Year 2016, once upon the time…. I travel around the world for some time already, with no plan or ideas where I am going to end up next. This exactly what it made such a breathtaking journey memorable forever. As soon as I landed to New Zealand, at airport with feeling that, wait a second, I am bit too far and now what? It was actually very exciting moment, frightening but hell yeah. I need to keep pace and I can’t stay in this country for long due to high prices and lesser chance to just get away if something would not go by, well let’s say sort of “plan”. I had to choose right there at the airport, sitting there facing the situation with respect, first time I felt like this since I started to travel. So first thing, get the ticket to where you want go, ASAP or it will be late and every upcoming day with risk of price getting higher and higher, even now was bit late already. I decided to stay here for two weeks accordingly I started to search for flights, but wait, to where to go? Everything is so distant… Back to Asia? Hmm, nah! I have just came from there. Still cheapest option I thought. Other option? Is there any? Some island? Fiji? Ok, but where to go after? Fiji is not cheap to stay, I was checking prices on google, nope, not cheap at all and not even other destinations around if I would like to jump from island to island somewhere in Polynesia, not best idea… then there is only one option left, South America. Yes, that forgotten continent that I didn’t have much idea about… this was still time when I thought about South America as dangerous unforgiving no go zone, I would had never imagine in my life before to ever visit this continent, yet here I was thinking about, not long time ago, as unthinkable. So I went for it, but I was like ok South America but no way I will go to other countries than Argentina and Chile, again, funny thing about this, that actually at that time that were the only two countries I had some knowledge about, I didn’t know damn thing about the rest, names, locations… maybe something about Colombia, yes, that it`s murdering place… ha-ha, it always make me laugh when I am writing this because what about to come in next few months, even if Jesus Christ itself would told me what is about going to happen it’s about going to happen, I wouldn’t believe him any shit to his story! No way. But life is full of mysteries and unexpected turns, especially when you are figuratively speaking, place your life into god’s hands, to be ready for any clusterfuck may happen with smile on the face. So, South America, Chile? Ticket pretty expensive 1000 Euro for one way? There have to be something cheaper, I tried every trick and I got it! I have found ticket directly from Auckland to Buenos Aires and after five days from Buenos Aires to Santiago de Chile.
Meanwhile, honorable mention, one route was very interesting I was able to find to hit two birds with one stone. It would be from Auckland to Tahiti, yes that beautiful most distant destination under French domain, no visa needed and very unique right? But where to go next from there? Only back to Auckland with flights, wait a sec! There is one more destination, once per week to Eastern islands! I And then Chile of course, but price of the flights was high, not so much still affordable, around 1500 Euro all three flights, but I didn’t want pay for tickets more than 1000 so, pass! Still it was crazy whatsoever. There it was, ticket to Buenos Aires which includes ticket from Buenos Aires to Santiago after five days, honestly I don’t know why but this cost 650 Euro, when I search only one direct flight to Argentina or Chile, it was always around 1000 Euro and more! I didn’t get it then I and I don’t get it now how was it possible but it was real so I bought it. It was through Student Agency website by the way when I search multiple cities option, just interesting to mention. I wrote about New Zealand so pass it through and here I am in plane of New Zealand Air, ahead of me 13 hours flight, new country, new continent, and no fucking idea what is going to happen next. Do you think I did some research about those countries? Nope, I didn’t want to spoil anything! I had suspicion that if I would search about it I would find many negative comments, articles about bad crime situation and so on, so I just passed it. By the way very interesting flight it was indeed, imagine you are flying, from +13 hours time zone to -7 hours. You are going to experience sunset twice of the same day, it was feeling like I was time traveler and I cheated to get one day reset to pass same day again. Anyway, I landed, first time I experienced concern about my electronic devices from border control, for some unknown reason for me, they wanted to write down all devices I brought with me, camera, and laptop and so on and keep official document for departing from country. The thing is that Argentina import electronic devices under heavy taxation, I had noticed in shops three times higher prices for laptops than in Europe! Imagine that, to spend 3000 Euro for mid-range machine or even more. No thank you! But for some it may be good opportunity to get cheaper electronics let’s say in Chile and sell it in Argentina for more but still less for locals, and here comes into play the border control conditions. First happened after landing, nowhere at the airport shop to get local SIM card as my routine dictated, so I stay put on local Wi-Fi to confirm my Airbnb booking, and then it came, it was canceled by owner.
I arrived around 10 PM in strange country, nobody speaking English what I found out later, so this was bit scary, but I gave a shot to Airbnb support, I had credit on my Skype exactly for cases like this, otherwise imagine that, to make a call with Slovak SIM card from Argentina to United State phone number. Fortunately and surprisingly they were helpful, thank you US Airbnb support again, I know it has been four years now but still… they returned me money immediately through credit and helped me to find right away something because it was late, and not many hosts available in similar price range. But we did it I have found a place checked it in my maps the address, and here we go. So I searched for bus, I went for Ángel Gallardo metro. I remember that I reached the address by not far from metro station, it was raining, dark and cold, around 11 PM and I found out that I don’t have name of the person from Airbnb, nor floor. It was located in I think 40th floors building, so you can imagine. Now without internet, no public Wi-Fi, I just needed to load damn website to get the name or phone. I started to search for Starbucks nowhere to find, I am not sure now but I think it was closed, so other option, MacDonald! It has to be open even close to midnight, and it was. So I got the contact and I sent her message that I am kind of screwed up here. Well, she answered and I finally got to somewhere to sleep.
I was so tired, after 13 hour’s flight, day turned upside down with time, freezing from outside, finally getting to bet, with happy thoughts. Suddenly something woke me up around 4 AM, disturbing me, some noise from street. How it can be it was like 30th floor, yeah and the windows, one glass, that’s why wasn’t in the room really warm. The noise it was scream, loud people right on main street under the building. I peeked out from trough window, watching what the hell is wrong with those people. Angry and agitated that I was looking forward for good sleep and now this goodies. I noticed small group standing with flags of Argentina and some more, chanting, I thought probably some crazy Football fans gathering at 4 AM, come on I am in Argentina that has to be it, that sport is their life. I tried to get back to bed but it was just getting started with the loud screaming, so I looked again and from small group was huge crowd, so I continued to watch, knowing making peace with fact that sleep is impossible. After another hour it wasn’t crowd, the whole main street all of it, completely full of people waving with flags loudly chanting, then they started to march huge mass of people I hadn’t seen I don’t remember when last time. Police and mess everywhere, and all of this just my first day in Argentina, saying to you Welcome!
(View Buenos Aires from Airbnb apartment)
I started a day with checking view from balcony, very impressive, and so different from any city I have seen so far. It wasn’t nor like any Asian city maybe bit Bangkok from distance, but not really, up close it reminded something more from Europe, but again, different, I would say Europe in 80’. Like the development stopped somewhere in middle. Anyway, I got out to metro few station closer to center and just started to walk around as I usually do. I was about to get finally my SIM card, I thought in center easy cake. Well, as I found out, not exactly, it seemed that without Spanish I can’t do much here, bit surprised yet expected. I came to shop with SIM cards, asked in English of course about SIM card, reply something in Spanish and then nothing they just ignored me or some just waved with hand to get out… but finally after fifth shop I got lucky, someone answered me in English! Yes, what a relieve you would thought, annoyed by the reactions before. And you know what? It was old lady! No one from others young guys I met didn’t give shit, or didn’t know to say word in English but old lady just did it, I was like yeah different country here we go, I was always very optimistic when travel, so I just laugh about it inside, what the hell.
I visited Café Tortoni, didn’t know about importance of the place but a lot of tourist was swarming there so why not, it was nice experience to drink coffee there.
(Cafe Tortoni)
I was planning to go to Montevideo, I have noticed on map how close it is, I asked about it, by ship, ticket 50$ why not right? Well weather got crappy almost whole time I was there, unfortunately I missed my chance so Uruguay still on my list. One day on my spiritual spontaneous walk of exploring I bumped into very odd but interesting situation, some old dude was sitting on monument, smoking and screaming at the people below. When I looked closer I noticed next to him was ladder and on it Argentinian flag, so my guess was he is protesting and some crazy shit adding to it. Then i noticed flow below there were actually TV news and they were trying to reach with mic his speech, police everywhere, so it was quite fun after all.
(Dude is chilling after speech)
Another funny, disgusting situation, I came to my room, and I noticed cockroaches was lying dead on the floor, some in my bed then I checked ceiling and there was opening where cable was coming for the lap and from there were falling those things in Thailand considered delicacy. Now when I was think about it, be as average traveler I would maybe think this kind of vacation is ruined, hated the country, but despite all of it I just couldn’t wait for another day, another great adventure, another exciting contact with local people, I just loved it. I always do to this day. I was in new continent, America, that feeling was unforgettable and anything follows was just greater and more amazing than before, the whole journey in South America just started, and it went in way that no me, not me, nobody wouldn’t imagine at all, how it will all be. Next step, Airport and destination – Santiago de Chile!
(My drive to Chile is awaiting)