Exploring BA

I head out after an amazing buffet breakfast of scrambled eggs, muesli, yoghurt, croissants drizzled with honey, pineapple and grapefruit slices, rice pudding and yoghurt.  Yes, that’s a lot of food but I’m prepping for a long day on my feet.  I find the address for the currency exchange spot on Google maps, but when I walk in it’s a lobby of an office building so I’m confused.  I ask the guy at the front desk, 

“Cambio dinero?” 

“Si, Si.  You come with me.”

He leads me back outside to a newsstand on the street and tells me to knock on what appears to be half a door, blacked out.  Wtf?  I hear a female voice and ask again, “Cambio?”  She tells me to enter and the only way I’m able to enter the door is by sliding in sideways.  Seriously?  This is where I’m exchanging my money?  Now to preface this, my friend Melany had advised me to bring new one hundred US dollars to exchange for the “blue rate” on the streets and not in the banks.  The street value of US dollars is over double what the banks give you due to the rapid inflation and the fluctuating economy.  So, I knew I was going to be exchanging my money on the street, but didn’t quite imagine myself ensconced in a room the size of a shoebox that’s selling magazines.  I get my money exchanged and quickly head back to the hotel, while glancing furtively around me.  If I was a criminal, I would be watching all the tourists exiting these places and hit them when they left.  What can I say?  I’m slightly jaded to the goodness of the human race.

I quickly walk to the meet point for my free walking tour and am met by Martin who will be taking our group through the Recoleta and Retiro areas.  Martin is overflowing with historical information and I find myself losing focus due to my personality flaw of not being able to pay attention for extended periods of time.  Unfortunately for me,  Martin does way more talking than showing so at the end of the 3.5 hours I’ve walked a lot but haven’t seen much of interest.  My friend Sarah would’ve loved this tour, with all it’s political commentary and historical facts.  I needed more visual stimulation to keep my interests piqued.

Because Martin was a Chatty Cathy, I now have to jog-walk to the Palermo neighbourhood for my next walking tour of the murals and graffiti in the area.  Juan is waiting with a small group and we immediately head off.  Again, lots of talking and now my eyes are glazing over.  I don’t have the patience for long explanations.  It makes me feel like I’m back in school, which I was an absolute nightmare in.  Juan’s heart is in the right place and he’s extremely knowledgeable so I make an effort to pay attention.  I get distracted by an elderly gentleman driving past with his windows down and AC/DC at full volume.  His eyes are closed and he’s singing at the top of his voice while bopping his head to the drum beat.  Did I mention he’s driving?  With his eyes closed?

I’ve now been on my feet for 8 hours and I have an hour walk back to my hotel because I don’t want to brave the subway at rush hour and I refuse to take a taxi out of principal.  I limp into the hotel lobby an hour and a half later, with aching feet, a rumbling stomach and a overflowing bladder.  I haven’t had time to eat all afternoon, other than an apple that I swiped from the breakfast buffet.   I backtrack to a patisserie beside the hotel.  The female employee starts speaking in rapid Spanish and of course I can’t understand her due to my inability to learn the language on DuoLingo during COVID.  When I tell her I don’t understand she looks at me blankly and tries again in Spanish.  Another customer steps in and asks what I’m looking for.  

“A sandwich would be amazing.  I’m not picky.”

She shows me a glass case containing numerous sandwiches and explains the different kinds. I profusely thank her and my dinner is wrapped in paper by the girl behind the counter.  I have just enough remaining cash to pay for my decadent meal.  I hobble back to the lobby and promptly devour my sandwich in the elevator.  The airline pilot that’s in the elevator with me raises his eyebrows, and I mumble through a full mouth that I’m going to pass out if I don’t eat this second.  

Time to hit the shower and put my feet up.