Cordoba, Wednesday

1314 At Veneto having bife de chorizo and chips. They do pizza here but sod it.

GMail app has probably lied about sending last few blog entries, fortunately I kept copies on phone. Should perhaps ask at reception if wifi working again.

Woke up about 12 (I hadn't set an alarm) and finallly got up about 1230ish.

1340 Not bad, if not astounding. Might stop for a coffee; I need to decide WTF I'm doing about La Cumbre/paragliding and a bit of time to read the guide book might help. The logistics of the thing seem difficult. There was some sort of tour company (who made no mention of paragliding in their street ad) just down the road and it may just be worth calling in on them. Failing that perhaps tourist information and/or have a look and see if I can book a hostel in La Cumbre online at some internet cafe. But I don't want to turn up and then find there's nothing available for the next 2-3 days.

(Could have asked about wifi at reception on way out but wanted to get out and get lunch.)

Were that not at issue/once it's as resolved as can be, vague plan is to wander down to the park just to the south of those art galleries I went to yesterday and wander round a bit, or maybe shove my head in at the door of the cathedral.

I can almost see myself ditching the paragliding. I am a bit scared but not too much, since I kind of know it's OK now. I would like to do it but at the same time it seems damned tricky to arrange.

Clocked up 142 mins walking yesterday, BTW.

1355 OK, just squatted at the table without coffee. Had a bit of a read and plans sort of forming in my mind. Will get bill and go look into stuff.

ARS62, 79 with tip. Didn't tell waiter what tip I wanted this time when proffering my 100 note, may be my imagination but I think he expected me to. (Have just left it on table.)

1455 OK, went to tourist information who just gave me a web site to look at. Came back to hostel (buying some water and pomelo drink on the way; it is fucking hot today), internet not working but might be in two hours. Will go out to an internet cafe shortly, just taking a moment to cool down with drink. Once I go to the net cafe will have a better idea where I stand and can hopefully take it easy for rest of day. Do need to know where I'm going soon though as need to book ahead for accommodation.

1520 Fuck me, don't really want to go out again but guess I can't lie around here all afternoon.

1602 Can't find a single fucking internet cafe. Going to give up, walk down to the park (it's too damn hot really, but still) and maybe one will magically turn up. Failing that maybe the hostel wifi will be working when I get back. Have to fight down the idea the staff ridicule and/or resent my very existence and not be put off. (It's weird. Don't always have this feeling.) Had enough of trying and failing to sort things out for now anyway. May in fact go have a beer; shall see what turns up.

1613 Fuck it. At Sorocabana, after somewhat lengthy discussion with waitress over sizes (I kind of didn't want to get a litre), getting a large chopp. (My Spanish is getting worse and worse. Going to have to take some sort of active steps about that when I get back to London.) Will walk down to park after. If push comes to shove may put off ongoing plans until tomorrow; I just have idea this may be a peak time and am worried about ho(s)tels being overly full. I suppose in principle I could even hand my key in tomorrow morning and say I might not be back and jump on a bus to La Cumbre or the other place (which I haven't mentioned in the blog yet, Men-something-ish), see if I can get a place to stay and a paragliding booking and if not return to Cordoba and my already-paid-for room the same day. Seems a bit silly in this modern telecommunications world but even given net access I expect I can't reliably book paragliding remotely (without phoning, which is hard, and I am *not* doing that in Spanish) and I also wonder if there will be any online-bookable hostels or hotels in either place. I guess I won't know until I can get on the fucking internet.

2024 Hostel wifi working. A-fucking-mazing.

After beer walked down to park, which seemed rather split up by roads, and there was some sort of free festivaly thing on, so I stood around watching some bloke sing to a pre-recorded backing track for half an hour or so. Then back to hostel for much needed shower. Have illicitly washed a few clothes in the sink.

Anyway, onward bound: fuck. OK, probably not that bad. La Cumbre is 'the' paragliding place (and it also has a statue of Cristo Redentor, apparently, which is a bit of a draw in a strange way) and is 2-3h from here by bus. Merlo is 6h from here, apparently has paragliding and is 2h closer to Mendoza by bus than Cordoba is. La Cumbre is possibly a 'dead end' and would require coming back here before going on. Not the end of the world and no worse than San Pedro de Atacama.

Anyway, hostelworld doesn't acknowledge the existence of either place. Guide book gives some places but one I e-mailed bounced back, most don't do proper online reservations, etc. Expedia has one in Merlo which is full and - I just checked - fiveish in La Cumbre, all but two of which are full and the cheapest of which is £51 a night. Now I am torn. £51 a night rankles when I think I paid less than that in BA. On the other hand if I turn up (it being peak season AFAIK and a weekend to boot) trying to wing it and have to give up (it's an acceptable accommodation risk as I could get an overnight bus from Cordoba to say Mendoza or Salta the same day) I am going to be annoyed.

No idea if I will be laughed out of the room for daring to turn up and hope to book a flight a day in advance at this time of year. The web site the guy at the tourist office gave me is not super helpful.

My inclination is to book for two nights and wing it on the paragliding booking. I could always seek out cheaper accomodation while I'm there on the spot if I do need to hang around and decide it's worth it. On the other hand, would be nice to know I was sorted, but I'd kind of rather choose who I fly with in person rather than just go with this web site on the basis of the tourist office. Guide book recommendation may count for something.

Fuck it, anything to get the damn business sorted. Gonna book the hotel now anyway. The statue of Cristo Redentor must be seen regardless.

2053 OK, booked. Just might see if I can pre-book paragliding eg by calling number from guide book tomorrow, but still. Something attempted, something done, has earned not just a night's repose but a few beers beforehand.

I guess this works out well in a sense. If I do have to splurge on a hotel (it didn't say anything about wifi, oh well) it's good for it to come between the relatively spartan accommodation of the hostel here and the hostel I will probably stay at in the next place, which is probably Salta or Mendoza. (I guess I shall be influenced in part by the buses, if any, available from La Cumbre...)

2150 At Pueblo Grande on Rouleau. Did actually go to next bar down as I happened to catch the tail end of a Smiths song but they didn't come and serve me (or anyone else; not like they were busy) for the duration of Crowded House's 'Fall At Your Feet' so I walked. Feel a little on view as I am at table in street and people sat on the raise step outside from of bar proper loom over me. Sod it.

Waiter had great difficulty with my Spanish here, suspect my pronunciation is at fault.

Oh, had email from expedia.They are 'processing' my booking so I guess it's not confirmed.

Bloke just put little begging slip on table asking for change and walked off. FFS. He just took it away.

If I don't start to feel more relaxed soon I might go elsewhere.

Keep meaning to observe that, unknown to me, the word 'playa' apparently can be used to refer to a car park as well as a beach. The town is plastered in signs which have made it hard not to infer this.

Woman asked me if this was where to get a collectivo when I was waiting to cross a street earlier. Semi-flattering in a way. I must have been a bit taken aback or otherwise distracted and pulling a funny sort of face, because when I turned round to answer (sorry, I'm a tourist, don't know) she almost jumped back. I don't think I'm *that* ugly...

Oh, GMail app had not in fact lost any of my e-mails, including Fridays draft blog entries. It seems to have merely switched somehow between the two different Google accounts I have on the phone. Which does suck, but less. Shan't repost the lost blog entry from the Friday but will mail it to myself for posterity.

Had a few street vendors/beggars come past but they are at least relatively unintrusive. A few presumably street dogs in the town, but not many. Didn't see (m)any(?) in BA.

If expedia don't come through on that hotel I will go to La Cumbre and wing it; as noted above, worst case is I have to ditch it and come back to Cordoba same day for an overnight bus onwards. I really do want to do the paragliding if I can; it seems less of a hassle now I have half a plan and I do remember thinking 'this is so fucking cool' when I did it in Iquique so I shouldn't pass up the chance to do it again. You can do a course to learn to do it yourself, which is sort of tempting but I probably won't go for that this time round. I suspect there would be the opportunity to take a similar course somewhere in Europe if I ever find myself with a spare week off (eg mandatory contract furlough). Not absolutely writing it off, but probably not just now. I also suspect insurance is tricky to locate, especially when you're already abroad, based on my investigation prior to doing it in Iquique. They may offer insurance themselves but it all just seems a little OTT.

In terms of onward trip, perhaps best not to go to Mendoza just yet, all other things being equal, as given plenty of time remaining, I would be likely to get sucked into Santiago's entertainment gravitational well instead of going elsewhere.

2237 Couple at next table just got a pizza. Sorely tempted myself. On walk back from Parque Sarmiento was tempted but everywhere was shut. But I am not quite in the mood for it somehow. I guess it will be something to entice myself out of bed with tomorrow morning.

2247 Fuck it, I always was weak. Ordered pizza and another litre. Waiter asked where I was from and I told him. Truly ashamed of my Spanish tonight, it's poor even by my standards. Still, I am getting by and that is the main thing I suppose.

Oh, there was/is a Falklands-themed metal sign poster thing in one of the streets near the plaza. I didn't feel like ostentatiously photographing it when I saw it earlier, but now I know where it is I shall know when I'm approaching it and take a snap with the zoom tomorrow.

2324 Pizza bloody huge, I assumed when I saw it was only ARS40 it would be modest. Have done my best and consumed all but a quarter of the thing (two slices). Maybe a bit less than a quarter left. I could force it down but why make myself sick, fat and miserable all at the same time? I would quite like to take the remainder home but shan't ask. Anyway, I shall now devote myself to my largely untouched second litre and then probably home. That big hit by Scissor Sisters playing now.

Pushing the pizza plate away now. This goes against the grain...

Oh, a very non-UK sort of pizza,  with essentially a single solid sheet of ham covering the entire surface. Very nice though.

Three people including two kids have now put the 'your change will support my family' begging slips on the table. If it's not all one family, the fact these are clearly standard, mass-produced slips takes what little emotive appeal they might have had away. 'I spent my last few coins on these pre-produced slips at the local printer's office.'

Maybe I should offer the next 'beggar' a slice of pizza. Hard to see how bar staff can object and if the greedy fucker takes both uninvited it's not really any skin off my nose.

2342 It seems oddly cool that a small moth has settled on the edge of the plate and appears to be feasting on a small crumb or nearby spot of grease. I rather like moths, while acknowledging the underside of the larger specimens can be a bit overly insectilely hideous. Damn butterflies get all the popular acclaim and they're just more fragile, gaudier moths. :-) You dig in mate.

Oh, what irony(ish). A street kid just dumped a gaudy packet of stickers on the plate and - fortunately - although scaring the moth off didn't squash it. I offered him pizza when he came back and he wasn't impressed.

Hmm, few spots of rain. Trust this isn't going to turn into a downpour.

Oh, passing the Iglesia de San Francisco on my walk down to the park and it being open I wandered in. I'm no architecture maven but a fairly impressive edifice all the same. Did my usual trick of standing in the doorway for a minute or two watching - and it's this aspect that always freaks me out in churches when they don't openly charge an admission fee - a couple of people praying and wondering if it would be out of order to go in. I then meandered down one side and back the other, not taking any photos, and finally snapped an interior view from the doorway. It was basically empty apart from those prayers, though one bloke stood in there might have been a tourist. I slipped a couple of pesos in what I took to be the votive candle collection box; I infer that's what it was as there was a packet of candles on top of it which I initially took for a packet of biscuits, and wondered why someone had donated a packet of biscuits.

0000 Bloke selling those wristband things came past a second time. I think he asked if he could take the pizza - the mini conversation was not super intelligible alas - and I told him he was welcome to it. Better than it going to waste.

86, 100 with tip. Didn't catch the 6 part and queried it (tho really 100 would be borderline acceptable had it been 89.99) and waiter came back in English.

0107 Just got back. No answer to bell at first. After five mins or so some other bloke turned up - oldish chap, but came in with me and staff knew him, not sure if he's guest or owner or what. Quite a few people still loitering inside and oddly - like that first afternoon - large contingent on terrace below my room all stood around very quietly obviously engaged in some kind of meeting the purpose of which eludes me. Still, all good. Oh, when they did answer the bell it took force and a half to open the door. If big bloke hadn't been there with me I would have questioned my strength.

Didn't quite finish that last beer; I guess the last one anywhere always seems a bit pointless. Decidedly not drunk but was rather bloated from the pizza, although not in an unsatisfactory way. Feeling oddly pleased with myself all of a sudden.

Uploading a few photos now and also moving towards bed. Hope not to be up too late but will probably not set an alarm or if I do it will be for midday or similar just so I don't spend the whole afternoon in bed without realising it.

Bed is v primitive here - just a sheet to cover the mattress and a sheet on top. Pillowcase is really a cylindrical tube which doesn't have anything to 'hold it' on the pillow. It's fine and mattress is comfortable enough but inevitably - perhaps because I had to make the bed myself but probably not - the sheet over the mattress rucks up while I'm sleeping. Not a big deal and it's so warm the single sheet on top is more than adequate. Left the ceiling fan on last night and seem to recall waking up in middle of night feeling cold and hearing it squeal madly, so turned it off and went back to sleep. Will probably leave it on low tonight and see how it goes. (There is actually an aircon unit in corner of room, but it's dead. Not really necessary either.)

I found the song I heard in the bar the other day - Vasos Vacios, by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. I am listening to it now on the web and I am not sure this is the version I heard, but this is the song.

Have uploaded the photos now and I really should go to bed.