Despite a couple of false starts, I finally made it South America! (so much for my potential career as a 'volunteer schemer').
As we came in to land at Buenos Aires I could see willow-type bushes, just brown and almost arid-looking. And despite not really knowing what to expect, this is not what I expected. More unexpected was being greeted immediately as I passed through customs by a gorgeous Argentinian promo girl wanting to spray me with perfume. I'm sure it was lovely but no thank you, not right now after 16 hours travelling and feeling like I'm doing a social injustice by just being out in public in my state.
Then as I walked from customs, past the beautiful spritzer, through the tourist-attraction-like duty free shopping (there is no other way to baggage claim!) to the blaring tunes of Phil Collins, and finally out to arrivals I thought, awesome, ready for my challenge of a whole new world. Then there they were - McDonalds and HSBC. Ahhh globalisation!! Anyhow there are still the tiny challenges, which cab company do I go with? Do I tip? How much? Where is my Lonely Planet? My hostel doesn't have a lock on the bathroom door (anyone recall my massive social fear of being walked in on in the bathroom?). Do I look for a new / better place? Is there better or am I being a wuss? Is it okay that the bunk beds are possibly two beds glued on top of each other? All little things that make the journey... and besides if a blind girl can make it from Germany to Nepal overland, alone (a doco I saw once) then I'm sure I will deal with whatever comes my way!
So Buenos Aires, here I come...!
