaurant, but neither Kim or Lucy saw anyone in the restaurant... never mind seeing anyone take the bag!!

Very peculiar! Well, I set off immediately, for one thing, I wanted to check what items could have been in the bag and was worried my passport may have been in there, not that I ever carried it with me.... but I had a suspicion... it could be in the bag!

I got back to my hostel, searched my ruck sack and there was no passport... so it was gone... it had a ´Great Escape´as it said on its cover!!! Shoot!!

Next thing, ring mam and tell her to sort out a couple of things. Luckily, I had all of my bank cards were safe and I was in possession of my cash (most of it, though some money was in the bag).

A trip to the Embassy followed and was given a Stolen Passport form, then a trip to the Police Station to report the crime, get a Case No to claim a new passport etc! My visit to the police station that night was in vain, as the gy at the reception desk told me I had to report the crime at a police station in the district the crime took place, this meant I had to go to San Telmo. But, he also told me that no one there spoke english, so I was either to find someone to assist or may get at interpretor in the morning, but may have to wait as they only worked mornings! Okey dokey I thought, its now 730pm and decided to head back to the hostel and head off to the cop shop in the morning.

Its Thursday morning 4th March and I head to San Telmo police station. I get there and wait a while, maybe 40mins or so, as there are others before me. When I get to the desk, the policeman does not speak english and on making a phonecall, hands me the receiver. I speak to an english speaking policeman. I tell him what happened and he arranges to meet me at 2pm.... back at the original police station I had gone to the night before!! Which is at least 15 blocks away! Though I have a few hours to do so! But he also tells me the policeman at the reception the nights before had advised me incorrectly... so was not amused, as he could have arranged an interpretor and save me heading aimlessly to a police station in the morning!

Anyhow, 1pm slowly comes along, after Ive had some food and a wander around shops. Its early, but in the heat of the day, take some solice in the reception of the original police station to wait for my interpretor. They´ve got air con! Fab!

2pm comes along and I head off in a cop car!!! With 3 policemen.... I am starting to think, crikey, this is serious business! But, one gets dropped off and the driver was acting as a chauffeur! He was an impatient driver too, trying to get through the narrow streets of BA city, so decided to put the SIRENS ON, just to get through!!! I couldnt help but smile to myself and thought what a cheek!

When we get to San Telmo police station, there are a few people waiting and my interpretor on speaking to the staff there tells me there will be an hour wait, so he was going to go back to his station and retur! Charming I thought.... especially when after 20 mins.... I was sat alone waiting.... with no interpretor and just sat there waiting!

I was people watching, or should I say copper watching! Police staff would come and go, as well as a dog that they seemed to have at the station, who was minding its own business. There were cobwebs and dead spiders on the lighting, the computer monitors seemed a bit old and everyone seemed calm and laid back. There was no sense of urgency, as I would imagine a police station to be a bit more active, given its in the worst part of BA too! But I was verybemused by the Argentinians daily custom... the custom of greeting one another ... by a kiss on the cheek! Each and every member of staff would kiss each other on the cheek. Policemen, and mostly men, in their heavy duty uniforms, with guns and policing parafanalia on their belts... thus look a bit overbearing... would kiss.... I just thought with a smile on my face..... I wouldnt see that happening in Cardigan Police Station!

As 3pm approached a few more people turned up at the station and I was wondering where my interpretor was. I didnt bother asking them prior to that to ring the guy to get him back sooner. There was no sign of the guy and a number of people were here now. A policewoman had turned up I noticed, so to my surprise, found she was now my interprator and there was me thinking i was having to wait in vain..... but... low and behold... the person at the police station who would make the report decided to dissappear for about an hour as soon as she got me to her desk! Typical!!! I think I left the building at 530pm and was cheeky enough to ask the interpretor for a lift back in the police car!!! Result!! :o)

The next day I head to the Embassy with my Police Report and arranged to get myself a new passport. Whilst I could have got an emergency passport, I would have to return Monday to do so, which they would do in 24hrs, but I didnt particularly want to stay in BA much longer, plus, the emergency passport would not have been of real benefit to me. So, I arranged that a passport be sent to Trefelin whilst I could continue on my travels within Argentina as planned, heading to Puerto Madryn, El Calafate then up towards Esquel and Trevelin.

Who did I meet at the Embassy, but Hayley and Lucy F.... picking up Hayley´s emergency passport and about to head off on their travels. There were also a couple of Brits at the Embassy who also shared similar stories to our, whilst one very lucky British guy turned up at the Embassy only to have all his stolen possessions handed back to him!

So, whilst I was robbed, though unharmed and spent needless days sorting out my passport etc... I also had a couple of enjoyable evenings before I departed BA.

I headed to the Tango show... where the event included a free tango lesson, a magnificent Tango show and a wonderful 3-course dinner. A thoroughly enjoyable evening, though have no photos of this event, as my camera had been stolen and had not replaced it at this point. Whilst on my last night, I headed off to La Carbera restaurant in the district of Palmero in BA. Its a wellknown and highly recommended restaurant.... famous for its beef! Tables are limited though if you have not booked, you can wait though you could wait 40-140mins to be sat, whilst they serve champagne as you wait! We (Hayley Craig, Geraint and myself) reserved a table and also grabbed a glass of champers.

The menu is not cheap, though is very reasonable in comparisson to an english restaurant. Menu prices for steak were about 30-50 pesos, whilst you could get 500g of Kobe beef.... for 109pesos! Kobe beef (if Ive spelt it correctly), is meat from cattle that have been massaged etc..... something that came from Japan, thus the price is at a premium, given these cows have had to have a massage! So... what did I order... well... Kobe beef, at the equivalent of about 18 pounds sterling, I doubt I would get to eat it in the UK as would shudder to think what price it would be on a menu! It was divine... but a bit too much meat, so I shared it. Apart from the beef, each platter is served with various portions of side dishes, from a pot of mashed potato, pickled onions amongst other delights... 6 dishes each and about 7 dishes to share between the 4 of us! It was LUSH!!!

That was my final night in BA and I would head off the following evening to Puerto Madryn... to Welsh Patagonia... on the east side. However, on getting up Sunday morning I was not feeling particularly well. I had a tickly cough for some days and seemed to be starting a cold. By Sunday I was feeling awful and thought best get self checked out as it seemed to have gone to my chest. The hospital gave me an xray as they thought it could be pneumonia... and was told I would not be going anywhere that evening if it was! Thankfully it wasnt and the doctor said it was bronchitis and gave me some strong antibiotics. Though, I just think it was a bad chest cold! A week later and the fresh sea breeze in Puerto Madryn I was right as rain!!

So with a box full of antibiotics and a box full of tissues, I head to the bus station that evening and get my overnight bus out of BA to Puerto Madryn!