So, once again I’ve been really bad at keeping my blog up to date.
This time, I can add to the usual list of culprits (new projects, tight deadlines etc.) a month-long trip to Argentina!
One of the BIG advantages of “going freelance” is having the freedom to choose when and how long you go on holiday. Ok, so it’s not that easy, you still need to earn enough to pay the bills and hols, but with a little organisation and saving the world is your oyster.
After careful thought, I decided against a “working” holiday in favour of a complete and total break. On doing a little research, I picked Argentina as my exotic tropical-disease-free destination with plenty of red wine.
As I clicked through the payment details for a return flight, I only experienced a fleeting desire to head off for a longer 6-month adventure…before reality got the better of me.
This time, at least!
I’m safety back and I’ve had a couple of weeks to get back into my routine and recover from excessive red wine, red meat and over-night bus journeys – it’s the world’s 8th largest country with more than 2,780,000 km2!
I thought I’d share the top 9 things I learnt during my travels. Here goes!
1.) Foreign language get rusty
This may sound obvious, but it was my first observation as I stepped off the plane and struggled to dig out some passable Spanish for the customs guys.
So, I studied Spanish at uni and lived in Spain for a year, but that was 8 years ago now. And, without regular practise it gets frustratingly rusty.
However, with a little effort, humour and patience it does come back…poco a poco!
2.) Argentine red wine is like Belgian Beer
Everyone raves about Argentine wine, so I decided to visit Mendoza, the country’s wine capital.
After some serious sampling, I realised that it’s strong stuff. 15% alcohol to be precise. It reminded me of my experiences with Belgian beer, which knocked me right back as an inexperienced Heineken-style drinker.
The powerful flavours need to be accompanied by food, and preferably something equally powerful like a juicy steak.
Could this be a carefully planned strategy?
P.s. I forgot to mention the cute wine penguins!!
3.) It is possible to sleep in buses
I previously believed that I was categorically unable to sleep on public transport.
However, following a 14-hour jointer in the plushest bus I ever seen (sadly I don’t have any photographic evidence) – with completely reclining leather seats and waiter service – I decided to make an exception to the rule.
And, it kind of stuck. During my next, less luxurious bus trip I slept 8 hours almost non-stop and on the flight back I was out like a light after dinner.
Let’s hope it stays that way!
Right that’s enough for today, but, I’ll be back next week with the rest of the list. Watch this space.
