Day 47 – Relax and Do Nothing

Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Date: Friday, November 26, 2010

I’m here in Buenos Aires to relax and do nothing. After five days straight on buses and cars, I’m just happy to rest, sleep, and do nothing more strenuous than move my eyes over a good book while occasionally lifting a coffee to my lips.

At the same time, I’m enjoying watching my body recover from the brutality of Bolivia’s altiplano. I’m slowly getting over my cough. My bones are thawing. I’ve learned I can go outside without a scarf and a toque.

Best of all, my fingers are spontaneously shedding skin. It’s like watching ten baby snakes molt. Turns out the conditions up there were so bad that my body went ahead and built up thick calluses on my finger tips even though I did as much manual labor as a quadriplegic Bill Gates.

Now, in the milder, saner conditions of the city, my body is reverting back to its softer state. Bolivia—it sticks with you in ways you wouldn’t expect.

GALLERY: No bonus pics. Mervyn did nothing more interesting than stare at paint peel.