Thursday 11 February 2010

You are probably going to get robbed.

´You´re probably going to get robbed´, the bus driver tells me as I fumble about with my three bags attempting to find my misplaced ticket, purse open, passport on show.
Anyway, much to the surprise of the bus driver, I find my ticket and don´t get robbed. I find my seat at the front of the Argentine double decker bus. The buses here are fairly luxurious, reclining seats and all. As I collapse into my seat, the Argentine man besides me begins talking to me.
´The front of the bus is the most dangerous´ he declares.
´The buses are prone to crashes as they drive too fast´. ´Tonight, it is windy making it even more dangerous´. Now I would hardly call myself a nervous traveller but is there any point in telling me these things!?

Nevertheless I get settled into my rather comfortable seat when I see a young couple approach with a very young baby. The other bus companions politely exclaim how sweet the baby is. But let us not lie to ourselves. Really everyone´s heart has sank as we realise that a 25 hour jouney with a young baby within a metre of us is hardly an ideal combination.

And..yes..I was right, within approximately 14 minutes the screaming begins and the whole bus begins to discreetly look for their ipods to block out the noise.

And I am still at Buenos Aires bus station, 2000km and 25 hours left to go.