Walking around

Yesterday and today were spent almost completely on my own. Rolo, my host, has been quite busy. I found out yesterday that he works for Avis, the rental car company. Tonight I should finally get to go out with him as he claims there is some type of city-wide dinner tonight for all of the HC members. It sounds like it could be a good way to get to know some new people.

I´ve logged a ton of miles these past days mainly just walking around. A few subway, or ¨subte¨ rides have been mixed in, but largely I have been doing an excellent job of breaking in the new shoes I bought for this trip. I´ve seen a lot of different neighborhoods and a lot of different looking people. People watching and finding shady spots to rest and read another chapter of my book have largely dictated where I go next. Today for example I went to a nature reserve that sits on the Rio de la Plata. The lonely planet claims this park has 200 species of birds within its boundries but I was only take in a few and it was just to bloody hot in the midday sun. Interestingly, as I stepped in the reserve office looking for a map, the man who handed me one could tell I wasn´t from around these parts and asked me where I was from. I told him the US and further replied Michigan when he asked what part. His face lit up and he excitedly told me, in perfect english, how he had attended grade school in Birmingham!! Weird, huh?

On the subject of people noticing that I am a foreigner, I´m guessing that they can tell but they have been doing an excellent job of not starting and pointing like you get so often in places like Thailand and China. It´s quite nice not being so strange looking, and I think I might be able to fool a few people as my skin is quite similar in color to many of the locals. Unfortunately, any doubts they have are quickly erased when I open my mouth!