Buenos Dias Buenos Aires

After a mornings drive we arrive in Buenos Aires for 14:00 and park up outside Hotel Astoria right in the Centro district on Av de Mayo. To get there we drove down Av 9th de Julio - the Widest Street in the World! 8 lanes in either direction arranged in a 2-6-6-2 formation. I'm given a triple room to share with truck buddies Lloyd and Dauk.

Lloyd in his 60s is a stereotypical Aussie tourist: skinny, short shorts, socks pulled up to his knees, checkered shirt, an ill fitting rucksack and giant shades to cover his glasses. His mind and humour are still razor sharp but his body is beginning to fail him a little, as such he doesn't want to be a burden and soldiers on regardless. e.g. in the Hotel foyer Lloyd starts to climb the stairs, slips and slams into the marble steps. Everyone cringes as the resounding thump echoes around and let loose an involuntary "Ooooooo..." Lloyd bolts upright with a startled stare and immediately blurts out, "I'm alright, I'm okay, nothing wrong with me," and begins an anguishing limp up the stairs. Everyone else looks at each in silence, all feeling Lloyd's obvious pain - and then starts laughing!

A lot of our group are befuddled with the seemingly useless air-con system, until they realise they have to ask reception to have it turned on! Dauk, Lloyd, Nick, Rich and I walk around town to orientate ourselves, stopping at Coopers, a dingy bar, for a beer, a burger and couple games of pool (on very well kept tables I must say). We passed a monument dedicated to the Falklands War, decorated with the name of all the Argentinean soldiers killed during it. We resisted the temptation to re-decorate it with Union Jack boxer shorts and spray paint it with one : nil slogans.

Back at the hostel everyone passes out for an early night. Everyone except me. I wander the dark streets of Buenos Aires looking for a beer. Everywhere is closed - I put it down to it being a Monday night. Buenos Aires is a very laid back and a fantastic looking city. Not as commercial as London, not as stayed / boring as Zurich. It has character - I think I'm going to like it here.

Posted by Steve Eynon