We had a shock on checking out, the woman who gave us our bill said the 100 peso note (i.e. US$100, ~£60) was a fake and wouldn't accept it. I was almost apopeletic, how could a note obtained directly from a cash point be a fake - this didn't really come across in spanish, so we paid with smaller notes. The Chevalier bus was on time - for Chevalier and 30mins late for everyone else, BA arrived to greet us 2 hours later and we stepped off the caoch to be grabbed by a "Remis" taxi driver who wanted our business - badly, he even hung around whilst we phoned to get an hotel reservation - he must of been very desparate. We haggled on the price: he said 10 pesos, we said yes - honest Mr Ewing and Mr Plummer we'll get the hang of it soon. We were whisked through the streets of BA to our hotel: Hotel Bolivar - similar to the last one i.e. all the rooms are round an open (to the sky) central courtyard but better bed and some natural light.

After dumping our gear we legged it to the HSBC bank in the centre where an exceptionally helpful young lady, who spoke beautiful english, said it wasn't a fake and changed it into lower denomination notes - we celebrated in style - 2 x McDonald's chocolate sundaes (is ice cream a recurring theme?). Then we confirmed our flights with BA (another lovelly young man, speaking beautiful english, its so much easier when you can converse - I'm such an ignoramus(?)), we also got our tickets re-routed at American Airlines - no longer going to Venezuela, now we're going to Mexico from Lima. Picked up our email, thanks to everyone who wrote, its great to get news from back home.

Whilst in the centre we went to the Plaza De Mayo to see the "Mothers' of the Disappeared" who walk around the central statue every Thursday in memory of their children who disappeared during the 1970s whilst the military junta ruled in Argentina. The Mothers wear white headscarves with the names of their missing children embroided on them and placards around their necks with photographs of their children. It was very emotional to watch and we both had lumps in our throats thinking of the pain and suffering that they and their children must have experienced.

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Argentina

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