Concordia

Guille and I are in a small hotel room in Concordia, Entre Rios, Argentina, after a torrential nighttime downpour — not sure if we can travel on to Mercedes today.

Well, we made it to Mercedes and the Hotel El Sol, then took a bus to the shrine for Gauchito Gil. He was a cowboy who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. The rich killed him for it and he became a local saint as a result.

We returned to Mercedes in time for a free theater production of Quijote and a quick dinner afterwards. Guille and I raced each other through the main town square on our way back to the hotel.

Preparing to Travel With Guille

Since Guille and I got along so well, and since he was temporarily without his job as a hairdresser, I invited him to come along with me to travel in northern Argentina. After considering it for a bit, he decided to come along. We tried to find a laundry to wash our clothes before heading out of town but they were all closed because it was Sunday. We went to the bus station to research tickets then walked around town. We had a romantic dinner in the old town with an excellent bottle of Uruguayan wine and a creme papaya with cassis for dessert. I spent the night at Guille’s place in the apartment he shares with Santiago. Santiago has a sign on his room that reads “Shh… animals hibernating.”

Enter Guille!

At Cain, I met someone who may become important for the rest of my life. Guille, a 20-year-old somewhat longhaired hair dresser. I was blown away when I saw him and thouight he wouldn’t be interested in talking with me, or perhaps was an escort. Fortunately, he was really interested, so we talked and danced and had a fabulous time getting to know each other. We were so attracted to each other, we knew we had to spend the night together, so I brought him back to the hotel, even though I knew I’d have to pay more for a second person in the room.

Guille and Me, Montevideo, Uruguay

La Vida en Buenos Aires

Edgardo was a great pal while I was in Buenos Aires. He and Jim e and I hung out a lot together, well, especially he and I hung out together. He came to the hotel in a taxi to help me change dollars into pesos since I didn’t have any pesos I could use to pay the taxi driver until after I changed money. Afterwards we went to his place for a great “nap”.
Will and Edgardo, Apartment of Edgardo, Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina

He lives with a guy named Javier who is a bit blase about life in Buenos Aires.

Julian and Edgardo, Apartment of Edgardo, Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Before meeting Andy, another guy from the Internet, I tasted my first real empanada at a place near the plastic surgery clinic where Andy has asked to meet me.

Empanada Shop, Buenos Aires, Argentina

He showed up late and wasn’t at the clinic. We walked around town, bought some books, and ended up eating dinner at a restaurant in Palermo Viejo. During dinner, I found out that he had a boyfriend and hadn’t told his boyfriend that we were meeting. I gave him some advice about honesty in relationships.

Next I met with a guy named Daniel, also from the Internet.

Internet Cafe, Buenos Aires, Argentina

We walked around Palermo Viejo and had a drink at a cafe. He was a nice guy but I got the impression that we didn’t hit it off that well. I later found out that he was hit by a car and injured a bit, so he went to his mother’s place out of town and we didn’t see each other again before I left.

I rounded out the day by going to a couple of gay bars (Sitges and Titanic) with Jim e and a guy staying at the hotel named Raoul. I didn’t really like the bars. Sitges was nearly empty and had only a few foreigners and a nervous under-age boy who got thrown out of the place. Of course, it was a Wednesday night.

Bush Out Graffiti, Buenos Aires, Argentina