Travel Week 17
After nearly four weeks in Cordoba, I realized I wasn’t quite building the life I wanted for myself so when I found myself unable to extend my stay in that sweet ass apartment, it was time to move on.
Day 113:
| Empanadas (4) | 160 |
| Total: | 160 ARS (2.03 USD) (RMB 14.09) |
A low cost day, especially as a friend bought me an ice cream (using a 2-for-1 coupon I had) in the late afternoon and I scrounged together a salad for dinner from the crisper drawer of farmer market vegetables. I took a pass on socializing at the bar.
Day 114:
| Vegetarian buffet | 80 |
| Bus ticket to Tucuman | 1850 |
| Phone credit | 300 |
| “Happy Hour” Beer | 120 |
| Contribution towards beer | 200 |
| Total: | 2550 ARS (32.36 USD) (RMB 226.3) |
Valentine’s Day and nothing special happened.
Day 115:
| Empanadas and chupas | 300 |
| Total: | 300 ARS (3.81 USD) (RMB 26.6) |
I had finished diligently finished all the food in the house and was only able to grab a bag full of empanadas from a bakery in the bus terminal before spending the next seven hours traveling up to Tucuman. By the time I checked in, I was too tired to eat dinner, but the 9 empanadas plus cheese-flavored dough balls did the trick in sating me (plus the bus fed us).
Day 116:
| Hostel (8 nights) | 3304 |
| Osobuco, salad, apples, matches | 261 |
| Cafe doble | 90 |
| Total: | 3655 ARS (46.38 USD) (RMB 324.3) |
I booked two nights at the A La Gurdia Hostel in Tucuman to make sure there would be a bed for me when I arrived late at night, but otherwise I attempted to negotiate a lower price by staying longer. Hostel was surprisingly crowded considering there is literally nothing of interest to any tourists in the city and literally everyone in Argentina agrees it is the worst place in the world. I find Tucuman’s blue collar spirit charming and the intense late summer heat helped me focus on working again.
Day 117:
| Razor blades | 205 |
| Ice cream | 200 |
| Coffee | 100 |
| Merienda | 320 |
| Total: | 825 ARS (10.47 USD) (RMB 73.2) |
I managed to find generic Gilette razor blades to fit my old fashioned razor, so no need to kick myself for not stocking up on those way, way back in China. Merienda (if I am spelling it correctly) is the Argetine tea time where one eats a light breakfast (same menu) so they don’t starve to death by waiting until 11 pm to eat dinner.
Day 118:
| Tamales at market | 110 |
| Coffee | 90 |
| Printing | 10 |
| Beer | 240 |
| Wine | 80 |
| Panchuque | 40 |
| Total: | 570 ARS (7.23 USD) (RMB 50.55) |
I had to print, sign and scan a document for a copyright release for a Chinese publisher. Luckily the hostel had a scanner. I treated a French backpacker to a beer at happy hour before we cooked dinner together. We–I mean she–bought ingredients enough for 4-5 people but everyone else who had expressed interesting in eating together bailed. Furthermore, when she checked out the next day, I was left with about 5 portions of vegetable rich pasta…
Day 119:
| Avocados | 100 |
| Beers | 150 |
| Movie — Parasite | 200 |
| Total: | 450 ARS (5.71 USD) (RMB 39.9) |
Bought giant avocados on a whim from street corner seller, hard as rocks and with the turn in weather taking forever to ripen. Given the cheap price of a movie ticket, I figured it was worth taking a shot on combining Korean audio with Spanish subtitles to watch the recent Oscar winner. Surprising how many people (especially middle aged women) were in the screening.
Running Total: 3236.39 USD (RMB 22628.5)
Daily Average: 27.20 USD (RMB 190.2)