This past weekend I decided to take a bus 4 1/2 hours to the beach, south of Buenos Aires. And since I could not find ANYONE to go with (lame, I know) I went alllllll allllone :( It may sound bad, but it was actually SO much fun. Saturday morning as early as I could muster after going out the night before I wandered around the GIANT bus terminal until I found the booth that was selling tickets to Villa Gesell. The bus was super nice with big seats, foot rests, movies, and even a snack pack - so the trip there actually went pretty fast. We got dropped off in Villa Gesell in what looked like an abandoned parking lot so I said well, here I go, and then went to ask for directions into the center (I love the fact that as a women I am not afraid of doing this). I arrived after a 10 block walk and started to search for a hotel. I unfortuatly didnt have a guide book with me so I was basically wandering in the dark. After 4 failed attempts - either bc they did not have rooms for one, or they were too expensive, I found a two star ¨Hotel Splendid.¨I got a room with actually 3 beds in it - in case I made friends? and then went directly to the beach. The beach there was so great, as far as you could see in either direction there was beach, and yes, people. Although there were a ton of people on the sand you hardly noticed it because there was always space. Everyother minute someone would come buy selling churros, corn on the cob, jewelry, and I even had one man come up to me with his arms full of metal pots! quite random. I spent maybe 3 hours on the beach on sat. because it was actually quite chilly, however that didnt keep me from walking a mile up and down the beach in the water, SO great! Especially because it was Feb. and I knew that it was snowing back home.... :)
That night the streets exploded into a big carnavel. The main street was shut down and the street became full of preformers, dances, and popcorn. There were a ton of little shops that were so fun to explore - if I only had an unlimited amount of suitcase room! Everything was so cheap that it was very hard to just say no. There was plenty to see and do but around 9pm i really wanted to eat dinner but NOBODY was eating yet! I didnt want to sit in an empty restaurant by myself so I waited until 9:45-10 to where people began to trickle in to eat. I had the very popular Milonesa which is like a big flat chicken finger expect with steak that had cheese and tomatoes on it. mmm... The food is very good here but I´m really ready for some hot sauce and not having to buy water! Later in the night a concert began that ended up being so fun. This rocking band was playing a mix of country and rock! They even played songs by Bruce Springstein, the eagles, the beatles and even a red white and blue country song. Before I knew it I was one-steppin away in my pink balloon pants! (I´m guessing one-stepping is like two-stepping but without the other person...) So yes.... a WONDERFUL first day on the beach even if I was alone. You know, there were so many odd ducks about this weekend that I never got bored watching them or felt lonely!
The second day is where the regrets come into play. For some unknown reason I decided that I didnt need to put suncreen on my legs. With that said, I am thanking my lucky stars that I at least had the brains to put suncreen on my shoulders, chest, arms, and face. I know it was so stupid but throughout the day I never got hot and there was a strong wind blowing all the time so I didnt realize how strong the sun was. Before I realized that I was as red as a lobster I had a wonderful time. I even made friends with an elderly couple when I asked them to watch my bag while I went swimming - we all shared mate together and talked for about an hour! (they also said my spanish was good :) The water temp was perfect, just cold enough to suck your breath away when you got hit by that first wave. It was actually pretty exciting because without counting the golf of mexico, it was my first time in the ¨big blue Atlantic.¨ Let´s see.... I bought a bracelet from a beach seller, a got a piece of pizza from a traveling pizza oven cart, helped some kids dig a hole, and finished my book. It wasnt until I was sitting in my seat on the bus ride back home that I realized how bad the next few days were going to be....
So now, 48 hours later, I stand a lot - bc it hurts too bad to sit on my burned bum, I waddle as I walk, and I sleep on my stomach (or try to sleep that is...) So so so stupid. I mean, I even put suncreen on before I went to school back home and I always gave grief to those who chose not to wear sunscreen..... I put my words in my mouth and I´m going back to being a sunscreen spokeswomen! just do it!!! Lucky for me the nurses snuck me out a goody bad filled with creams and lotions today, hopefully they will work fast!
On a different note, the nurses said that my old friend is dying. It was very sad to hear and even sadder when his wife and daughter came and his wife kept kissing my hand and holding it up to her cheek. I hope this will be a false alarm but at the same time I know he is suffering a lot. This couple have been married for 65 years, how do you live without someone that has been by your side for that long........
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