Day Six

Today is day six and what a day it was. The weather was perfect today in Rosario. The sun was shinning down and the wind was blowing. It left for a perfect day...the sun and a sweater. I walked down to the river again today. Just me and my MP3 Player. It was so relaxing. I really enjoy being in Rosario. It is a place I would definately say a visitor to Argentina should see, but I don´t think you need more then two days here. Rosario has a lot of monuments. I really don´t know their significants. I will ask Quan (John) today at dinner. If you have a myspace you can look at my pictures. I posted them on there. For some reason I cannot post my pictures on my blog from these computers.

Lunch
I had lunch at this cafe on the waterfront. It was beautiful. The food was not the best, which is unusual for my experiences so far. I think it is because I got chicken instead of beef. I think if I stick with the beef I will be good. Their fries are also kind of funny here. I am not sure what they do to them, but they are not good.

The Dogs
One thing about Rosario is the number of dogs running around the city. In BA there are a lot of cats. In Rosario there are a lot of dogs. You will be walking down the street and there is a dog sleeping on the sidewalk, not even out of the way, just on the sidewalk. When I was eating lunch today at the cafe there were a couple dogs running around. One sat there and stared at me the entire time I was eating. I would have rather not had a begging dog while I enjoyed my meal, but it is all part of the experience I suppose.

Shower
I finally had an opportunity to take a shower today too. I was definately needing it. It was a freezing shower. I don´t know if the hot water just didn´t work in the building or what, but it was very very cold.

Bus Ticket
My first purchase of a bus ticket on my own was a great success. I bought a ticket to Corrientes. It is one of the oldest cities in Argentina. It was the first spanish settlement in the region. Most of its architecture is French though. I am especially excited to see the murals. I guess they are beautiful. I will write about them once I see them for myself.

The Taxi
I am also a pro with the taxi´s now. I really like the taxi cabs. The drivers are mostly pretty nice. It is never hard to get a ride anywhere. On top of that it is so cheap. That is one thing about this trip. It has not been an expensive trip at all. I eat out everyday, generally at really nice resturants and cafes. I hear that the cafe´s are more of a european thing, but there is something about being able to sit there and sip your espresso and read your book for hours without anyone thinking twice that makes the day relaxing. Argentina is so laid back. You are never in a hurry for anything. I like that aspect of it all.

My new friend
Tonight I am having dinner with Quan-John again. I am excited. I learn so much from him. I am going to ask him about the monuments. Tomorrow I am going to spend the whole day on the bus. Hopefully I can get some sleep. That would be nice. I purchased from apples and crackers for the ride, I also have some peanut butter I brought with me. I should have purchased another book, but I didn´t. My biggest challenge will be finding a place to stay tomorrow night. My spanish isn´t good enough to make reservations over the phone yet. I have to do it in person. I am sure I can get dumped off at a hotel though and I will be fine.

Bathroom Appliance
Oh...and I cannot remeber whether I mentioned that I used a boo-day. I don´t know how to spell it so I am sure you can figure it out by my pronunciation. That thing you squat over after you use the bathroom to wash your fanny. I kind of liked it. I think we should have them in the US. If my memory serves me correctly Sue said in France they washed their feet with them.

Soccer
If there is one thing about Argentina is the amount of soccer in this place. People live, breath and bleed soccer here. It is quite amazing. At night the teams run the streets. You see them all of the time. You can just sense the presence. It is interesting. It is kind of cool that an entire country has such a passion for a sport.

My Night
Hung out with John. He is a very good person. I can sense it. I invited him to go to with me to Baraliche (that is not how you spell it, but oh well). He cannot afford to go so I told him I would pay for his bus ride, a hotel room for him or hostel depending on what I find, and food if he agrees to be my translator. He was shocked. For me it would only be about $100-$120 based on my estimates. That really isn´t that much for me. And it would be good for him because he has only been to Patagonia once before. It would be safe too because he would be staying in his own room and we would always be around people. Plus I sense he is a good person. (So don´t worry, I don´t think it isn´t a good idea.) Plus I figure I mind as well splurg. I would have fun. He is a fun guy. He said he would skip school to go because it is an AMAZING opportunity for him, but he has to ask at work. If I decide to stay in Baroliche I can just send him back on the bus.

Other then that we had a lot of fun. We had some GREAT wine. I had too much though. My head hurts this morning. It was called Septimbrie Cool Wine (I think) Good thing I brought excedrine with me. :) AND I had some chocolate that was soo good. It was the same kind of chocolate Mary brought home from France. I decided I am going to buy an extra suitcase while I am down here and fill it with stuff to bring home.