A Few More Misadventures!

Sooooooo, when I booked my flight to Mendoza I decided to come back in the afternoon so I would have the day to explore, however, the day before I was to come home I realized my flight left at 6:30am not pm! Never mind that people were still dancing in the disco while I was on my way to the airport, but when I got there, with plenty of time to spare, I stood in the wrong line. The women couldn’t find my reservation and in the confusion, it was super busy, my suitcase was tagged and sent through, but I didn’t get any bag ticket. The good thing, ya there were a couple, we figured out I was flying on the other airline, LAN, and my suitcase had gone to BsAs on Aerolineas. So when I get to Aeroparque, that’s the smaller domestic airport, of course my suitcase is nowhere to be found and I have no baggage claim. I explain in English, thank goodness, to this young man who works for LAN and after a phone call to Mendoza and a few more questions he disappears out the door onto the Tarmac. It’s crazy, but I knew he would come back with my suitcase, and he did! I thanked him and gave him a big kiss and came back to my apartment, so thankful I didn’t have to replace half my belongings! Two small airports and an early Sunday morning were on my side!
A couple days ago my friend and I were walking and talking on a busy street and when we walked down into the Subte a gentleman and a police man pointed out that a young women had been following us and had unzipped my backpack, nothing was missing! And I had just that morning taken anything of value out of my pack and put it in my inside jacket pocket?
I know my ‘Angels’ have my back!
Money, here it’s a crazy situation. A couple years ago the government made it almost impossible for Argentines to take American Dollars out of the bank. So of course, they are the hottest thing going. The official exchange is $5.24, but the ‘blue dollar’, not the black market because everyone knows it’s being done and it doesn’t seem to be illegal, is at around $8.50, and last week went to $10.50 at one point, so if you have cash your money can go a lot further. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring a suitcase of money with me. I’ve been using the ATM’s and that has been fine despite only being able to withdraw $1000.00 pesos at a time, about $190.00 Canadian. Yesterday my cash was really low so I went to an ATM, out of money! I try another, and another, and another no cash to be had. I have money in my account but the bank machines are empty. This afternoon I go out to try again, the first machine ’empty’, I walk about eight or ten blocks further and try another, YA! Pesos, I can’t take out as much at a time and the service charge for each transaction is $31. pesos, a cash grab, but my money still goes five times further than the people who live here so I have nothing to complain about. ¡Es la vida!