A tearful goodbye to Bs As on an overcast Saturday afternoon and then it as onto the bus to the town of Rosario. Karen, another student from Expanish, is travelling with us and we´were looking forward to some chilled times as we travel into the country.
We blew into Rosario in the middle of a full on storm and a footy match so it took hours to get a cab out of the bus station! The hostel in Rosario also proved less than chilled when the receptionist looked blankly at us when we asked for our beds in the mixed dorm we had booked and said You´re ok but I don´t know where you will sleep to myself and Rob.
Seemed some Portena girls had booked in but were refusing to share with men! The owner turned up ( and earned himself the nickname Mr Syphallis due to his haggard features and lechurous behaviour!) and after a heated argument with them proposed that we stay at his apartment for the night! Kind of wierd as we slept in his kids´room- they were away... but at least it was quiet. He then went out for the night and turned up even more orse for wear in the morning to take us back to the hostel.
Rosario was sunny and a walk by the river and a large lunch soon sorted us out. Our room seemed great and the sounds of a choir singing from the church next door filled the dorm as we got ready for a nice long parilla in the local restaurant recommended by Mr Syphallis. However as it was bank holiday a horde of guys turned up a midnight then hit the town- crashing into our dorm at eight- nine in the morning- smoking and reading the paper!
Next was Cordoba- home of the Argentine flag and for me a stinking cold! Watched dancers strut their stuff to dance music on the monument to the flag and felt a little uncomfortable looking at a huge plaque which read " The Mavinas ¿Falkland Isles? forever Argentine"
After two cities we headed into the country to Hostel Tinktinkie for hiking and fresh air in the mountains and to enjoy the strange beauty of the town of Belgrano which has its own Oktoberfest as it was colonised by Germans and Austrians who loved the alpine feel of the place.
