As I was about to leave Bolivia, things did not really go as planned. I showed up at the busstation, but for a strange reason, the bus was not leaving from one of the terminal's platforms, but from an alley behind it. The reason for this seemed to be that it was forbidden to go to Villazón via Potosí due to the strikes from the villagers. Apparently the miners had nothing better to do than throwing dynamite and rocks at tourist buses and do other crazy stuff, so for our security we could not leave, not even from the little alley! This because the police came and put the driver in jail, so they were sure he would not be able to leave. Luckily we got refunded, but had no other option yet to leave this bloody country! The next plane would only leave four days later, which was not an option. After some brainstorming with two french girls, we found another bordercrossing between Bolivia and Argentina which would avoid the blocked region!

The following day we managed to find an itinerary and some tickets that would get us to this bordertown. The bad news was that we had to make a massive detour over Santa Cruz de la Sierra and in total sit on buses for the next 37 hours!

It was a long, boring and crazy wobbly ride, but FINALLY we got out of this unorganised anarchical country and arrived in what could be called: 'civilazation'! The first thing you obviously do when you arrive in Argentina is going to a Parilla (grill restaurant) and order half a kilo of the finest meat and a nice bottle of Malbec! Yes, life is grand!

One busride later we finally got to Salta, but as you can imagine, it did not go as smoothly as planned. The bus left at 1015pm and stopped just outide of town at 1025pm for a police control. This kind of reminded me of Venezuela! Full body check (no cavities, luckily), interrogation and luggage control. Just one we thought, but 15 minutes later we had a second one! And it continued at 0130am and 0430am with a third and fourth control! This really looked like the busrides I had in Venezuela!

Salta is merely known for the region around it. It is surrounded by weird, but beautifully coloured rock formations and the second largest winery region in Argentina! Two reasons to stay there for a couple of days and enjoy the wonders that the Pachamama (Mother Nature) gave us!

Some weeks ago I had friends who travelled this region, but they saw it all covered in snow. Me on the other had was walking in shorts and flip-flops in the sun! The same weird thing happened when I got to Cordoba. I came here to visit some friends that I met aboutseven months ago, when I was in Uruguay with my buddy Carlos. They told me that until the dayI arrived it was freezing here, but yet again, I am walking in shorts and flip-flops and it is strangely warm for being the middle of the winter! I am starting to believe that a natural anomaly of hot and sunny weather is following me all along my trip! In the 340 last days I've maybe only seen some raindrops fall in less than 10 days! I've read that the weather was horrible last month back home, so I am really curious if the sun is going to follow me until there!?!?

It has been a long time since I've been in a clean and civilised city as Cordoba! Stuff gets sold in shops behind windows instead of on the street or on dirty markets, and I don't stick out that much as a foreigner anymore, because of my height or skin colour!

I got guided around town by my friends and checked out some of the musea and bars. Tomorrow I will take my last bus to my final destination: Buenos Aires! After 149 busrides all averaging between 8 and 48 hours in Semi-Camas or crappy chicken buses, I deserve to do my 150th in style: I'm going Super Cama de Luxe Suite-styleto BsAs! (Don't judge me, I deserve this!)

During my previous visits to the Capital I'vealready seen about everything that has to be seenin town, sothis time is more about meeting up with some friends and having a serie of goodbye parties before stepping on that plane!

It's really getting close now.. In five short days I'm flying! Hope you're ready for it!!

Un abrazo,

G. on the road

The Argentina album: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=197320&id=634868429&l=4266cb577b