DAY THIRTY ONE - I'M STILL HERE!!!

"run away, run away, run away if you want to survive it"

Jog on... Beat the feet... Runnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnning... here, there, everywhere! how many backpackers have looked at me with retarded expressions as I climb into my skin tight lycra pants and lace up my running shoes. "wooo your commited, exercising on vacation".. rararra same old ramble on but little do they know running is genius!

I am all about The Run: faster way to familirise yourself with your new territory, work off your hang over and have some time to yourself to process life. I have had many the wolf whistle, car horn beep, "un, dos, tres" yelled at me, but the funniest was in Colombia when a dapper old man in a bowler hat actually grabbed me as I ran past in the street! Eeeek but not all things that chase you will be as harmless as he, as I found out the hard way this evening... 

Often I have dogs run along side me, keep me company in more secluded places but tonight I had a wee rabid bastard try eat me up like a human running dogroll! Worst part was, I happened to be down one of those streets where no one was lurking around, I was stuck there frozen as a candle stick with this crazy freaking dog baring his vicious grin of razor sharp teeth, lunging at me like a blood thirsty Count Dracular! And crap 5 months in South America and I never did learn in Spanish how to yell "HELP". not my best work!

Luckily a guy showed up and managed to scare the dog off in the oppisite direction to my intended running route. So I shook off the fear and kept running, sticking to busier streets when the cheeky bugger ran all the way around the back streets and confronted me head on in the street barking like mad - luckily a man scared him off and I rang up for a lift home.

Note to self: learn "help" in Spanish, don't run when it is crazy stormy weather down secluded streets!

"I once read a piece of writting on jogging that was brillant. It stated that the act of jogging was indeed a political act. It said to anyone who saw them, here I am jogging! I have the spare time, and therefore the wealth to buy an hour of my day back. I look after myself because I am worth it and others too expect this worth of me. So watch me run! watch me run! Because while you sit in your car going to and from work,I am, however briefly, better then you." Beth O'brien 

DAY THIRTY - KNOCKING ABOUT

Out n' about mingling with the hoi polloi of Rafaela & the man of the hour Argentine photographer extraordinaire Fito Previderé at Museo de Fotografía. My pic of the bunch was the dolled up, chubby, old lady scoffing a sammy. Something so 80's sitcom funny about her outfit, I imagine that is something I might have worn at dress ups at kindergarten. The photo encompasses the conflicting humour of black comedy; at the same time as I laugh, the photograph also resonates with me the sadness of her situation, I leave feeling a stab of pathos.

TWENTY NINE - I WENT AND SAW PLANET EARTH TODAY

I dabbled in a spot of sightseeing today..

And where did I decide to go.. 

After a brief 40 minute drive, I was  touching down on the third rock from the sun and perhaps today I became one of the only Kiwis to take foot on the much talked about Planet Earth!! I think it was one of the greatest achievements for all mankind! I transported myself from the Egyptian Pyramids to the Eiffel Tower, all in a matter of seconds… and I managed this great feat without leaving the comfort of Santa Fe. wooooaffff I am exhausted. 

DAY TWENTY EIGHT - MUMMMMM

Four day weekend, but in reality I got the bad end of the deal, I got two Sundays in a row. Two nights of singing the melancholic blues. I was a little kid on school holidays who follows their mum round the house saying "I'm bored", but any suggestion from their mother, no matter how good is not good enough! On a sunday you never seem to get the usual heavy eyelids when reading your book. Your mind is a jumble with stupid, insignificant thoughts on rotation.. going round and around with no solution or reason in sight and then in the morning you think to yourself "what the hell was I thinking?"

Things achieved on my double wammy sundays... ummmm spanish lesson: tick 

DAY TWENTY SEVEN - ASADO, NICE 2 MEAT U. NOW MEAT 2 PLEASE U

ARGENTINE EXPERIENCE TOP 10: NO 5

Chorizo

A picture speaks a thousand drools... need I say anything about this tasty morsel?

DAY TWENTY SIX - PISSED

Female toilets in Argentinian bars.. what the hell is going on here? no toilet seats, no toilet paper and there is pee all over the floor and walls? girls gone wild or is it a case of good old fashioned "marking their territory" like dogs? I have no freaking idea what is going on but I warn, enter with caution.. that shit is nasty! 

girls on film...

DAY TWENTY FIVE - LAS PELOTAS

Los Pelotas, English translation - the balls, and yes I am indeed talking about the hairy kind of balls... but no I am not here to show you pictures of the state of balls in Argentina (I know some will be saddened by this news) but here instead are pics of the band Los Pelotas! and ouch my body hurts - I had a good thrash about last night!

$20ARD Large oversized Fernet