I'm home. Just got back a few hours ago after what felt like a long time, and I guess was, although South American buses are all so long, it was comparable with those distances (time wise anyway).
And so, my last few days in Buenos Aires were great. I met some cool people, wandered around a bit and went to an amazing drumming band. I ate icecream, empanadas and generally had a lovely relaxing last few days.
So now that I'm home, I guess that I can write a final entry for this trip.
It was a trip full of highs and lows, excitement and boredom, stunning landscapes and boring flat expanses. I was happy and sad. I laughed and I cried. I made new friends and saw old ones in new places.
I fell down some stairs, played with some monkeys, white water rafted down the Amazon and hung out with locals. I spent evenings full of people and conversation, and evenings full of Cable TV. I saw great live music, and I made some great music with a few cool jam sessions.
I spent my birthday in the wilderness, I wandered through markets and museums and generally got lost in towns just for the hell of it. I spoke the language and understood it at times, although plenty of other times I got frustrated at my lack of understanding about the culture and the language.
It is impossible to say what a favourite place was, even though I know it will be one of the first things that people ask. Everything was so different and I loved things for completely different reasons. On the whole the trip was one of extremes and beauty and I'll never forget it. Of course it wasn't all good, but the good stands out as highlights and the bad makes for good stories (after all who wants to hear "my trip was great and nothing bad happened").
I will not miss the busyness and craziness of the streets and having to risk your life crossing roads, the sewage smells, the intense poverty, the distances to travel to arrive anywhere.
But I will miss the colours and excitement of things, the market stalls, the people busking at intersections and the amazing people that I have met.
Thank you South America. I will return one day. I promise.
