Some considerations on the traffic in here

I think I must have complained in one of my entries this or last year about the driving culture in here. It's like Naples, but in Argentine case, it's the entire country: lanes are just drawings in the pavement that have no other value than the visual one; a car turning can always pass first without yielding to pedestrians (if someone's brave enough to try, he'll notice that cars WON'T stop); the seat belts are only used by poofs; the concept of drinking and driving being illegal is unheard of; the red traffic light not respected in by the police etc. etc.

I had thought that since no one -except for a Scandinavian like me obsessed with wearing the seat belt- seemed to care, accidents must not be that common despite all the signs pointing to the opposite direction. Well, it turns out I was wrong: in today´s newspaper it stood that traffic is the biggest single killer in Argentina amongst the population below the age of 35. It's a country of only 36 (?) million inhabitants, but each day there's well over a hundred people who die in traffic accidents. Although I have seen no signs of worry on the individual level, the government is now trying to start some programmes like stricter control of drinking when driving. However, there are very slim chances for this to work as police can always be bribed and I suspect that not all of them would even consider this as the most serious problem the country is facing. Or that they wouldn't drive, too, after a few glasses.

As I learned today, the city of Buenos Aires, however, has had enough with the bus drivers speeding and driving against the red lights: it's introduced a new programme where instead of the company having to pay fines (a cost that had begun to be considered as a part of the fixed costs of owning a bus company), the bus drives must now take extra driving lessons plus, as a form of community service, drive the school buses for free in the poorest areas of the city. Now, what is the real reasoning behind this? For me, it doesn't necessarily sound like the best deal for the poor at all. Is this just a cunning way of reducing the amount of people living on welfare?

The sun and the warmth are finally here! Buenos Aires is looking so much better than what it did in my first miserable week in here. Now I'm starting to understand why I liked it so much last year. It's a shame I'm leaving already next week, it'd be cool to stay for a while and just hang out.

About photos

For anyone who´s been waiting to see photos on this site, I´m sorry to announce that I´ve been unable to find a cable for my (Mikko´s) camera. I´ll keep searching but it doesn´t look too positive.

Back to Córdoba

I had a long day of travelling yesterday: first I took the coach from Montevideo to Colonia, then the ferry over to Buenos Aires and after that an overnight coach to Córdoba. All this would´ve been much easier without the road blocks caused by the pulp mill conflict: in theory, there are direct connections to Cba from Montevideo, but now the only reliable way of travelling are the ferries (there are suspicions that the ferry company is partly financing the Gualeguaychú-movement that´s blocking the international bridges). The bus ride was quite bad although I was well-prepared with a blanket, ear plugs etc. The thing that failed me was my inflatable pillow which wasn´t doing its job, i.e. keeping the air inside of it.

However, all my negative thoughts were gone once I arrived in here: Claudio, the guy I last year did a lot of hiking with, had got up at 7 to pick me up. How sweet! We stopped by a bakery on the way to Lucia´s (my Spanish teacher from last year) house, and had breakfast and some "mate" together. After this I had an unsuccesful try to sleep a little siesta, and after lunch headed to town to meet up with Analía, my ex-flatmate/landlady.

It´s been so good to see everyone, I don´t think I had really realised how much I had missed it all (as in the people, not the things I´ve been bitching about). It´s now ten o´clock, we are going to have a little get-together here at Lucía´s and then go out. As I still haven´t slept, I hope that I´ll somehow manage to the early hours and not do the usual and want to go home at two (in the local circumstances, this would actually mean not even leaving the house!). I have a lot of pressure on me, because my friend Emma, who stayed here this summer legendarily stayed up until 10 the following morning (Cheers for that, Emma).

Like peas in a pod

Argentina and Uruguay are famously very similar countries. They have, or at least had until the pulp mill conflict broke out on national level in 2005, extremely close relations. The Argentineans neighbourly refer to the Oriental Republic as "one of our provinces" and the "state that shouldn't even exist". Uruguayans don't go quite as far, but both would agree that the rioplatense (River Plate) culture shares more with each other than Buenos Aires and Patagonia.

However, my observing eyes have noted some mighty differences between the countries, which I have now compiled to a list.

1. Uruguayans or at least the city of Montevideo doesn't really do street signs. I love the fact that they've embraced the U.S.-style grid square maps and the numbering system, but without the street names elsewhere than in your little map how is that supposed to help?
2. In addition to English, there exists a second and a third foreign language in the world: learn Brazilian in 4 months! And for the immigrants: learn Uruguayan! Wow.
3. In contrasts to the Argentine side of the river -that in the pulp mill conflict poses itself as the ecofriendliest nation in the planet- you can actually see recycling bins in Montevideo. And people and their dogs are advised not to litter the streets.
4. The beer here is not Quilmes but it's Patricia.
5. You can actually find products in the shops not manufactured in the same country: Brazilian shoes!! Brazilian clothes!! Love it.

For the rest, it's pretty much the same country:
1. Lunch menus are universally composed of "milanesas" (breaded chicken), "asados" (grilled meat), "pastas caseras" (overcooked pasta with a sauce that hasn't been mixed with the pasta). In every bloody place. I don't know how they do it. The glorious message of capitalism and being different from your competitor has just never made it here...
2. On the matter of food: there is something that must have happened to the Italian immigrants on their way from Europe to the new continent. They must've been made to swear hand on the Bible to never ever again make pizza or pasta that would have any resemblance to the real thing. Or it was the people who had no idea about cooking who were expelled from the country.
3. Pedestrian lights are non existent, and pedestrians WILL yield to anything moving on the road.
4. You are not allowed to throw loo paper into the loo, but must place it in a paper bin provided. Perhaps they should try changing the Soviet style loo rolls into a somewhat softer type of paper and the toilets wouldn't get clogged anymore? Just a suggestion.


Ok, I'm off to have a nice cold Patricia now.

U-R-GAY

Today I took the fast ferry from Buenos Aires to the Uruguayan side of the river Plate, and then a coach to the capital Montevideo. After Bs As, this city that's about the same size as Helsinki seems like a sleepy little town. I think so far, that's only a positive thing: there's not that many cars around, and thus you can actually breath in here without picturing the lung cancer photos in your head. It's a really laid-back feeling in here, the buildings are low and you can walk on the streets without bumping into a million persons. It is so tranquil that actually the only exciting thing that happened was the filming of a new movie by Fernando Meirelles, the director of "City of God". In his new film, Montevideo is posed as "a European city " (source: the local paper), but I'd say it looks more like Havana with its ran down old town. Too bad I didn't spot Gael García Bernal, though.

The hostel I'm staying in is a "maravilla", it has really cool decor and even a fire place :) (http://www.palermoarthostel.com/). The only minus are the steps that take me to my room upstairs, they are super steep and have no railing, so I think my alcohol intake should not exceed 2 glasses of wine if I'm going to survive without breaking my leg on this trip. There's not that many people in here, and actually I think I've already met them all. As usual, they seem cool and friendly.

Hasta mañana.

A happy traveller

Anyone who has travelled with me knows that I can get quite funny about cleanliness etc. However, I must say that I'm glad that I decided to stay in a hostel (having my own room, though) instead of a hotel. Last time I was in Buenos Aires I was the desperate companion-seeker, forcing people to talk to me in internet cafes and make them to go and have dinner with me in order not to feel like a freak, eating alone and all. This time I am glad to announce that I had none of that loneliless feeling, but instead had a wicked weekend despite the cold and rainy weather.

In the hostel (http://www.casafitzroy.com.ar/), there are around 25 people. Most of them just they in their rooms, but there's a nice crowd that is here for a longer period of time and is thus not rushing to do sight seeing all day but instead hangs out in the communal area. Although I have a complaint or two about the bathrooms (they're yucky. No, actually they are disgusting), the common areas are absolutely great in here. There's a big, comfy living room with three sofas, and then there's the dining area with table football etc.

This weekend I went out both nights with the people who live in the room next to me (a Danish girl, an American guy and a Brazilian boy, who was a living joke with his home-sickness and his endless moaning about how Argentina could never beat his home country in anything). It was a lot of fun, but I didn't quite make it to the Argentinean timetables, i.e. staying up until 8 am. Instead, following my grandma instinct, I was happily tucked in bed by three (and still feeling all sleepy and hungover the day after).

Today me and the Danish girl Kristina went to check out the San Telmo Antiquities fair. There were so many cool things from the 20s and 30s ranging from cool art nouveau china to evening dresses. I think that's one one my favourite things about this country, the presence of the country's better days that is much more present in here than in Europe simply because they haven't had the money to remodel/demolish the old things. For instance, the tube line A is for me a piece of art in itself with the lamps dating to the 20s, the old dark wooden cars, the signs of the kiosks etc. at the stations and so on. I think that if I could travel back in time, I'd have trouble choosing between my old time favourite the Roman empire and Buenos Aires at its heyday.

I'm off to Uruguay tomorrow, it'll be interesting to see what it's like (everyone says it's gorgeous and a nice change from the porteño hustle and bustle). Hasta pronto.