Cordoba and the appendix

From BsAs we bused it overnight to Cordoba on a disappointing Argentinian bus. Next time full cama! We´re staying in Cordoba Backpackers, nice enough but bit strict. The first thing we did was take Miss bone to the hospital to check out what was going on with her stomach pains. After many hours having blood tests and ultrasounds I was v. tired and cross. Luckily I got a quick 2 hr nap in before we went back only to be told that none of the tests showed anything but that she almost definitely had appendicitus and needed it out. Follow this we had stressful run round banks trying and failing to get hold of the money so all was postponed until the morning. I drunk a bottle of wine to get over the stress.

This is the view from our hostel terrace...haven´t actually seen any of Cordoba at this point: So, morning brings op time. We were up early in pursuit of the funds and once paid up we were given a room. She had the room to herself for the night which was lucky and the tv had english channels and there was an ensuite. Not bad. This is Bone looking rather glum:

It was really scary seeing her get wheeled off into the op room and not being allowed to follow. In fact, the entire experience was a bit of a shock especially combined with tiredness after lack of sleep on the bus the night before. Anyway, after a couple of hours they brought her back in and I think she was quite hyper on the anasthetic because she was in a really good mood even though she couldn´t move her legs!

I went off for a wander round town but didn´t really see very much. Had an ice cream and went to some churches and then went back to visit a not so happy Bone now the drugs had worn off. I left her with the tv and went back to the hostel for dinner. That evening there was a massive group of poeple up on the terrace all drinking and chatting ready to go out. I shared some sangria with two lovely English girls from our dorm, Nat and Frankie, and went out to a club with everyone. I´m not sure drinking was a wise idea...the next day wasn´t so fun.

Cordoba Catherdral in Plaza San Martin:

Sebasitan (who we had met on the boat to Tigre), Frankie, Nat and me out in the evening:

The next day wasn´t very fun. I was just slightly hungover and we had to wait around in the hospital for Alexa to get discharged then sort out all the stuff for the insurance. I slept most of the afternoon and evening after everything was sorted.

On Friday, I went to Alta Gracia and left Alexa to relax in the hostel. I met a women on the bus who liked my crocs (shocking I know) and so started nattering away to me in Spanish. I kind of got the jist, she wanted me to visit her house in Cordoba. Without being rude I didn´t know how to get out of it so I agreed to take her address. Luckily before I could write anything down the bus driver made me get off for the Che museum - few!

The Che Guevara museum, which is set in one of the houses he grew up in, was really interesting. I really didn´t know much about the man, in fact, I hadn´t even twigged that the film "motercycle diaries" was based on his first trip around Latin America. After the Che museum I wandered into town, had lunch and an ice cream and then went to the Museo de la Estancia Jesuitica de Alta Gracia. It was a really nice old building and courtyard that at one stage was run by the Jesuits and is what Alta Gracia town was built around.

Museo "Casa de Che Guevara":

View of Museo de la Estancia Jesuitica de Alta Gracia from across the lake that the Jesuits built:

When I got back to Cordoba I managed to randomly bump into the woman from the bus earlier (what are the chances?) so this time I had to write down her address and promise to drop by. I gathered that she had a son, who was taller than me, who she wanted me to meet. I think it´s time to leave Cordoba!

As I arrived at the hostel the free guided tour of the city was leaving. I decided to tag along despite being rather knackered. It wasn´t the most amazing of tours, I didn´t really have the energy for it, but the other people on the tour were fun. There was two Brazilian girls, 3 Israelis and an Aussie guy. At the end of the tour we sat in the park and drunk maté with our guide and watched some crazy Brazilian fighting dance and a water fountain display in time to music!

Maté:

Crazy dancing:

Water fountains!

It turned out to be a really fun tour. That evening, two of the Israeli guys, Matan and Dan, asked if we liked to cook together. We had a huge dinner of tortillas, followed by ice cream and wine. They are really fun guys so afterwards I went out with them to a club they had been recommended. It was way out of town with no tourists but by far the best club I´ve been to in South America. They made me ask to get in the queue jump entrance, which I found embarrassing, but it worked and we met this Californian girl who was out with some locals she knew. That was cool because it meant I had girl to dance with although she turned out to be a bit scary by the end of the night! Anyway, I danced until 6am until I dropped.

Today I got up at 8am...that´s less that 2hrs sleep and we faffed and check out. Alexa and I have wandered round Cordoba (so that Alexa can actually say she has seen something of the city) we had coffee and I had my hair cut and we got greek takeaway for lunch - second humous in south america and first in 3months! We are getting a bus to Mendoza tonight - full cama! I just can´t wait to carry two rucksacks and 2 day packs and 2 hand bags....may need to find some strong men!