Lewis watches the telly on the bus
Lewis the Lion was sad to be leaving Buenos Aires as he had had so much fun there and had made so many lovely new friends. However, he knew that the rest of his adventure still awaited him and for that he was excited in equal measure. So, he went to the Retiro bus station in Buenos Aires to catch the coach that would take him to his next destination, Neuquén, in the middle of Argentina almost 1,200 km away! (Argentina is such an enormous country, that it would still be at least another 2,500 km to reach its tip in the South, La Tierra del Fuego). The bus ride would take 15 hours and it was just as well that Helen had booked “una cama ejecutivo” – a seat which reclines so that it’s almost like a bed. In fact in South America, generally there are not cheap airlines like there are in Europe and the most common way to get around is by coach. However, it means that they are often much more luxurious than the coaches back home in the UK. The seats are wide and recline to an almost 30 degree angle, with footrests which fold out to act like a continuation of the bed. Passengers are also given thick blankets and pillows which are welcomed as they often have the air conditioning on so strong that you can get quite cold on a bus. Extra layers are recommended!
Before Lewis and Helen had even boarded the coach, there was some difficulty to overcome. The bus that they were set to board at 6:30 in the evening didn’t show up on the departure board even though they were waiting for half an hour beforehand. When they asked fellow passengers if this was normal, they nonchalantly responded that yes, buses often ran late in South America! Lewis the Lion and Helen didn’t feel very comfortable about this as the minutes ticked by and there was still no sign of the bus showing up. Eventually, they decided to head to the ticket office to see if they had any information as to why the bus hadn’t turned up? The gentleman at the ticket office informed them that they should have come to check with their ticket beforehand as not all of the coaches run as scheduled. At least they would know for the next time that in South America it’s not enough to have your ticket printed out! Luckily for Lewis and Helen there was a coach departing at 19:10, heading to San Carlos de Bariloche via Neuquén.
Once they arrived at the correct coach, one of the bus staff put a sticker on Helen and Lewis’ rucksack and gave them a corresponding ticket so that they could collect their luggage when they arrived at their destination. They also noticed that it seemed customary to tip the coach staff for taking care of their luggage. Helen and Lewis were surprised at this when they had already paid $615 pesos for their ticket!
This was a double-decker coach and Lewis and Helen climbed the stairs to sit on the top-deck. It was a bit like boarding an aeroplane as you needed to have some formal identification, such as your passport and your seat number was allocated in advance. Like on an aeroplane, there were also safety-belts to fasten too. Within 5 minutes of the coach setting off, one of the stewards came around and offered everyone a boiled sweet. Not long after that, he came around with a tray with a cup-holder for everyone. He then served soft drinks and wine for the grown-ups, followed by a tray of food: rice, ham and salad with crackers, dulce de leche and a crème caramel for dessert.
Dinner aboard the bus
Lewis had already finished his starter and dessert when the steward came around again with hot main meal: beef stew with boiled potatoes! It all seemed a bit of a topsy-turvey way of eating your dinner! At the end of the meal, the steward then served some hot drinks: coffee, tea or mate and for the grown-ups a bottle of champagne!
The main meal arrives later on
Like being on an aeroplane, the coach had several drop-down television screens where they were showing public health and safety adverts, followed by a film that had been dubbed into Spanish. At the end of the film, the steward came around to draw the curtains and the lights were turned off inside the coach so that the passengers could get a chance to sleep.
In the morning, Lewis and Helen were woken up to breakfast: a hot drink, croissants, jam, soft cheese and crackers. Luckily, there was also a toilet available for passengers downstairs but at about 10 o’clock in the morning, the bus did stop at a service station to refuel and so that the passengers could take a break and stretch their legs after such a long journey.
Breakfast on the coach to Neuquén
Not long afterwards, Lewis and Helen reached their destination, Neuquén. They knew that their hostel wasn’t far but with a heavy rucksack they decided to take a taxi. The taxi driver told them it would cost $50 pesos! This seemed to be an awful lot of money for such a short journey and they asked the taxi driver why it was costing so much? He replied that it wasn’t safe to walk with your rucksack in this area. The taxi driver seemed to drive around in a loop. When Lewis and Helen arrived at their hostel and spoke to the hostel owner, it was clear that the taxi driver had not been telling the truth and had diddled them out of money! The average fare to the hostel was only $15 pesos and it was only a 5 minute walk away! Lewis and Helen made a mental note to always contact the hostel owner first to find out how much it should cost before agreeing to paying a taxi fare. You live and learn! Unfortunately in this world there are good and bad people wherever you are…but luckily for Lewis up till now, he seemed to have met more good people than bad.
Describe what your perfect meal would be if you were travelling on a long bus journey.
