I think I broke my foot...

Yesterday was my last day in Buenos Aires so I got up (relatively) early to get my bus ticket to Salta. I knew I had to go to Retiro station to get it and since I passed by it on my first day, I knew where it was - or so I thought. When I got there, well, it was a weekday at morning rush hour...utter chaos...there was a line up 1/2 a block long just to get into the subway!! I kid you not. 
So, I push my way into the station...no buses, no ticket kiosks...hmmm I ask someone, she looks at me a bit strangely (probably my awesome Spanish) and then proceeds to tell me where I was supposed to go for bus tickets...I understood one word: Left. OK go left.

I was dragged out of the station by the river of people going to work and pushed my way to the left. Now, not only is there the rush hour crowd, but there is the regular contingent of people who are selling dodgy things, as well as the contingent of dodgy people. I weave my way through all this to the next station...of course: first the train station then the bus station...duh! I go in. Still no buses. I get out and go left again....another train station, but I begin to see the massive buses - I must be on the right track (no pun intended). Then, lo, a break in the crowd - there, a ray of hope, a beacon of light...the bus station!!


Retiro...one of them

What I failed to mention was that my foot was hurting after walking only 2 blocks - by now it's completely throbbing (I've been walking for an hour by this point).
The plan was to go to a book store that Nina suggested and then to meet up with her for lunch...my foot hurt so much that I didn't think I could walk that far. So after buying my bus ticket I decided to go over the the area where Nina works, Puerto Madero. This used to be a very industrial area that has now been converted into a very luxurious place to live and work. There are some nice parks there so I thought I´d go and rest my foot until lunch.


I'm ashamed to say that I went into a Starbucks and grabbed an Earl Grey tea...muy grande, and continued my walk to the park...barefoot by now, it wasn't as bad without my shoes. Puerto Madero is a lovely, peaceful place - especially after the madness of rush hour traffic.

Now, my question to you is: Who in their right mind gets a tea, muy grande, without thinking of the consequences? By the time I hobbled to the park and sat for about 10 min...it hit me. Uh-oh. There were no public toilets in sight. damn. I shuffled back to the Starbucks with my muy grande in hand and I sneaked in the side door to use their facilities. By this point I figured, these people had charged me $4 (yes Aus) for hot water and tea bag, so I loitered on their couch for an hour and a half. The Christmas music was annoying, but it was air conditioned and I could put my foot up....and there was a toilet there if I needed it again.

Nina and I had a lovely lunch together by the river and she gave me some advice as to what to see while in Salta. Hopefully, when I go back to Buenos Aires before going home, we can meet up again and see some Tango!
After lunch my foot was a little better, so what did I do? I walked for another 2 hours. sigh. I think I broke my foot. Luckily, the bus ride tomorrow is 20 hours long - I can rest it then.