Wed 1139 Slept OKish, woke up a bit in night as usual. Got up with mild hangover about 1010, uncommunicative breakfast (just couple of croissants and some sort of pastry hiding in a cardboard box which I assume was free-to-all) and sitting in "hall" of hostel poking at web re bookings. Wrt uncommunicative to be fair it was just me and one woman who seemed preoccupied, I didn't sit there silently as conversation bubbled round me.
Have booked an apartment in Cordoba for 6 nights at about £27/night on booking.com; airbnb couldn't compete unless I was willing to stay in a town 10-20kms outside Cordoba (which was doable at maybe £19 a night), which to be fair might be interesting in a way but not right now, so this is booking.com. I should be able to pay on credit card though have to give a cash deposit on checkin which will get back on checkout, so this sounds a bit more wanky and bureaucratic than most of my airbnb-ish apartment rentals; however, I can live with this especially as I expect to be leaving Cordoba early afternoon by train so having to meet someone for checkout is not a big problem.
I had a look at the buses and there are some half-decent overnight ones; I am going to end up hanging around from 9am-2pm on arrival with my bag (well, less time to walk over to flat of course) but not the end of the world. I will go over to bus terminal in a bit and buy a ticket; there are enough companies that I am willing to gamble on booking accom now before buying ticket, accom was probably the most limiting factor.
I hope this hostel will let me leave my bag here during the day on Thursday; if they won't I'll just have to deal with it, I guess. Will ask in a bit.
I will have a look later and see if there is any kind of Spanish exchange in Cordoba I might be able to go to while I'm there. Will try to book train tkt to BA as soon as I get there and once I have that I can look into BA flat; sooner I book the better as it opens up slow-responding airbnb hosts (not, incidentally, that this was an issue in Cordoba - there was simply nothing available at a price which could beat booking.com in Cordoba itself, poss due to booking nearly last minue).
Oh, that £27/night includes 21% VAT which booking.com site (but not e-mail) says I don't have to pay as foreigner paying with foreign card. I suspect I'll be charged it anyway but I have a screenshot of the booking.com site this time so I will a) politely bring it up when I check in b) make a polite stink with booking.com after I check out if I do have to pay it.
2058 On common hall bit of hostel to write this before bed. Batt at 10% so hope it lasts.
So I checked on way out earlier and no problem to leave bag here during day. Guy at desk super helpful, spoke English and also told me there was a travel agent round corner open from 5pm where could buy tkt to save going to bus terminal
I think I went to lie on bunk a bit before heading out to top up phone following the morning's web browsing re accom etc.
Oh, the guy also said a lower bunk had come free and did I want to change; I dithered briefly but said it was OK, I was only here one more night and had got used to it. I'm going to feel aggrieved if my phone falls off the bunk and smashes tonight though...
So (it was getting on towards 2 by this point) I walked over to the Costanera and the food truck I went to the other day - passing natural science museum which was open, maybe go there tomorrow - and had a pizza and litre of Quilmes Bajocero by the river. I think the same aggressive beggar woman came up to me as other day, I did broken record "no, disculpe" on here and she walked off muttering "que malo sos vos" or something a bit like that. Felt a bit guilty but I really hate being put on the spot. There was a silvery grey cat hanging round as well, I think it might be a stray - looked a bit thin though otherwise in fair condition. Felt a bit sorry for it but couldn't do anything, I tossed it a tiny bit of ham from my pizza but it didn't seem interested, it's not as if I had a box of cat biscuits on me. Had brief chat with owner as paid.
Went over to Museo de Bellas Artes. Small but quite good and free (no option to even donate AFAICS), had brief chat in Spanish with staff member who asked me to fill in a card with my impressions of one of the exhibits. Played the Bill Bryson "I've been told I can take one exhibit home as a reward for being an awesome human being, what will I take?" game. A bit torn but ultimately think it would have to be Rincón de Quilmes by Famuceno Bonifacio Oroquieta (1939) - something about the brilliant electric colours on the hut and the impression of sun and shade on the boats etc really worked for me. Didn't note names (tho snapped photos; guy told me it was OK without flash) of all other contenders, but do remember there was a picture called "Descansando" near RdQ with three horses stood in the street and something about the front horse really did conjure up a feeling of relaxation, the front horse also sort of managed to look strangely cuddly (and I am not really a horse person). Another candidate was IIRC "oposicion de signos", a nicely geometric pseudo-neony thing, and there was also a big modern-ish picture called " Pleno aire" (or "aire pleno" ?) which did feel quite open and fresh but which attracted my repeated attention primarily because one of the chickens at the bottom just looked *so* plump and three dimensional, almost like a ball, the effect was almost mesmerising.
Loitered perhaps a bit too long and though I think it was in part a slight sadness at moving on (as always, better than being pleased to get away) I had to tear myself away slightly from RdQ and Descansando.
I then went over to the travel agency nr hostel as it was gone 5pm and they were open. The woman in there seemed slightly sullen and told me I couldn't pay by credit card for the bus I wanted (but I could for others); since my poke on web had suggested other buses had worse timings and prices I really wanted that one but really didn't want to pay cash given the 5%-ish fee so I asked her if I'd be able to pay by card at the bus terminal and she said yes so I thanked her and left. TBH quite glad not to give her my business, she wasn't rude but she didn't seem super welcoming either.
Bit peeved at having to walk 3km+ each way to terminal - mainly as phone batt was super low at this point, single digits - but as I told myself it's not as though I had *any* plans for tonight anyway. Bit of a slog but bought ticket OK on card, came back and got some water and some biscuits (for bus) at supermarket en route and then spent a while back here at hostel lying on bunk as phone charged while I surfed a bit.
2115 Batt 4% and sure was one minor thing left to mention but can't think of it. Will go to bed now anyway, need to try to charge headphones too ready for bus overnight.
Oh, don't think it was the thing, but Cordoba accom says their office is in same building as flat and I can leave my bag there until I check in, which is nice. I arrive before 8am I think so they may not be open straight away, but prob be OKish.
Just seen and photographed near-camouflaged black cat in hostel, but not sure it's the same one I had on my bunk other day - it seems bigger and not super friendly (I touched its head but it didn't seem too impressed).
Poss minor thing was dropping camera while sitting at table at food truck place by river but not sure. Batt 2% so will write about that later/tomorrow.
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