Gastrointestinal issues have to be the worst. If your shoulder hurts when you lift something over your head you can just use the other one. Its not like you can stop using your stomach. My appetite has vastly decreased, I think its more the advance knowledge of whats to come than lack of hunger.
I consulted my Lonely Planet guide which of course listed the drugs needed, and this being South America, they are available at every pharmacy on every corner just for the asking.
So this being my last day in Montevideo, I explored the city center and I´m sorry to report that although I had many very nice pix to show you, when I tried to upload my photos the virus checker at the last internet cafe deleted them. Not just those pictures but ALL my pictures. So I switched memory chips and will try to recover them when I get home.
Meanwhile there´s a interesting fellow staying here at the hostel, Clayton. He´s from Texas and a die hard Bush supporter. He´s a self taught wine afficianado and trying to start a wine importing business (and I didn´t know they had wine in Texas) and is here doing "research." He´s seems like a nice guy even if he is a bit of tool. By tool I mean he carries a hunting knife around with him 24/7 (in case he hits a dog on the road and has to put it out of its misery or for self defense) and even packed his playstation to bring to Uruguay. I had a picture of him, I´ll have to upload it later. Lets just use this somewhat less then accurate picture to visualize him. By less then accurate I am referring ONLY to the nipple ring.
So Ciao Ciao to Montevideo (Ciao Ciao is how they say bye bye here like when hanging up the phone.) Taking the bus to Sante Fe last night, I arrived at 6 this morning. It was one of those double decker sleeper buses, a bus cama they call it. The only real difference is that theres one less row of seats on one side. The seats DO NOT fully recline as I expected. I got the first window seat on the second level which gave me a unique perspective.
And away we go...
Part of the reason for the overnight bus is to avoid spending money on a hotel while saving a day in transit. After a very uncomfotable bus ride (see opening paragraph) I couldn´t wait until 1p to check into a hotel with a PRIVATE BATHROOM, so I wound up paying for 2 nights anyway. I checked in at 7a beat tired, went to sleep and didn´t wake up until 3p this afternoon. I´ve been hard charging, or hard hobling as the case may be, since my skiing mishap and had planned a day down. The leg is still angry and swollen, but better after the 24 hour rest I gave it. It´ll probably be after I get back to the states before it loves me again.
It has been pouring rain here in Sante Fe, and when I say pouring I mean POURING!
Here´s where my no cotton policy pays dividends. I can be soaked in a downpour, get out of the rain and be dry 5 minutes later. With these waterproof Merril shoes (which I´m palping proudly because they ROCK!) 5 minutes and I never even knew I was wet.
So whats in Sante Fe? Argentina´s prettiest women (they must be hiding, or more likely staying dry) an ultra modern brewery which I wanted to tour until I tasted their beer, which is budweiser-esque, and just a day off. Its also a half way point to my next destination, Mendoza. 75% of Argentina´s wine comes from Mendoza, like the much revered Malbec. After that, where the wind takes me, quien sabe (who knows).
