Sometimes you have a feeling.............

Sometimes you have a feeling that things are not going to be straight forward. Getting on board the cargo boat has been mine for some time now. We have got our presence in Buenos Aires recognised again but it took an email rerouted via offices in London and Germany to get it. Captain Krapp and the local Operations Manager now know of our existence but still are unable or unwilling to tell us when and where the boat will arrive. More phone calls today raised the blood pressure as one hangs on and then is cut off with concerning regularity. Daniel the owner of CP after suffering the same fate on our behalf managed to establish that the boat might arrive between 3 and 4 pm Friday and might then depart during the night Friday /Saturday morning but we still don't know where from or when for embarkation formalities etc etc etc! Friday night could be, fraught and sleepless!
Re-visited the Malba Art exhibition today (Wednesda) with our copy passports to the ready to get the pensioners discount only to find it was free today - a bonus visit. I went to hear more music but got side tracked watching a 1920 silent film, I think produced in France of the inquisition of Joan of Arc. The interplay of faces cut between inquisitors and the Maid was for me remarkable cinema to compare with Bunuel. Then more music of the early 20th Century with its simplicity of sound. Digitised and enlarged prints of the same Buenos Aires street in the 1910's, 20's and 30's demonstrated the wealth of this part of the city at those time before the depression bit.
An aide memoir for future visits always carry a copy passport and a multi function sink plug.

Sine we said goodbye to 2008 we knew things would speed up until we had to say goodbye to BA. We drew up a list of "Must see and Must do" and have crammed in as much as we can. This always takes so much longer than we plan since we frequently get lost even though we were assured "BA is easy - the city is based on a grid system!!! We return each evening tired and wearing damp clothes. Showers and glasses of chilled water are certainly essential.

So Brian has told of our re-visit to the Malba Art Exhibition but on Sunday morning I wanted to see art of an entirely different sort. The artist Marino Santa Maria with his collaborators transformed an ordinary street of houses, Lanin Street into a place of colour and interest. They used mosaic and paint over a four year period with each house independently treated to its own special artistry. We had missed a small sign and walked round several blocks in the wrong direction. We stopped a young mum with her son, when after a good 5 mins she could not help us, she phoned a friend - her husband "He will know" but he was engaged on the phone. The roundabout route to find this road took us through some of the poorest areas we have seen. Here people were living in derelict garages and a not uncommon site was a person or youngster sleeping on a mattress under a railway bridge or the like. We still didn't feel threatened albeit the guide book subsequently was read and advised against the route we took.
The saga of the falso dinero was concluded as far as we are concerned as we visited the Tourist Police to be squeezed into the back of a small police car, Corsa sized, together with three officers to visit the Police Station nearest to the Japanese Gardens to make a statement of events. This probably took about 3 hours in all but was an interesting insight into the workings of this part of the police service, very friendly and informal. Seemingly the statement will be placed before a magistrate and the instigator of the fraud interviewed to see if the case is to be pursued. Hopefully this might be a deterent to the scam being tried on others. We too are wiser now. HSBC in Cabildo contended that their systems couldn't possibly be at fault in discharging false money from an ATM. Time constraints do not allow us to pursue that here but we have a statement from them acknowledging our complaint and it will be pursued on our return to England.

My patchwork friends (this is Irene writing!) will be delighted to know that at last, with the help of our tango teacher, stepped over the threshold of a fabric emporium. Although Argentina produces many cotton items there is a dearth of good quality fabric for patchwork. BUT just a few blocks away Eureka!!! Once I had explained I was a patchworker Vivien, behind the counter, practically hugged me. Brian took a seat as Vivien produced piles of fabric pieces 2ft/2ft.6" high. First the blues, made my choice, blues removed, pinks moved towards me and so on.. When a fellow Argentinian patchworker came in I was introduced with much kissing etc. The fabric - all from the USA worked out at about £2.50/metre. No fancy cutting board you decided how much you wanted and it was ripped free. We have Vivien on camera and I have to e.mail her a picture of te finished quilt; not sure she knows how long that will take!!! My head is full of the colours here; the way the women dress, the exhibitions, the houses in San Telmo, La Bocca,and Lanin Street plus the planting in the various Plaza.

So today (Thursday) we believe is our last full day(still not confirmed). We had our last tango lesson yesterday and despite many fraught moments feel much more confident to visit a Norwich Milonga. We will discover today if our cases will hold an ever increasing load! We have arranged for our luggage to be collected in Valencia and sent home relieving us for a comfortable journey to Madrid Paris and home - the details of which we do not know.