Woke up about 9:30am and had breakfast for the last time in Uruguay. I was feeling a bit sad to be leaving truth be told as I had met a lot of nice people and enjoyed their company (even though I rarely understood anything that was being said lol).
After we checked out I left my bags in the storage room so we could go and meet Fifa for lunch. We got a bus over to Ismael house and I had a look around the outside market while he dropped off his stuff at home. There wasn’t anything I wanted to but and it was all pretty much the same stuff as you could get at home. I bought myslef a Mate cup and metal straw thingy as a souvenir from Uruguay for the house and while we were walking around I went into a supermarket and bought the tea stuff. If I have to try this vile drink then I’m sure as hell gonna inflict the same punishment on my mates when I get home lol. Plus the cup makes a nice ornament as it will go with the colours in the kitchen. We waited for Fifi’s bus to arrive and then we all headed back over to our hotel to get some lunch at Rocco’s. They must have noticed how much time we spend there as they asked for Ismael’s details and said he could be a “preferred client” which would give him 10% off any food and drink.
We had a nice long lunch and a few drinks then went to the shopping centre so I could get some stamps for the obligatory postcards. I also bought a couple of pairs of trainer socks and two pair of boxers (I like to have underwear from different places).
By the time we had done everything it was about 4pm so we needed to set off to the airport. So we said goodbye to Fifa and went and collected my bags from the hotel then had to get two buses to the airport.
Once we arrived at the airport I went to look at the monitors to check what desk I needed to check in at…..No flight info??? I thought “hhmm that’s odd” as my flight was at 20:00 and yet there was flight info for ones later than that. I explained this to Ismael and he asked someone from the airport. They looked on their flight info and said that there was no flight to Buenos Aires at 20:00 today. OH MY GOD !!! I felt sick. I double checked the date and the info to make sure I hadn’t read it wrong but it was defo right. I don’t know what’s happened or how I can be booked on a flight that doesn’t exist but basically it was as though I had missed the flight. They said I should of re-confirmed it the day before as the times may have changed or it may have been cancelled! I haven’t re-confirmed any flights up to this point but maybe I have just been lucky. I will make sure I check my flight from bloody Rio that’s for sure.
Anyway in the end they were able to find a flight for me at 19:30 with Pluno airlines at a cost of $270!! I was just relieved that there was a flight the same day and I didn’t have to mess all my plans up so handed over my credit card and then had to hurry and check in and go through to the gates. Said a very awkward goodbye to Ismael and then I went through passport control.
The flight was on time and was only 45 minutes away so I think the safety demo in two languages was probably longer than the bloody flight. We had no sooner got up in the air and it was bing bong seatbelt sign on again.
Landed in Buenos Aires and as per the instruction for my hostel found the Miguel Juan leon desk (or something like that) to get a transfer to the hostel. The hostel was the Hostel Suites Florida on Florida street, and the taxi driver dropped me at the end of Florida street and pointed up the street. What he didn’t mention was that I was at the end where the house numbers started at 909 and I wanted 387 so it was a good fifteen bloody minutes walk, he might as well of dropped me in Uruguay and pointed in the direction of Buenos Aires lol. Eventually go to the hostel and they had my reservation, thank god. It was on a long main kind of walkway that seemed to be a bit of a hub for shopping as along both sides were various shops and fast food places. Along the pavement in between were various people with stuff laid out on blankets selling their wares.
Dropped my stuff in my room and I was meant to be in bed B but none of them were labelled and some were in use but it was hard to see which was free. I just stuck me bags in my locker and got changed then went to the main communal area on the floor where the reception was. Tonight was party night and they had a DJ set up where the TV area is normally. Also after the DJ there was a coach to take you to a club at 2am.
I got my self a large bottle of beer and a plastic cup from the “bar” (doubles as the kitchen area) and took a seat near the dancefloor. I had only been there 10 minutes when I guy using his laptop said “weren’t you in New Zealand at a hostel?” I said No but then he said “ no it was Sydney I was at the YHA I recognised the tattoo”. He was an older guy called James and I remember seeing him at the hostel as he was quite loud and seemed to talk to everyone he bumped into. He is a script writer and is doing research for his next project as its about someone who does a lot of travelling and as he hasn’t done much he thought he should experience it first hand.
I went and found myself a table to sit at as he was dropping his stuff at his room, and I offered two seats to a couple of guys who were standing. They were from Brazil and were called Claudio and Felipe and had just become my two best mates as they were going to the club and said I could tag along with them. So I bought a ticket for 40 pesos (about a tenner).
I stayed with them both all night and they spoke pretty good English. At 2am we all got on the coach (James decided to come too although at first the said it would be too late). I ended up with some German guy sat on my knee as there wasn’t enough room for everyone. He kept showing me his very toned six pack and asking if I’d like to feel it (who am I to turn down an offer like that LOL). He tagged along with us for a bit but he wasn’t the best of dancers so we ditched him when he got the chance lol. An American guy with a Ed Hardy top on took his place as he was nicer looking and could dance LOL.
After the club James insisted we go find somewhere that was still open and he would buy the beers. The 4 of us found somewhere that looked like it was closing but then opened back up so we could have some beers. A few homeless teenagers started talking to us when we were outside, while Felipe had a cigarette. One of the girl took a bit of a shine to me and asked if I had any spare change. I told her I would get her something to eat
from the shop next door. I got her a bar of chocolate and some crisps and she seemed made up. I think we got back to the hostel at about 11am – knackered !
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