After doing nerdy computer things (see below) we spent most of the rest of Friday just milling around Buenos Aires, taking a trip to the famous pink palace where Evita made her empassioned speeches. In a sign of the times in BA it was surounded by huge anti-riot gates but still looked pretty resplendent. After a huge meal for a fiver (the plate itself was about a foot wide), where we got a free glass of champagne (how to piss the locals off...don´t let them get their own money out of their own banks, and then sit fat tourist in window of posh restaurant and feed it huge steaks and champagne...) we headed back into town and shopped for a bit. The banks in town still bear the scares of last years riots, many of them (Citibank/Lloyds) still clad in dense wrought iron defences, many damaged by hammers/chainsaws etc...it´s strange to think 20 years ago the UK and Arg were at war, and just 12 months ago foreigners were the only people who could get money out of the bank (and thus became targets for muggings etc...) when the Peso crashed...I don´t personally remember being made to feel as welcome in a city for a long time.

Jen got some Nike trainers for about 20 quid before we were touted by some travel agency...so we stopped off for a chat...and before you know it we´d spent a bloody fortune...we´ve basically booked our trip north to Iguazu (20 hours - overnight sleeper bus), 3 days in an OK hotel, 2 days of tours, one day on the Argentine and one day on the Brazilian side. All in all it´s cost us about 100 quid between us which is a bit of a bargain. Helen and Rich have ditched the Spanish lessons and have decided to join us, heading north before back to BA on about 8th. We´ll be on our way to Rio round about then. Anyhow, after going to the agents we had to go back around 7 to pick our tickets up, and it was then we chanced upon a brochure for a tango show - a kind of tribute to the grand-daddy of all tango, Carlos Gardel. Carlos died at a very young age in a plane crash and one fan killed themself when they heard the news such was the loss. We decided to book (when in Rome and all that...) but our preferred nights (Sat/Sun) were both full so we only had a choice of one - Friday. This meant, with the pick-up at 8pm, we had about 45 mins to get changed and smarten ourselves up (as much as you can smarten yourself whilst still wearing clothes you have done every day for the last 10 months - Jen´s shoes looked good though!!) before heading out.

The theatre itself was only built about 3 years ago but is full of nice touches from yesteryear, from telegrams on the wall to plaques, awards and the like. The meal we had before the show was amazing; the service attentive, fast and accurate (a couple of times they replaced the water bottles when we put them on the edge of the table and we didn´t even know they´d been replaced). I maintained my steak a day for lunch so had pasta in the evening along with a great tiramisu. Everyone had a nice meal and we settled down for the main event. Now tango originated in the bordellos and brothels of BA and the movement of the dancers is highly sensual. The women all wore slightly revelaing outfits, the men smart suits and a glint in their eye. The music was provided by a 6-piece band that you didn´t hear a bum note from all night, and the dancing, well it was sensational. They took us through the ages of tango from the past to the present with a nimbleness and agility I gave up dreaming of years ago (and that was just the blokes) and one slightly chubby non-tangoer sang a couple of tunes that the locals applauded at the start (bit like stars in their eyes; only, good) and then sung along to. It all finished a little past my bedtime (12.30) and we finally made it home by one, shattered but exhilerated. Rumour has it H & R did a spot of tangoing when they got back, we went to bed...

This morning, after we finally made it out of the hotel at around 11, we took a taxi to ´La Boca´- one of BAs most famous, and in parts, most dangerous Barrios (suburb). It is famous for it´s cosmopolitan markets, music, and brightly coloured and decorated houses, although if you stray from the touristed areas you tend to get parted from anything of value. Well we didn´t and we didn´t, and, thus, enjoyed a great couple of hours just wandering around and taking snapshots of (semi) genuine Argentine life. We bought some more art (our house is going to look more like Southerby´s than a house by the time we get home - only not really Southerby´s as it´s all cheap (if delightful) stuff...) - a couple of oil paintings for about 20 quid - and then took a taxi back to that cultural icon, McDonalds. You´ll be pleased to know that a Big Mac tastes the same here as back home, and in Aus/NZ/Chile/Thailand/China for that matter.

Our one final stop for the day was the Japanese Gardens (Jardin Japonés) in the posh Polo playing suburb of Palermo. It is a fantastic littl eoasis in the middle of a sprawling city with Koi the size of sharks (although they have no/very small teeth I bet they could suck you to death) that you can feed (no wonder they´re so bloody big, all those tourists feeding them) and watch as they follow your every move. The grdens themselves are well ordered and contain many oriental-looking plants and fixtures (bridge/stepping stones etc...). Again, another hour went by just wandering, chatting and watching the world. It´s been a great day (well few days to be honest) partly because we´ve met up with H & R again but also because BA is such a great city. It really has got everything; fantastic architechture, great food, parks, tango, shopping. Definitely one of my faves so far.

We´ve got an email from Mark and Lucy saying they enjoyed TDP and got great views (sods) and they´re trying to get up here before they head to Rio and Easter Island...if you read this guys, would be great to see you before you have to get jobs... and, yet again and old pal of mine, Neil, has helped us out in a big way and is helping us ship a parcel back to the UK for next to nothing. CHEERS!