Westward bound

We left Kirsti the Kiwi in Iguazu where she made her way to Tucuman with Nick the Scot. So, for the first time on the trip, Jess and I were on our own. Just the two of us. (cue that Will Smith song)

Quite tired and hungover, we overnight-ed it to Santa Fe, the capital of Santa Fe state. Cute little town where we spent a quiet afternoon, walking around yet more plazas and pedestrian avenues. It was also the first city we've been in that actually siesta'ed. Everything just effing shut down at 1pm and Jess missed out on buying a sweet pair of gold flats. Anyhow, while eating a well-rounded lunch of Pringles and oranges, two 12 year old schoolboys followed us around, practicing their English. "Where are you from? Why are you here? How old are you?" They made Jess nervous so I asked them, "How old do you think we are?" The bigger boy looked me in the eye and said, "35." THE GALL! I mean, I wasn't looking my best but c'mon....Clearly, I was done with this town.

From Santa Fe, we took a 2.5hr bus to Rosario, the 3rd largest city in Argentina, which supposedly had a nightlife that rivaled Buenos Aires. Jess and I quickly learned that Lonely Planet sometimes LIES! We were not impressed with the city and never quite warmed up to all it supposedly had to offer. Granted, we were there on a Monday and Tuesday and we were staying at hippie central, La Casona del Don Jaime. The impression left by each city we visit is often dependent on the people we meet, both locals and fellow backpackers. As Jess so aptly described, "we're not into hippies whose God is Bob Marley and to whom showering has become a past time." Don Jaime was a Rastafarian haven so perhaps that had something to do with Rosario's bad aftertaste. That or the fact that we were in a co-ed dorm room. Sure, we added a few notes to the cacophony of snores but the stench, that was all male. Boys smell!

Highlights from Rosario:
- We got a lot of walking in. Jess and I don't always talk to each other on big walking days. That's how I know she listens to Disney songs on her ipod. She breaks out into song mid-stride!
- MIDDLE EASTERN FOOD x 2 nights = happy happy Nguyen sisters. Jess literally licked the hummus plate clean.
- We have got the Argentina bus system down. It's a tad weird system where private companies have offices lined up in the terminal. You look to see if the city you want to go to is listed in sticker letters on their window. Then, you inquire about schedules and costs. While the buses are quite clean and professional (and usually prompt) in Argentina, I may never ride a long-distance bus again. Jess and I are like thisclose with bus terminals these days.
- Dogs like us. Well, maybe not me, but Jess at least. We manage to pick up at least one canine friend in each city.
- Rosario has dirty rivers and dirty beaches a la Galveston, Texas. A little piece of home in South America.

besos,
Ant "the unfunny sister apparently" Nguyen

Translation: Rosario, the best city to live. (LIES!)

Jess in front of the Monument to the Flag. Argentines are VERY proud of their history, their country, and their claim to the Falkland Islands. But shh, they're called the Malvinas here.

Che Guevara's birthplace. It now houses an insurance company. Go figure.

Sudoku on the beach