Close your eyes Brad, here´s another guy selling dodgy magazines...

So Laura said I should write today´s post. If I want. I want.

The days in this place, seem to drag on, and when you´ve got plans to soak up a completely different culture in just a short time, this is good. Very good. It´s been 6 years since I´ve understood very little thats been said around me, and it makes for interesting times now that it´s come around again! I´ve got to this computer without being arrested so, so far so good!

Walking and walking and walking. My legs can tell the story, but wow was it worth every step over the broken cobble streets of Buenos Aires! Colourfully painted building and the drab black outfits of the Tango dancers were the contrast that best captures yesterday´s experience. Para pam pam paaaam pam, ta ra pam paaam pam..Hold me back, here I go again with my fancy tango steps!!!!

Ok, so I can´t dance for toffee, but after seeing half of the South American population do it over the last 2 days, I ´ll know if its the genuin tango when I see it...perhaps!
Camanito in La Boca. Tango, tango tango, football football football, and no public toilets. Nice!
Someone tried to sell me a ticket for todays Boca Juniors football game at the stadium. Um, no thanks. On TV they seem to set the stadiums on fire, and I only have a few changes of clothes with me, so I´ll take a skip. Aparently you get respect by saying ´Lionel Messi´everywhere you go. He IS good and the locals love him. They love Maradonna too, but he´s fat and owes the tax man so he gets less points from me. Did consider buying an Argentinian football shirt with a 10 on it, but thought I´d rather bye a bib with the flag on it for someones baby. I´d hate to be headbutted by a Brazillian supporter in Cape Town in June. Babies are more resiliant. Ole!!

So we were having lunch at a restaurant in La Boca and the ´free´ tango show is going on about 1 meter from my glass of still mineral water. We happen to be seated at the table next to 3 ladies that were on our flight from Jo´burg, which was strange. Thought I´d add that in so you can make the mental picture. It´s a nice picture. Better than the 1 where they drag me from my chair, right up onto the stage and start to involve me in the tango show!! Laura, get the video camera!!! I hope she leaves on the lens cover!!
Ok, so they didn´t make me dance, but they made me do some other stuff I´ll tell my kids about one day, and I´ll tell you too if you like. I had to strike some pose (amid the cheering of the rest of the restaurant) and then do some fancy foot work and then shout something in Spanish. I hope I said it right. Don´t want a slap from someones mother. It all seemed to have gone well because the applause got quite loud. Then they put an unlit cigarette in my mouth and some guy with greasy long hair had some traditional instrument (ok, so it was a rope with a wooden ball at the end) which he swung around in a very impressive way, in front of my face until it hit the butt out of my mouth. The people cheered again. I don´t know if it was for Mr Greasy´s antics or because I didn´t cry. I´ll review the recorded evidence later.

So now, its a new day, I love busses and I hope the rain stops soon. I want to go on another bus. I might buy a bus. A red one.
So now, it´s planning the week ahead; how to get by, spending as little money as possible (we have a tiiiiiight budget); and thoughts about whether or not my general health will improve. I´m NEVER getting a cortisone injection again. Ever. I feel like rubbish, but I´m keeping the attitude good. Keeping the chin up. Glass half full, an´ all that jazz. Please keep us in your prayers.

Have now spent 3 pesos and all the vowels I had left for the day, so I better go. Wow, an hour goes by quickly!!

Love from Laura and I, and we´ll keep you posted as to what other crazy thing I get us into. Oh, yes, did I tell you that I like busses?