1758 At the 'pirate bar' on Reconquista (corner with Marcelo T De Alvear). Stumbled across Reconquista during a wander, I have memories if not super joyous ones of these bars. Getting my bearings back a little. The Havanna coffee bar diagonally opposite where I had a bout of homesickness/doubt on a previous trip is closed, otherwise might have gone there for a coffee. At 38 ARS for a pint it is not exactly cheap here, and that's without tip.
Found bicentennial museum by accident as got lost wandering. Free so went in, not sure if had gone there before. Hard to piece together history of country from exibits not knowing anything to start with IMO. But they did have a 'transplanted' Siqueiros (sp) mural Ejercicio Plastico, which was a pleasant surprise and strangely moving. Another exhibit in there - a film showing photos mixed with computer 3D models of BA over last 100 yrs or so set to some piano music - oddly stirred up my current feelings of nervousness and dislocation.
I am trying not to worry about solving even my short term problems today. I hope a good night's sleep in a proper bed will help. My attempts to find a cash machine charging a smaller fee have failed, though I did in the end withdraw 1000 instead of 900 which slightly dilutes the fee. Some machines offer dollars but although they don't show an exchange rate I suspect I would just end up paying the official rate and so be no better off than with pesos. Maybe that's stupid and my brain is just too fried to reason it out properly. Perhaps as my account is not held in pesos it would not work like that. Not trying to figure it out now. May make experimental withdrawal tomorrow and check statement, but the experiment would cost me the same ARS38 fee.
I went for food at a buffet round corner from hotel. Probably didn't get value for my ARS 90 but still. May have a second pint now then head back to hotel picking up (ideally) water, fruit and cold soft drinks at supermarket saw round corner. If somewhere coffeeish comes my way might get a coffee. Actually wondering about second pint. First went down far too quickly, partly I suspect because it's cold, but do wonder if I feel the effects already. Maybe I will just settle up and perhaps have another nearer hotel (not that this is far) after wandering a little more. Probably for best actually.
1816 Have handed over 100, fingers crossed. Serious 'homesickness' (not quite right word), idea of lurking in hotel room all night seems a bit grim. Feel a bit friendless. All rather irrational, can easily divert myself with web plus in reality I already feel slightly tired and expect to want an early night, also if I really want I can pop out for a coffee or something later (and I may have one on way back, esp now not having second pint her). Had this in some form first day in Georgia and hardly first time even then, in a few days I expect to feel fine - quite possibly tomorrow after sleep - and if I do stil feel shit in say a week or two (which I don't rationally expect to) I can always either ditch the trip immediately or decide to cut it a bit shorter. Point is I do have options.
Got 61 change. Making it up to 43 (from evidently 39). Anyway, off but not huge rush.
1922 Been back at hotel a bit, nearly went in cafe nearby for coffee but figured I could always go there later so got some groceries (no fruit alas, but a cold bottle of sugar free Pasa de los Toros pomelo flavour drink, which is going down well, and some water and some deodorant) and come back.
Couldn't believe how quiet streets were this afternoon, possibly a bit less so later on but still. I don't think I am in some complete backwater of the city. Maybe everyone is out so late Saturday night Sunday afternoon they are all still at home. Lots of cafes and restaurants seemed shut.
2041 Took GPS track today and correlating it now with photos with gpsprune. I am not using the camera's own app; since gpsprune seems so easy and taking a track with GPS Essentials is configurable (for tweaking power use and, much less importantly, track size) and can be saved to show where I walked, I am not yet using camera app, so I could have been doing this before - tho dodgy GPS on old phone would have ruled it out. Time will tell if I keep it up but it doesn't seem a huge battery drain (and I stil have it on most data collected settings IIRC) or major faff so maybe probably will keep it up. Track wobbles around a bit but that is probably inevitable in a city (obscured view of sky) or maybe it's just cheap phone GPS but it is still pretty good and I think worth having.
2053 Not particularly desperate to go out for coffee and while it would be good to at least eg look into hotel for when leave here, we are now at point where I might go to bed if I start to feel tired so not likely to go out tonight. Feeling a bit better but still bit up in here. Staying here an extra night or two (and just one seems a faff when I have to change hotels) seems potentially a bit of a waste of precious time and also perhaps a bit pricey but in reality neither of those should be a huge driver. If it allows me to settle down and feel mentally and physically comfortable before I head out probably worth it. Also the pre-Xmas trip came in pretty well on cost terms despite the expensive hotels in Bangkok. Of course I was generally in cheap countries and unless - which I do intend to but really want to get a bit mentally settled first - I make at least intermittent use of hoste dormitories I am unlikely to come in as cheap on this leg. Money is important but right now I shouldn't let it worry me; it's easy to make excuses but I think getting comfortable and in 'tourist mode' again is a temporary phase worth easing with cash, within reason.
2101 Genuine-but-not-new Samsung battery charged up to 100% and now swapped in new compatible battery to charge that up. So maybe I will deliberately switch back in a day or two and see if the Samsung battery is holding its charge (and therefore the only 66% thing when switched in on flight was probably due it to not having been fully charged to start with).
2239 Had quick look for hotels. booking.com has another cheap hotel listed but can I trust the price? Generally BA is very expensive. I saw a hotel round corner doing non ac double private for 185 ARS night or ac for 225, may pop in and ask them. hostelworld has some places but their massively deceptive policy of quoting per person for private rooms makes it a) hard to find places with actual affordable single occupany rooms, since most are twin/double and b) winds me up. I am not really craving the chance of meeting people a hostel might afford right now, especially here in BA where I sort of want to sort my onward plans out and tick off La Boca if possible then move on. As waffled earlier not really inclined to save money by going for dormitory right now. And anyway I do mean what I say about not really wanting the hostel atmosphere in my current frame of mind, be the room private or not. Plus on getting settled grounds I would like a private bathroom for the moment.
2331 Have complained to booking.com re exchange rate scam, probably won't help (I suspect if nothing else will be argued I should have argued, despite having been in transit for 24h) but at least I tried. Slightly tired and should move towards bed soon, have had second shower (one tap doesn't work but water is tolerably lukewarm) and cleaned teeth. Setting aside my mental wobbling earlier I seem to have held up fairly well. Yes the time zone difference is not much and is in my favour given I might ordinarily be up at 0230 in the UK (which it is now) anyway but I obviously didn't sleep well and possibly (though have no real idea) not much last night.
0017 Finally to bed.
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