Corrientes, Tuesday

Tue 1951 At Cafe-Bar Schneider on corner Junin and San Juan. Sitting outside, it's not cold but there's a cool breeze which is (wearing long-sleeved T-shirt) borderline pleasant and borderline chilly.

Going to get two empanadas and a litre of Schneider (the cheap beer at this bar). Not out for a session, but a bit bored and after afternoon on bunk at hostel had been intending to come out for quiet beer and muse this evening.

Got back to hostel maybe 4-5, taking 4k cash out in desperation after trying n banks earlier and finding none will let me take more. Lay on bed surfing a bit and charging up phone. There's a little black cat running round hostel, it was yowling slightly in the dorm and with only minor encouragement it climbed up the vertical ladder onto adjacent top bunk and then jumped across on to mine; it let me stroke it and purred a bit. Then some new people came in and turned light on and I think one of staff picked it up and took it out.

After my casual cash machine exploration when left hostel about midday (having got up and had uncommunicative breakfast about 10) I went over and looked at the murals at north end of San Juan; quite nice. Guide book implied most museums shut til 4! Went to supermarket and bought deodorant and some apples/pears and bottle of chilled sparkling water; I didn't realise you had to weigh fruit yourself but guy at checkout summoned someone else to go do it for me and while a queue built up we had a bit of a chat; he switched to English and showed me his Sex Pistols tattoo - it has union flag background so he said he has to keep it hidden (under his short-sleeved work polo shit in this case) because of the Malvinas. (This is the first time I think an Argentinian has raised this with me, and he wasn't being arsey, just practical.) Nearly told him I had met John Lydon the other year but didn't as "meet" was a tiny bit of a stretch plus I couldn't be confident (and still haven't checked) John Lydon was actually in the Sex Pistols.

I then went and ate two large apples and a pear by the murals; I still had one apple and one pear left but was really not hungry. Still have in bag and will eat tomorrow if they don't go bad. Spotted a museum in guide book (2010 vintage) which was open all afternoon, but it was shut for renovations (I have a photo; think it was folklore-ish one) and I also went over to museo de la ciudad and that was shut for renovations too.

I was/am feeling a bit bored. Not a really bad bored, but still, and the lingering "where to go next?" issue is annoying me.

After abortive museum attempts I went for a walk up to north bit of Costanera around Parque Mitre; nice enough in its way. Then back to hostel about 4-5ish. As wanted to charge phone had no real alternative but to lie on bed surfing; with the dodgy connector it won't charge if I just hold it in hands, so no scope for sitting in common area near a handy socket. (I can prop the phone up against the bunk headboard and its own weight holds the charge cable in a working position - the bunk has its own elevated socket, and incidentally  a (very bright) light, it's quite well laid out really - and lie on my stomach on the bunk and use the phone as it charges.)

I extended at this hostel for one more night (Wed) on my way out; I had mostly planned to stay that long anyway but played it safe on initial booking in case I hated hostel/city. Bit annoyed as it cost ARS400 which is more than the average for my first three nights, and I *hadn't* investigated making a booking on booking.com first to see price on there, but hardly the end of the world.

My intermittent musings re onward travel and activities:

There's some big ecological reserve (Ibera, and maybe some other things) nearby. This isn't exactly my bag but is mildly of interest. Having had quick poke at 2010 guide book, I kind of get the impression this is nearer to Mercedes (about 3h away by bus) and it all seems a bit potentially boutique or at the very least "need to turn up and then look at tours" and I don't really feel inclined to do that at this point when I have a deadline of being back in BA in just under three weeks. Another time, maybe.

Parana/Santa Fe are about 10/9h by bus; this is super inconvenient, as with the 9h bus here - my current accom is not super near bus terminal (which doesn't help but isn't fundamental problem), and if I go during day this sees me getting in early evening after dark which is a bit stressful, if I go overnight I either (depending on choice of bus times) leave say 6pm and get there at 4am when it's still dark and deserted or leave say 10pm-midnight and get there 6-8am and end up having to loiter for hours at bus terminal here before bus goes or get taxi there after dark. I could go somewhere halfway in 4-5h but not sure there is anywhere, and my mildly tight deadline makes me reluctant to do it. I think TBH I am also feeling a bit tired and lazy after "so much" travel over last n months. Also if I do go to some hypothetical place 4-5h away, since Cordoba is about 14h from here and I do want to go there to get train to BA, I'd then be stuck with a 9-10h trip from hypothetical place to Cordoba and the whole problem with that awkward length of trip recurs.

(I think this is first time I've been out for a beer after dark since I was in Santiago. It's starting to get a little busier at the outdoor tables, tho always been lots of people passing along pedestrianised street.)

I am wondering about just going to Cordoba on a presumably half-decent 14h overnight bus. *But* if I do that on (say) Thursday night, I'm in Cordoba on Friday morning. I have been to Cordoba before, though I'm sure I could profitably pass a few days there regardless. But if I then got the Sunday train to BA, I'd have two weeks in BA, which is a bit much. I could put in nearly a week in Cordoba and get the Thursday train to BA and have about 9 days in BA, which would be fine, but I am not sure it's really "profitable" to put in nearly a week in Cordoba.

I half hoped writing this down would help me think of something but it hasn't yet. Don't get me wrong, none of this is "critical" and even if I'm not doing anything special and slightly anticipating my return home it's still pleasant-ish to be here on holiday and I can have little experiences like the bridge/police yday and the Sex Pistols checkout operator today. But it doesn't quite feel like I'm taking advantage properly.

Obviously I could go place X-place Y-Cordoba in a series of 4-5h hops but apart from not being sure if there are suitable places X and Y (I suppose Parana/Santa Fe might be a place Y) I am reluctant, as given my timescales it would sort of force me to only spend 2-3 days in each of X and Y (I have about 18 days when I leave here Thursday, would like at least 7 in BA at end so that leaves 9 days) and that feels both unsatisfying and gives an unfavourable travel:actually-being-somewhere ratio. Think have waffled before that being in a place is interesting or fun or at least "well, I've seen the place now" but the actual physical moving around can be a bit stressful, plus it takes a chunk of time and mental energy out of the last day in the current place booking travel and accom to the next place.

(If it was earlier in trip and I was less focussed on time, I could image/hope I'd say "yeah, let's do 4-5h hops and spend 3-4 nights in each place en route, if they're dull I can take the chance to relax in them and at least I've given them a try and seen them" . I *think* (though I may be deluding myself and haven't checked back) this is how the journey back up from Concepcion to Santiago worked, although there I did keep having ideas of doing stuff en route which didn't really pan out. And I was under a bit of time pressure then - quite surprisingly similar now I think about it - because again I had a) a flight booked b) wanted to spend a solid but not insane chunk of time in the capital city before the flight.)

Let's stop writing now I think I've got all the key stuff down from today and have a mull and stare at the crowds and drink beer. Plan for tomorrow is very low key, may try some other museums but basically I'm just looking to decide on and plan next leg of trip.

Just realised the supermarket with the Sex Pistols guy is right across the street from here. Just an observation.

Oh, I have an ice bucket for my litre of Schneider, which is nice. Need to be careful but could see myself getting some more empanadas and maybe more beer. Not that anywhere near finished litre yet, I think.

2029 Obviously I could extend my stay here in Corrientes, but (though I could move, of course) especially when staying in dorm I don't feel super comfortable hanging around in hostel too much, and there just doesn't seem that much to do. Don't get me wrong, I could go have a beer down by the river in the sun in the afternoon and so on, but I've done that and I may well do it again tomorrow and even the day after depending on bus timings. In a way it's nice not to do too much, but I'm going a bit past that point really.

I suppose I could just really "go for it" wrt Cordoba and get an apartment there for a week (assuming this is possible; not checked eg airbnb lately re either Cordoba or BA tho back in Jan were some decent-looking cheap BA apts) and then one in BA for a week. (I hope BA isn't going to be way more expensive than Jan memories lead me to believe; it was damn hot there in Jan and maybe demand is low, whereas from memory I expect April to be cooler verging on cold after dark, though still pleasant esp as I am not returning to full-time work and wanting to cling on to the "vacation in warm comfortable place" feeling as I was in 2014. But prob be fine.)

Trouble with an apt is that it opens up massive temptation to spend a lot of time bumming around in it. In some ways this is nice, but right at end of trip when it's not so much a break from the "tiring" tourist stuff (kind of how I sold the Santiago flat to myself) as just resuming my semi-tranquil life back in my own flat in London early it seems a bit counterproductive. Of course I can/will go out for a few hours a day as I did in eg Santiago, and really I don't feel it's obligatory to be running round like a blue-arsed fly "seeing" stuff all day. After all this is "slow travel" (don't quite like that phrase somehow, but like "downshifting" it seems to mostly cover a concept I have in my life, even as I feel the words make me seem a bit of a twat for using them), not a two week vacation where I need to pack every minute full.

Aldous Huxley quote about true travellers enjoying boredom as a sign of their excessive freedom has crossed my mind a few times lately. I think there's something in that and I *do* enjoy being bored in moderation, it feels leisurely (quite beer by the river, slow-verging-on-footsore saunter round some arbitrary park today), but rightly or wrongly I do have this feeling that I *am* a lazy person and while that's generally cool, if I don't push myself a bit I will do absolutely nothing, which is a bit wasteful.

I have no real idea what's going to happen about future travel. It's not just a question of money (though that is a factor, relatively cheap as my travel style is), once I'm not working full time and compelled to alternate 3-4 years before the mast with 6-12 months off, I may only want to travel 2-3 months at a time, perhaps once a year or every 18 months of whatever. I'm not getting too worked up about this, whole point is to see how things go and how I feel (and maybe I'll suddenly feel come October "fuck yeah, I want to go back to Guatemala for a couple of months" and I'll have the flexibility to do it), just making an observation.

2055 Just been asked if need anything else, as have some other tables. Wondering if shutting. But peering at the door they shut at 2300, so that's pretty good - avoids temptation to stay out too late or drink too much, but not under too much pressure.

May well have another drink but don't want to be going back to hostel pissed and I also need to keep an eye on my consumption - I haven't been drinking excessively any one night lately at all, but despite a certain scepticism about the public health-promoted limits on consumption, I am sure it's not good to consume too much even if each individual day is pretty responsible. (Happened to see from a semi-spam e-mail today, incidentally, there is apparently such a thing as "Sober Spring" . I didn't look into it, but this smells to me like more public health wankery. What with the already fairly well-established Dry January "challenge" , how long can it be before we have Fanta-only February,

J20 June, Abstention August/Autumn, etc and every single month of the year we are being hectored by our public health overlords not to drink?)

2111 Feels *slightly* reckless (and what a comparison - and not entirely a cheering one - with eg the old blog entry about Santa Fe when I used to drink more and more regularly) but after brief chat with waitress (they may shut 10 or 1030 depending on demand, but not before 10 when I asked) I am getting two more empanadas and another litre of Schneider. Four pints is hardly insane and while I have a peculiar revulsion to the idea of ringing hostel bell and MoS letting me in thinking I'm pissed, frankly, fuck 'em if they actually do care.

I am leaning a bit towards the "week in Cordoba in apt, week in BA in apt" approach (durations approx) but will continue to mull and ultimately will sort of make decision only tomorrow when I maybe poke on airbnb from hostel wifi after breakfast and check web/go to bus terminal to investigate bus ticket options/buy.

I think I can pay by ccard at this place which will be nice. As I say got some cash earlier but the less cash I spend the better, given the (v approx) 5% surcharge it involves.

I did note while skimming 2010 guide book earlier there is apparently a really slow and from a non-romantic POV crappy train from Posadas to Buenos Aires (*not* Retiro station, can't remember name of it tho). I don't know if that still runs. I am *not* trogging back to Posadas just on offchance and my web pokes a few months ago back in UK re trains in Argentina in general suggest info is super-scarce, but noting this because it is possible that *if* this service has somehow clung on to life  long enough, on a future trip getting a train from BA to Posadas might be a good way to get back to this part of world to visit Iguazu Falls and/or that Ibera ecological area. (The guide book said IIRC nominal time Posadas-BA was 27h "but often much longer" ; 27h may be fiction of my memory, but the qualifier was not - even if this still exists a train that unreliable would be enjoyably quirky if not under time pressure but not something I'd like to be dealing with as I head back to BA for a flight.)

(The fact that train doesn't go to Retiro would allow me to believe it still exists even tho I saw no timetables for it at Retiro. It may well not, and if it does now may not by time I return, but observation FWIW.)

2132 Horribly closing up feel as tables taken in etc. WTF. If I leave half a litre it's still not overly pricey. Feels awkward tho.

2155 Annoyingly been told they are closing, been in to pay and swigging beer (which had already been necking a bit) outside now. 400 but couldn't tip on ccard and due to lack of change had to tip 50 but hey 10 extra tip is nothing compared to 5% of 400 if had had to pay all in cash.

Don't really feel drunk so hope don't look it and no trouble on short walk home or getting into hostel or cleaning teeth before bed.

2157 Suddenly amused to realise this actually makes the typical UK pub feel relaxed wrt opening hours, even on a Tuesday night.

2219 No trouble getting in, as staff woman chatting to friend on hostel entrance. I did somehow walk past entrance without noticing and Google Maps helpfully decided to throw away the starred place which is the hostel; no idea why, but hey, it's Google Maps, the most user-hostile app in the world.

In one of those amazing dorm paradoxes I am only person in here and lights are on; when I came into dorm at 4-5pm one guy was lying on bed reading and lights were out so we spent 95% of time I was in here in the dark (occasionally some rando would turn lights on for few mins; no idea how "rules" work here as nothing ever said in English or Spanish either by way of asking permission or bitching about change). I feel a bit of a loser but hey a) not a drunk one b) two or so guys were hanging around solo in the terracey bit with headphones on so not everyone is partying at a proper bar which didn't shut super early. To be super fair I didn't think CB Schneider was a "proper" bar but esp with memories of BA opening hours I also didn't expect to be forced to neck my second litre like that.

Anyway, have cleaned teeth and may chill with bit of music on my bunk for a bit. Saw little black cat right by dorm door when came back but it ran away for some cat reason.

Oh, and tho checking past blog entries may confirm/deny this, other nights have been other people in dorm at this time of nigjht - ISTR my first night being mildly amazed I was not only person going to bed super early almost as if nothing else to do. But tonight it seems everyone is out.

2342 Few ppl in dorm now. Had couple of visits to bog for piss, but feel OK. Been finishing backup of photos to new 16GB card and listening to some music. Just had Alfredo Danneman/Jazz Entre Amigos version of There'll Be Some Changes Made (or "Habrá Algunos Cambios" as they call it) and am amazed yet again at the sheer energy and joy of this music which I stumbled across on youtube a year or so ago. I hope they had great success at the time but TBH would also be sort of cool if they were actually just a group of mates, someone put a reel-to-reel recording of their grandad and his friends playing on youtube decades later and I am now in my unsophisticated way appreciating it even though they have no critical acclaim. I think I did a quick web search for them with no info a while back but not sure and I should try again at some point.