South America II

[Platypus]

Tomorrow morning, I fly out of Sydney, and an hour earlier, arrive in Buenos Aires. I'll then wander around Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Peru. I'm almost packed, i've said goodbye to Dad, and i'm about to pack away my stuff at home.

I last went in 2006, so this trip will be in some ways a repeat and in some ways new. The circumstances are a bit different, I speak some Spanish, and I have a dash more cash, but i'm also more nervous this time :p

Anyway, i'll keep you all updated

[Bacon King]

Very awesome! Have a good time, hugh!

[Tender Branson]

dash more cash

Hopefully you don't take all that dash of more cash with you ...

Anyway, have a lot of fun on your trip ...

[Edu]

Hope you have a good flight

And it will be nice to finally meet someone from this forum, especially considering that living where I live I don't suppose I'll get many chances

RodPresident and myself are the only South Americans here or there is someone I missed?

[Insula Dei]

Hope you have a good flight

And it will be nice to finally meet someone from this forum, especially considering that living where I live I don't suppose I'll get many chances

RodPresident and myself are the only South Americans here or there is someone I missed?

Peeperkorn is Uruguayan, I believe.

[Edu]

Hope you have a good flight

And it will be nice to finally meet someone from this forum, especially considering that living where I live I don't suppose I'll get many chances

RodPresident and myself are the only South Americans here or there is someone I missed?

Peeperkorn is Uruguayan, I believe.

Oh yeah, right.

And I have a vague recollection of another Brazilian being around, at least in the past couple of years.

[ilikeverin]

*abrazoabrazoabrazo*

[angus]

Be sure to visit Museo de la Coca in La Paz.  Everything you ever wanted to know (and then some) about the favorite plant of the Andes.

[Yelnoc]

Awesome man, have fun!  And if you and Edu meet up, you guys should totally give us the rundown afterwards.

[Inks.LWC Supports Chuck Hagel]

Good luck - have a safe flight!

[ChairmanSanchez]

Wishing you well

[Platypus]

I have arrived, tired and sweaty and ready for bed, but here I am.

[opebo]

Where the devil are you getting all this money, hugeendo?  And btw, is this a sex-tourism trip?

[Platypus]

Hugeendo? Clever.

Money is roughly equal parts loan, inheritence, and savings.

I wont be needing to pay for sex.

[Platypus]

Blisters. Already.

Infeliz, Juan.

[Platypus]

Ampollas como planetas despues un día de caminando. Cerveza con sabor de agua suecio. Y un companiero de habitacion quien hable Portugeuese cuando se duerme.

I'm sore, tired, and in a bad mood, but at least my Spanish is coming back quite rapidly. I think.

[Platypus]

Today so far in Buenos Aires:

-Got swept up in a frenzy of teenage girls screaming when I happened to pass the theatre where the final of 'Argentina's Got Talent' is being held as the hearthrob favourite with the neckbeard and Jesus hair arrived;

-Was treated to the very odd and sight of a Presidential motorcade, Argentina style (twenty cops on bikes, riding out of the saddle, yelling at cars to... get outr of the way, three identical black Audis, two ambulances, three army trucks, and about twenty police cars cruising down the main avenue at a normally inconceivably fast 50km/h;

-Only complained about my massive blisters about 8 times;

-Finally had a tolerable coffee (Coffee here so far as been truly awful... watery, with fake milk, and still somehow costing about AUD $3.50);

-Accidentally used the informal tense with a policeman on the subway who had a gun about 15cm from my bits;

-Fell in love with Buenos Aires again.

(also I should explain that I'm posting so much because my feet are keeping me kind of chained to the hostel, and the only thing here that's free is the internet...)

[ilikeverin]

Ampollas como planetas despues un día de caminando. Cerveza con sabor de agua suecio. Y un companiero de habitacion quien hable Portugeuese cuando se duerme.

caminar* (Spanish likes the indefinite in a lot of situations where English uses the present participle), sucio* (I'm guessing, unless you want to say something about Sweden...), compañero*, habitación*, habla en portugués*, and I don't think that relative clause works that way with «quien», though Xahar or a native Spanish speaker should check me on that.

[Platypus]

Today Edu and I met up for a coffee which was really nice. He's come closer than anyone to explaining just what Peronism is (I still don't understand it, but I think I understand what Anti-Peronism is, so soon enough I should get there), took me to a place that served not-awful coffee (the coffee is absolutely better in Melbourne, sorry), and listened patiently to me rattling on about Tony Abbott. Twas nice

The rest of the day has been very quiet, basically just flirting shamelessly with a Brazilian guy when we were watching the soccer game between Real and Barca together, avoiding the Presidential Inauguration, and rubbing my feet lots.

[Kuu ülevaade olulisematest]

Ampollas como planetas despues un día de caminando. Cerveza con sabor de agua suecio. Y un companiero de habitacion quien hable Portugeuese cuando se duerme.

caminar* (Spanish likes the indefinite in a lot of situations where English uses the present participle), sucio* (I'm guessing, unless you want to say something about Sweden...), compañero*, habitación*, habla en portugués*, and I don't think that relative clause works that way with «quien», though Xahar or a native Spanish speaker should check me on that.

Actually, «quien» can be used in a relative clause, although «que» is also permissible. The latter sounds more normal to my non-native ear. In any case, that's a habitual action, so it should be expressed in the present tense with «habla».

[Sibboleth]

-Accidentally used the informal tense with a policeman on the subway who had a gun about 15cm from my bits;

That belongs in someone's signature.

[Platypus]

After a series of difficulties, I have finally arrived in Mendoza.

1st time I was meant to leave, the backpack broke.
2nd day, the buses were all full.
3rd time, lucky...except that I had to pay $300 ARP more than I was meant to because of a really, really dodgy guy. Full details maybe later.

Anyway, now I'm in Mendoza, and had to skip Bariloche. Last time I didn't particularly like Mendoza, but this time I am determined to at least not hate it.

Even if there is water all over my room's floor.

[opebo]

I wont be needing to pay for sex.

Why?  Are you a celibate?  Or I suppose for gays it is different - sex is readily available while travelling, or at least while you're young.

[Platypus]

23 + gay + aussie accent.

Mendoza is meh.

[Jack Vance RIP]

Ampollas como planetas despues un día de caminando. Cerveza con sabor de agua suecio. Y un companiero de habitacion quien hable Portugeuese cuando se duerme.

caminar* (Spanish likes the indefinite in a lot of situations where English uses the present participle), sucio* (I'm guessing, unless you want to say something about Sweden...), compañero*, habitación*, habla en portugués*, and I don't think that relative clause works that way with «quien», though Xahar or a native Spanish speaker should check me on that.

Actually, «quien» can be used in a relative clause, although «que» is also permissible. The latter sounds more normal to my non-native ear. In any case, that's a habitual action, so it should be expressed in the present tense with «habla».

Quien in a relative clause afaik is more equivalent to "whom" than "who". (This forum needs a Spanish thread).