Buenos Aires, Monday

1234 Been awake in bed since 930ish, got up about 11 IIRC, showered and shaved and now finally thinking of heading out. Tempted to miss La Boca, it sounds horribly tout ridden, a bit fake and massively risky (especially as I'd somehow rather not leave my passport at the hotel, even in safe bits pickpocketing sounds a possibility, plus you can't walk in or out safely and what if I can't get a taxi). For now going to get food, maybe enquire at that hotel round corner (if no good or no rooms will book something on web later) then maybe walk down to Museo de Bellas Artes on offchance it is open - most museums seem closed on Mondays from guide book, but that was closed in 2009 so guide book is vage. At worst it will be exercise and a chance to see random stuff on the walk.

1320 At La Posta de los Tucu which seems tolerably priced compared to other restaurants have seen. Can't find that hotel but if serendipity doesn't help on walk to museum can book online, it's just that place seemed cheapish and quoted prices in AR. Waiter possibly slightly surly but no matter, having bife de cuadril (whatever cut that is) with french fries and a diet coke. Will try to buy some fruit later. Oh, having bread too.

1352 Bill 72, will make it 80 - Fernando told me (I asked) tipping is 10% here. Food not bad if not amazing, feel a bit hot and hands sticky, could this be the food doing something to my metabolism? Probably not. Would have liked more to drink but can always get something from a shop later.

1742 At Angostura Bar Bistro corner Lavalle and Reconquista for cafe con leche; been paying attention to prices in places gone past and the 17 they charge here is at the low end of what I've seen.

After getting lost wrt north and south (mainly due to sun confusion now I am in the southern hemisphere, though quick in street fiddling suggests magnetic compass on phone not working - needs a fiddle in private later) set off to walk to Museo de Bellas Artes. Finding tourist info booth en route I asked for a map (moderately chuffed I managed this all in Spanish) since on Fernando's advice seems safer to fiddle with paper map in street than phone. Woman asked if needed further advice, she said MdBA shut today but gave me loads of other info re other museums.

She mentioned La Boca and I asked about it being too dangerous. She said between IIRC 11am and 7pm was OK. I said could I walk, she said as long as I stuck to some streets she highlighted on map I would be fine. So I figured I'd have a go. Was still frankly rather jittery. I memorised the couple of turns so I wouldn't have to render myself extra conspicuous by fiddling with map. The area was slightly tatty but I've seen much worse, however I suspect the roads I was on were the better bits. I didn't see the classic (and apparently now something of an artificial museum kind of thing) painted buildings cos the streets were not as thronged as I expected and I basically hadn't memorised the last little bit (I expected huge crowds earlier than they are, if there are any at all) and I lost my nerve when I had no more stuff memorised and snapped a couple of photos (I think I was at river but it was other side of road and super tourist bit was a bit further on) and retraced my steps. Had told myself as I felt brave+foolish walking in I'd get a cab out but the couple I saw were full and I felt vulnerable standing at side of road waiting for more cabs.

Nothing happened to me of course but I have no idea if there was any risk. Internet (and guide book to lesser extent) full of stories about how one block off main tourist bits can be dangerous. Sort of annoyed didn't press on but at same time feel quite proud I tried and did sort of experience area. Just may do some kind of tour bus thing at some point as saw some going past me. Could get taxi or bus there but with either, esp bus, I might get out and feel stranded in a desolate area with no idea where I am. At least when I walk in I know how to walk out.

Walked past some subterranean museum seen in guide book (shut today) which already caught my eye and which may try to see.

Bought fruit on way back from La Boca, got orange all over my hands so bought water and coke in supermarket and washed hands in street. Guzzled second banana looking into window of interesting possibly-anarchist-but-that-gives-the-flavour-anyway bookshop (shut today).

Battery at 73% which isn't too bad given been tracking (still am) all day and read a bit on phone over lunch etc.

Feeling a little more 'at home' here, rationally or not. May try for few beers and possibly some music tomorrow night - tomorrow morning have to check out by 10 so tonight not great and day after will have to check out to go on. Will book another two nights somewhere on web this evening. Do feel perhaps spending more time here than intended but although I am not doing a lot it's sort of cool to just be here and be wandering around. It doesn't all have to be wild adventure and I doubt it all is for anyone.

2010 Much happier bunny re hotel, waffle on that in a bit. Playing with GPS track, even after heavily 'compressing' the track to remove the drunkard's walk quality, gpsprune says I walked 23.4km over 6h today. Pedometer (based on semi made up stride length of 70cm) says 15.4km. The GPS track looks pretty accurate on the map, yet surely 23km cannot be right. Trying to measure distances on on screen map suggests to me it might be 15ish. But I sort of don't see how, barring bugs, the calculated value from the reasonable looking compressed track can be wrong. Meh, doesn't matter, and if it did I am saving the raw tracks so I can always fiddle with them in future.

2120 Having looked at guide book, I probably want to go to Bariloche (paragliding!) and head down (possibly on a tour for 4-5 days) towards El Calafate (taking in Chalten) from where I could cross to Puerto Natales in Chile before heading north. Bariloche is about 24h by bus from BA so unless I fly (which I'd rather not) I want to stop off somewhere else. Possibly Viedma on the coast of northern Patagonia (13h from BA, 13-14h from Bariloche) or possibly somewhere else. There is a train (in guidebook, which is old) from Viedma to Bariloche but only on Fridays, so probably no good for me even if I could get a ticket. Web search for the train seems not to turn up anything overly official but as far as I can see it does seem to run on Fridays still.

Looking at a map, I could possibly stop in Bahia Blanca en route to Viedma, or go from BA to Bariloche via Santa Rosa and miss Viedma. I am just picking out places visible on Google Maps here, they may be arbitrarily shown. Gut feel is not Bahia Blanca as Viedma is a tolerable overnight trip direct and while my time in Argentina is expanding a little I don't want to stretch it excessively.

Guide book says Santa Rosa is uninteresting but a pleasant stop for overland travel. It is 8h from BA and 12h from Bariloche; frankly the relatively small extra time overhead and my desire (if somewhat arbitrarily chosen in the first place) to see Patagonia, especially while I am here in summer, makes Viedma seem a more appealing choice.

Web search turns up useful-looking website omnilineas.com which gives buses from BA to Viedma so I can with luck pick and choose before going to buy ticket. Best option seems to be (assuming prices can be trusted) Fredes Turismo's cama service for ARS438 second class or ARS673 first class 'cama suite', leaving 1940 or 1950 respectively and taking 12h, so arriving 0740/0750. Those are the fastest services regardless of price. Web search reveals conflicting opinion of comfort of cama suite but might be worth trying. Failing that I think ordinary cama would be fine, I have done it a lot before and it's way more comfortable than eg sleeping on an economy flight like the London-BA one.

Of course flying to Viedma in economy wouldn't mean sleeping on plane. I'd rather do the bus but let's just check flights. ITA Matrix shows cheapest at all is £122 and on Thursday it would be 240 or Friday 150. The flights are direct and only about 1h40m and leave just after midday but for that price difference and the experience and my own slightly irrational preference for overland travel I think bus is the way to go. I mean, I'd pay about 20 quid minimum to stay in BA another night (which I don't want - I will be back here again at some point in the future, and maybe in March, four nights is already ample) and that's on top of flight. Also, v roughly, deducting bus price from the 150 flight on Fri is about a hundred quid, which is my somewhat irrational 'maximum value of my time on this trip' figure, so it's borderline economically to take the flight to save a day, even before you factor in the cost of an extra night in BA. I may be rationalising what I want to do here, but if I am so be it.

booking.com denies the existence of Viedma (though earlier when I searched for Buenos Aires it decided I meant Buenos Aires, Venezuela - on the page of other BAs, the one in Argentina came halfway down, this was fine the other day so maybe they have a glitch).

expedia has two hotels, one is full for three nights from Friday, the other is £101 for three nights which is borderline acceptable.

hostelworld has Viedma in its drop down list but shows no results for my dates. Picking a date a month in future shows one place, apparently an apartment for four runing at 425 ARS per night so no big deal it's full. Presumably only place on hostelworld in Viedma.

This is looking bad. Let's try agoda. Clearly not a big availability problem as lack of representation on online sites since nowhere shows many properties regardless of availability. agoda has two properties, no availability.

2242 OK, it seems there are not many hotels in Viedma and very few online bookable. Since the expedia one has free cancellation, I am inclining to booking that now before it fills for two nights, since assuming I am not too knackered I wil have all day Friday after the bus, all day Saturday and most of Sunday if I get an overnight bus on Sunday night, and I am not sure there is a huge amount there. I could then also look at non-online bookable options in person if I do want to stay another night. Web sites re buses to Bariloche are scarce/discouraging but at least one company has a route. Semi-cama only except Mon & Fri IIRC but not staying an extra night just cos of that, I can do semi-cama if necessary and there may well be other companies once I am there in person.

Don't regret staying in tonight to sort this out but do half wish I had thought to go to supermarket to buy fruit, mainly for 5 a day reasons though I am not really hungry but could eat something. Those M&Ms are tempting me...

May eat them, will try to do Spanish HW so can maybe have a lesson tomorrow then see about booking that hotel.

2330 Guzzled entire packet of M&Ms, booked hotel in Viedma for Friday and Saturday nights, prepaid on credit card so shouldn't be any current surprises and I can cancel for free before 6pm on 9th, so as long as I go over to Retiro tomorrow and try to buy a ticket I can cancel if I can't get one.

0104 Bed. Knackered. Booked Spanish lesson for 10am in part with view to forcing myself up and out earlyish; will doubtless feel shit in morning. Been trying to do homework but had to leave it about 60% done as too tired to concentrate. Has been fairly productive night really all things considered.