Traffic and Food

At the downtown Buenos Aires bus terminal there are 75 gates for buses, and they move in and out of there at an incredible rate: my friend Bill says it's 300 per hour! The buses arrive about five minutes prior to the scheduled departure time, and a range of 10 gates is listed on the bus ticket so you can wait in the approximate area of arrival. The bus company and its destination city and departure time are announced at their arrival by loudspeaker. I then walk to the bus, double-check with the bus driver that it's the right one (since on my first trip I checked in my luggage to two incorrect buses before finding the right one!), check in my luggage with a 50 centavo or one peso tip, then show my ticket to the driver and board the bus.

Check out the Good Airs website's March 31 entry, and click on the "can't" and "drive" links to read more about traffic concerns in Argentina -- and when you follow the "drive" link also click on "said it" for even more information (or just follow the links I've provided here). And please pray for my frequent travels! I think I'm safer in a bus than in a car, but accidents still abound as you can see in the photos and articles.

Here's a picture of lunch on Sunday at the conference in Cordoba. It was an interesting mix of soup, pasta, a piece of ham with half an egg on top, and fruit. Speaking of soup, I don't think I've ever mentioned that they often put either oatmeal and cream of wheat into broth for "soup." They're both surprisingly good!
Fun fact: Argentines speak about the "four meals of the day," not "three." They are as follows:

1. Breakfast, upon arising -- 7:30 to 8:30-ish. Coffee with milk or mate and something bread-y to eat. If you're out somewhere (a coffee shop or a conference), you get croissants or other pastries.
2. Lunch -- 1 pm or 2 pm. This is either meat or pasta, one or two side salads, and bread. When at home I've been having pasta with one or two side salads. They eat a lot of thinly sliced cabbage with vinegar and oil. I add grated carrot, and then might have another "salad" which is just sliced tomatoes with salt.
• The traditional activities which follow lunch are dish-washing and a siesta.
  
3. Tea -- 4 pm or 5 pm. Tea (mate or black tea or mate cocido) or coffee with some kind of breaded item, often crackers with jam or dulce de leche.
• Many people go back to work after the siesta and tea.
  
4. Supper -- 9 or 10 pm or later if you're eating out. This tends to be just like lunch. However, if at a get-together with friends you will often have empanadas, which are small baked meat pastries.