A 3am versus a 7am arrival

I wanted to get the bus that left the soonest — even with the delay. But my new friend told me that the bus I wanted would get me into Cordoba at 3am. He suggested I hang around the terminal for a few hours longer so that I would get on a bus that would get in at 7am instead.

Realizing he was right, since I had no idea where I would be sleeping in Cordoba, I decided the adventure in the Buenos Aires bus terminal would be better (read: more people around) than in the Cordoba bus terminal at 3am.

And an adventure it was!

My new friend helped me buy a ticket and since his bus was also delayed (he was en route to a friend’s wedding) he invited me to grab a drink. Thinking I could pay with a credit card for mine, I agreed. Dreams of a nice Argentine Malbec were quickly put aside when I realized I was in a bus terminal! A hot, overcrowded bus terminal.

That drink wound up being an orange soda, and credit cards, as you might imagine, were not accepted. My new friend treated me, and grabbed two glasses — yes, glasses! The bus terminal restaurants have glasses — could you imagine that at a random bodega in the Port Authority in New York City?

We had a lovely conversation — and his English was excellent so I didn’t get a chance to practice much — but then an hour later his bus was ready to depart. Mine was still not even on the board as it was still a few hours delayed.