Day one - Hampton Court to Buenos Aires

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Travelled by 111 bus from Hampton court station to Hounslow East and Piccadilly line to Terminal 5. Started from my house at 1630 , Heathrow at 1815 using Oyster £5. 


Three hours to chill in airport , I had my Ginster pasty , roll and hummus . Daily newspapers Guardian , i and mail and my blue UP Marquette litre bottle of water. All good . 


Managed to meet with Tony and Lobby in morning and Bills friends in Molesey before leaving . 



Plane 15 minutes early . Pleasant flight but had bad stomach as on ni moen cneci a roeddwn yn dala'r air mewn . Relief. 


Two meals - both ok . Evening meal and English breakfast on arrival . So much plastic being used though . 


On arrival . Knew I had to sort out 

  • tienda leon bus to centre 
  • Directions to hotel ( I have noMobile )
  • Pesos 
  • SIM card 


Lots of taxi people but there it was Information Office . So got a paper map worked out the hotel from my Plaza Madero. Could pay by credit card P2500 ($13)  . Hopefully will get blue rate refund . But still better than $30 taxi . 


The guy I met from Germany travelling to Uruguay could only get P600 just enough for cup of coffee. This is going to be an issue I can see. 


Feels like an adventure already . 


To get to Uruguay will need to be 2 hours early to pass through customs . Colonia is better than Montevideo . One a International city the other colonial portugués history a blend of Argentina and Brazil. 


Driving into the city , the traffic was horrendous but the bus lane bypassed all the jam. A taxi would have taken a lot longer . Result time and expense . 

   

On my way to the hotel I stopped at a sandwich shop .he took cards , good to know but also when I asked for a bank he said he could give me pesos P370 to 1 usd . Good blue rate . But he wanted $100 notes . Didn't like my $50 notes . The day rate was P190. 




The hotel was 3 blocks from Plaza Madero the bus station and my plan was to leave my rucksack there .But they had a room ready so I could check in .


Ask questions re pesos the hotel had a good contact . Anyway same thing again one rate 350 for $100 notes , 340 for $50 or less . Anyway needed some pesos so changed $100 . 


It's a good job as later on the pharmacy when I went to charge my sim would only take pesos cash . 


Next to find a sim . This became a problem as neither personal or Movistar would sell a prepaid sim. So I  bought a local sim and had to go to the pharmacy to charge it . It worked out okay . 




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