Montevideo

Hola Bloggers,

I am writing from a HOSTEL - yes a HOSTEL - in Montevideo. I bet you can´t belive that I am slumming it can you. Well, I am and actually its not that bad afterall. I couldn´t manage it for a long stretch because I just couldn´t deal with the no wardrobe, hairdryer, fancy bathroom etc etc. However for two nights its fine. Its been recently renovated and its got nice clean beds and towels and warm water and stuff .....and I only have my small bag with me with three outfits so the lack of wardrobe can be endured. My clothes are important to me - I have learnt that on this trip (I knew it anyway but now I know it for sure). I don´t like things being creased, dog haired or dirty. God knows how I would ever cope with a baby puking on me! Nena - please train your new son to provide some kind of signal prior to puking in time for my return.

My mind is doing the usual business calculations while I am here. I can´t help it! I´m lying on the bed working out how many beds you can fit in a hostel and how much you can charge and how much the mortgage would be on that size of house. I can´t stop trying to work out easy ways of making a living!

Montevideo seems really nice. A lot smaller and slower paced than Buenos Aires. The air seems a lot fresher too (not that its really bad in BA - its just fresher here). Its small enough to walk around and see all the important buildings and visit all the interesting markets in one weekend - which is handy seeing as I only have a weekend here. The people seem really friendly - in fact I just got a taxi back to the hostel with a rather too friendly driver. He took me home safely and quickly and I paid .... and then as I was leaving he asked me if I would like to go to his bedroom with him. When I declined the kind offer he suggested that we take a trip to the beach together instead. Friendly chap - don´t you think?

I am about to go out on the town again. Last night we ate and drank in a restaurant in an area of the old town where there are loads of restaurants with street side tables. It was a really nice night. We (the 3 of us that have come from Buenos Aires) ate with 2 Sweedish girls that are staying in our room in the hostel and we all got along really well and had a good time. Later we were joined by five middle aged Argentinians who were harmless enough I suppose - its all good spanish practice! They told me that Buenos Aires is not Argentinian at all and until I go to the countryside and ride with the horses and see some of the scenery then I don´t know Argentina. I am sure this is true and I do plan to do a bit of horse back travelling through Argentina - but perhaps not staying at their ranch as was suggested late last night.

After eating and drinking, we went to a club in Montevideo (minus the middle aged Gauchos). We were looking forward to this because the clubs have been closed in Buenos Aires due to the incident that happened around new year when 190 poeple were killed in a club due to the fire doors not being operational and a firework being set off. However the club in Montevideo did not satisfy my desire to dance at all. I couldn´t stand to listen to the terrible music and I left after about half an hour. They were playing a really terrible kind of euro pop electronic rubbish. It wasn´t european it was music from here but describing it as euro pop might help some of you understand what it was like. Uruguayans trying to swing you round to it in a Tango style was just not working or helping my liking for the place! I think I am a bit of a music snob. I can´t just dance to any old rubbish for the sake of it. I know what I like and I know what I don´t like and I am very definite about this in relation to all manner of things. If something is not quite right I am not happy. I think I am hard to please in a lot of ways - another thing that has been confirmed on this trip. I dont know how you go about changing that though .....and to be honest I quite like having high standards - at least I am blessed with the determination and skills to seek out the standard I want.

The Beach is currently being shown on the tv behind me - how travellery is that!

The money here is quite funny. 50 Uruguayan pesos is roughly a pound so I am walking round with thousands in my pocket but actualy only have about 80 quid.

Oh I think I forgot to gloat again. I know I told you thatI got 83% in the lat exam but I later found out that once again I came top in the group. Whoo hoo (another small personal victory). Not that I am competitive or anything ..........

Until the next time

S xxxxx