Alex in Buenos Aires

I came back to the big city. The biggest city. I´ve been riding my bike around the past couple of days, and I am amazed at the distance I can cover without reaching suburbs, or city limits, or anything other than the concrete constructs of the city. Kind of like parts of Argentine Patagonia, I travel for miles and miles without dramatic changes in the environment. There are certainly distinct neighborhoods in this city, but it is the scale and uniformity that I am amazed by these days.
I handled my passport business in a couple of afternoons. The embassy experience was less than thrilling, but proceeded without incident and the staff was very helpful and consoling. In ten days I will possess a new passport.
I will be leaving the city tomorrow afternoon with my friend Alejandro, who lives near Cordoba. We are planning to go for a bike ride together for a few days, and then I will continue riding on my own for a few more days before I head back towards Buenos Aires at the end of April, when I will head back to the United States of America. I am beginning to feel nostalgic for my trip, but am content with what has transpired. I have many reasons to return, and I know that I will be back.
Here in the city, in the midst of other travelers and a handful of foreigners trying their hands at living in Buenos Aires, I am being reminded of the unique and valuable experiences that I have had while traveling in Patagonia. I hope that I am not expressing an excess of pride by saying that I feel full of a certain vitality that has been growing in me through the experiences of the life I have been living. For this, I am looking forward to another bike tour, another couple of weeks spent camping and living near mountains.
I am swallowing up some of that which is offered by the city, and have missed enough spots that I will stay here a few more days at the end of the month. There is clearly a particular vitality offered by building a life here: it isn´t all bad in a place where you can buy the Iliad along with your daily newspaper.
Today is a holiday: the anniversary of the war with Britain over the Islas Malvinas. The respected former president Alfonsín passed away a few days ago, and there is a large gathering in celebration of his life. Despite the rain there is activity in the city, as always, it seems.