Week 2: Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life

Which, in this case, includes penguins. Thousands and thousands of penguins. Many of which were having some "alone" time, naturally a spectator sport:

As I was packing to come away, 2 days before arriving in Argentina, I was talking to my Dad and he asked me "What currency do they use in Argentina anyway?" To which I promptly ran to my room to get my South America Lonely Planet.

My Dad looked at me with wide eyes and said "you aren't taking that with you are you?!" I confirmed that I was and he laughed and replied "I’ll give it a week"

What I don't think he expected was that after only a week of being in Argentina (and 2 hours after posting my first blog) someone was going to rob me of my bag, within which sat my unsuspecting Lonely Planet, along with my beloved camera, my wallet and my Kindle, as well as my bus ticket out of Buenos Aires, and sop that I am, my poetry book. Thankfully I had my passport, phone and one debit card on me.

For those who know me pretty well they will know that I am normally pretty savvy, and also that I am normally a victim of crime and abuse. I have broken my record of 2 assaults and a stolen motorbike in three weeks and am now able to boast a mugging and a robbery in under 14 hours.

Why is she being so blase about this?! I hear you cry. Having spent the last 24 hours after it happened in an absolute mess and crying - I hesitate to use the word "crying," I think "liquid drops of rage" is probably more apt - approximately every 14-16 minutes, I realised that as the tears ceased and the pull to get on the first plane home abated, you just have to get over the fact that some people are assholes, and bad things happen to good people. (Do worse things happen to bad people?! Best not dwell on it with my track record.)

Naturally I turned to comfort eating and my friend Pari and I went to an empanada making class, where I made a beautiful food sculpture of one big happy empanada (representing a girl who worked in the hostel and who had cheered me up in the morning) hugging a small unhappy empanada (myself, naturally) I got third prize but I think it may have been out of pity. For your amusement and pleasure:

I gave up on trying to turn it up the right way,

all the options are in Spanish and I can't read them

A cousin of a friend of my mum's kindly put me up for a few nights while I got myself together and replaced some of the more neccesary belongings. Thank you Florencia! We had a pizza night and I went to her Grandma's house for an "asado," a sort of Argentinian BBQ. After the BBQ everyone but me had some "Mate" (pronounced mah-tay). It's a kind of herbal tea, I tried it a few times but didn't like it. Strangely it is passed around the circle in the same manner as one might pass what I believe the kids these days call a "big fat spliff" around a group of friends. Except that the Mate isn't very nice.

Eventually I got to Puerto Madryn and I have seen some serious wildlife here. Yesterday I saw some Right Whales. So called because they were the "Right Whales to hunt" although each testicle of a male weighs HALF A TON. Oh my goodness. And today, penguins. Then we went to Gaiman, a Welsh colony of Patagonia where we had tea and scones which went down a real treat. I saw this plaque in the tearoom which I really liked:

I am not entirely sure where I am going next. Either to "Ushuaia" aka The End Of The World, which is difficult and expensive to get to, or to "El Calafate" where there are a number of glaciers. I am staying in a lovely hostel in Puerto Madryn and tonight we are having another Asado!

To finish this blog post I have a list of this weeks "firsts:"

• My first whole cup of tea. I sort of drank it out of social obligation. It was dire.
• First empanada - an absolute must in Argentina
• The first time I have ever fancied an italian man
• The first time I have used a knife and fork correctly (are you proud of me mum?) Still the wrong way round though.
• Asado. Hopefully the first of many
• One of the girls today almost walked into a penguin. I don't think I will ever see that again in my life.
• First time I have had something valuable stolen. Oh wait... This year? Nope, still not a first.

This list was more interesting when I made it in my head. Sorry! Hope you have enjoyed this week's update. I have practically forgotten the trauma of the robbery. Being British I ought to update you on the weather. It is getting warmer by the day, but I guess if I go south it will just get cold again.Until next time!