Mandinga

I made it to Buenos Aires early the next morning. I had already been to Buenos Aires repeated times so I had little interest in it, but considering it is such an important transportation hub, I figured I would end up there sooner or later.
At the tourist information spot, I was told that a hostel called Mandinga was a good place for your buck so I headed its way.
I checked in a dorm and, to my surprise, there was another Brazilian in the room. When I say "to my surprise", I mean that Brazil and Argentina are huge soccer rivals, which pretty much makes them huge rivals in pretty much everything else. Even though Argentineans do visit Brazil, very few Brazilians make it to Argentina.
On account of that alone, I never thought I would be received in Argentina with such warmth. Every Argentine I met has been so kind that I have a hard time leaving from one spot to the next. At Mandinga, it wasn't any different.
I didnt want to do anything on account of how hot it was. I pretty much lounged the entire day. It was around 3 in the afternoon when Mariano, this guy who worked at the reception desk came up to me and asked
"No te vas a salir?"
"No... it is too hot to go out, I will just stay in" I replied.
Mariano was a Porteno (meaning a native of Buenos Aires) from San Telmo, a neighborhood that was made famous for its easy going bohemian citizens. If that was their reputation, he was living proof it, with long hair and an unshaved face, stingy clothes and a complete anti-yank attitude.
We beganto talk and he asked me what my travelling plans were. I told him that on account of not having a guide book, I didnt really have a set plan.
"I want to see the Moreno Glaciar" I said.
"It is hermoso" he said
"Then Torres del Paine"
"No boludo, Chile no..."
I actually should devote an entire blog to the word boludo, which is an important staple of Argentinean Spanish (a.k.a Castellano), but I will worry about that later. For now, it suffices to say that Argentines are easy going people (for the most part) who hate two things: the United States and Chile.
Torres del Paine is a Chilean national park in the Chilean side of Patagonia and Mariano took offense to the fact that I chose to visit the Chilean Patagonia over the Argentine side.
"Since you dont have a guide book, I shall write an itinerary for you.", he said.
" We'll start with the Moreno Glaciar..."
So Mariano went on to write this very comprehensive outline of where I should go and where I could stay.
"Tienes carpa?"
"Yes, I do have a tent." I said
Okay, then you can go here and here and there and here and there...
I read the itinerary and noticed he left Torres del Paine out.
"What about Torres de Paine", I asked
"A la mierda con las Torres" (loosely translates to f@#$'em)
"Go to Chalten instead", he followed.
The thing about travelling without a guide, as I've said before, is that you have to rely on the kindness of strangers. Mariano was a stranger and he was most surely kind, so I figured I would take his advice. After we were done with our conversation, I heeded his adviced and walked to the Buenos Aires Terminal, its main bus station. Empowered by his enthusiasm for the itinerary he had just put together for me, I got me a ticket to the next bus leaving to Calafate.
It cost me 160 pesos (roughly U$40) and it would leave the day after. The bus trip lasts a gruesome 44 hours.