22:10. Just got on the bus. The luggage handler asked me for a peso (I didn't understand the rest of what he said, nor what the guy said when I handed him my ticket as I got on, sigh) which may be because it seemed heavy to him but I don't know. I don't care, it's a peso (less than 20p) and it was no hassle and I am technically overweight no matter how stupid or generally unenforced the 15kg rule may be. No one sat next to me yet but the seat was booked up, I just hope it's not going to be someone getting on at an intermediate stop at 3am when I finally fall into a fitful slumber.
It occurs to me, if I haven't remarked it before, I am not writing much description of the places I visit. But as J K Jerome said, there is nothing easier to write than scenery and nothing more difficult to read. I have photos to convey that kind of thing.
The bus is clearly en route from somewhere already, as a number of the seats down here are occupied by people at least half asleep. I hope Posadas is the ultimate destination, it does at least say that on the sign on the front of the bus.
22:40. Well this is weird. I was recovering my natural good humour with a dose of Half Man Half Biscuit and we just stopped. A woman from Gendarmeria Nacional Argentina just got on and searched everyone's hand luggage (not totally thoroughly, but a bit less casual than I've seen before). I must say she was fairly pleasant and I managed the basic Spanish necessary OK (except I didn't know what 'paseando' meant, although I infer it means 'touring' from the subsequent conversation) but WTF? Maybe this is one of those in-country anti-fruit type checks, but you'd have though they'd have hammered any such restriction home in advance if that was the case. No harm done, just odd. (She didn't ask to see ID, BTW.)
23:20. Just listened to one of those audio course things (Showtime Spanish no. 3) so I feel slightly virtuous. That's pretty easy, would that the real thing were so.
Fri 03:40. Can't get to sleep. Serves me right for having such an out-of-phase sleep cycle I guess. We have in fact just stopped at some bus terminal somewhere. No one seems to have got on down here though, and as it happens they wouldn't have woken me up if they had and the seat next to me was theirs. It is still empty, as is the window seat in the pair in front. Yet they clearly showed as taken when I picked my seat. There are not the kinds of mysteries I think it's usual to comptemplate at 3:30am (certainly not for me) but I guess I have to take what I can get.
Am reading Virginia Woolf's "The Voyage Out" on my phone. It is moderately interesting if slightly slow going. I may switch to something more familiar in an attempt to sleep. It's uncomfortable reading as I have to hold the phone up, but I spent about two hours with just headphones on lying back and despite yawning I never dropped off, so I figured I'd stop chasing it and let it come to me. It will be a bit of a pisser if I don't sleep at all but it's not the end of the world, I can drag the day out on caffeine and go to bed earlyish. More likely I will magically slump around 4-5am and wake up with a mouth like the bottom of a birdcage around 8, which is better than nothing. (Stale simile - or do I mean metaphor? I can usually remember the distinction when I don't want to care but it's gone right now - but I have a bizarre affection for it.)
03:50. We just pulled up at *another* bus terminal about five minutes' drive from the last one. WTF?
08:00. Drifted off maybe about 4 and woke up for the last time about 7. Had the semi-usual "oh my god, I can't face this" waking up feeling. After probably 15-20 minutes I steeled myself to look at the time and it was 7:17. Absolutely relieved to find I still had two hours left before I get there and have to start dealing with shit.
Sunrise was vaguely impressive as far as I could take it in. Blazingly orange and then a sort of pinkish effect on the clouds. Or maybe the other way round. I was half asleep.
I have no idea if I should have started taking my anti-malaria medication yet. I need to start it a day before I get to a malaria area. But I don't know if this is one. I also can't remember how much of a supply I have, the damn stuff was so expensive and (more to the point) I had to pay cash for it so was constrained by what I had on me. I think I have a two week supply which should be ample but I don't know. It may only be a week's worth. I am therefore trying to put off starting it til as late as possible. (I also need to dredge the tablets out and count them.) I know I need it at Iguazu Falls. I may just content myself with the DEET spray for today, foul though it is, and start the tablets tomorrow. You have to take the damn things with food or a milky drink as well just to make them even less convenient. So I will have to lug them round with me so they're available when I eat and if I forget then I can't just take one whenever.
We got served a microscopic breakfast (14g of dry wafters, marmalade, a small cake and a small cup of coffee) about 15 minutes ago. I think the coffee has helped, I am at least awake now.
8:34. Just passed a sign saying it's 7 (km I assume) to Posadas. The traffic seems quite bad and I hope we are not going to get there early.
8:50. Fuck. We are here I think.
9:05. FFS. Just been to the bog in the bus terminal. Clean enough etc. But the fucking toilet attendant is practically having a party in there. There's a circle of about five of his mates stood in the hand washing area having a good old laugh and a chat. Bloody offputting.
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