I'm drunk. I'm sitting in La Cantina, this really cute restaurant and I am honestly too f***ed to get up and keep on my personal walking tour or even walk back to the hostel. It's hardly surprising though. I took an overnight bus ride and was sat next to an overweight guy who kept muscling into my space and waking me up, so I am "un poco cansada". And it's bloody hot here. Every time someone asks how I am, all I can say is "tengo calor". As a person who is terrible at drinking water, I'm downing the stuff like it's going out of fashion. But the point is, the combination of tired, hot and probably a little dehydrated meant that a "fernet con coca cola" with my lunch probably wasn't the best idea. But when in Argentina do as the Argentinians do and they drink fernet, which is an acquired taste that I have acquired.
Well I made it all of about 10 minutes walk to the Plaza Italia before the heat and tipsy head overcame me. And half an hour later, I sit here writing this. Well it is siesta time...

I really like Mendoza already and wish I was staying longer. But I cannot for two reasons, the hostel is full up and I've already bought my next bus ticket. There's heaps of street art here which reminds me of Melbourne. It's my first experience of seeing about a million things I want to photograph. I'm trying really hard, and finding it easy actually, to not see South America only through my camera lens. Firstly it is obvious you're a tourist and you become a target, but mostly I want an authentic experience. Mendoza is really beautiful. Adding to the street art, thanks to the irrigation system built way back when, the city is unusually green for dry Argentina. This is also excellent for sheltering my white skin still recovering from the Mar Del Plata burn and of course, keeping my fresh tattoo out of the sun.

Over the past couple of days I've managed to organise two bus tickets, understanding 95% of what is said to me, and spoken only Spanish in these exchanges. I'm finding that menus are easier to read and I don't have to look things up in my Spanish-English dictionary. This probably sounds really stupid, but to me, it is exciting. I really want to get my head around a few simple verbs and directions and then it will be a matter of just learning the vocabulary as it comes up. This trip has reinvigorated my love for languages and now I really what to commit to learning semi-decent Spanish, no matter how long it takes me. #bucketlist
My burn is peeling and it is just gross. I've also managed to get a few mozzie bites. So that combined with another 3 day stretch of no showering, made for an interesting looking Zoe again. Yet somehow I got whistled at and blown kisses by many local men. Is this a joke?

For dinner I had fresh empanadas and s***, they were out of this world good.
Today, after 14 days here in Argentina, it's time to bid you farewell. But it's time to discover a new country, a new culture and fall in love again.

Themes of my blog so far...
1 Food I have eaten.
2 Cleanliness or my personal lack thereof.
3 Questionable decisions I have made.