If I found a tour or had a traveling companion it wouldn't have been an issue. If it wasn't so far or logistically involved I could have popped over later when I was in the mood. If it wasn't a UNESCO site it wouldn't have even been on the agenda. If I had any better ideas they might have won my favour. Instead I had to give myself a kick in the butt to get out there and go see the Jesuit mission ruins of San Ignacio Miní.
11:15. Resolve. Just do it! After checking out of the HA Urbano I walked the three blocks to the bus stop.
11:23 - The #15 shows up. I pay the 2.25$ and am pleased to see I'll be able to sit. Call me a germophobe or anal retentive, I don't care, but holding on to handles on city buses grosses me out. There isn't enough hand sanitizer in the world to get off the slime, sweat, phlegm, snot and other disgusting things on those rails.
11:43 - Arrive at bus station, buy a bottle of water to break a hundred and as luck would have it there was a bus waiting there to take me to San Ignacio.
11:48 - The bus starts moving. Hurrah. And it's 15$ each way to get there. There and back will cost me the same as the taxi ride from the bus station to the hotel yesterday!!!
12:54 - San Ignacio was called out and I got dropped off at the side of the road. Hmmm... where's the entrance? I wandered in the direction I thought it was but thought I'd best ask a local. Go straight and take the first left. Got it, thanks.
Aurelio was walking in the same direction though so I practiced my Spanish with him. He was very sweet and he told me about the other ruins in the area and mentioned that Santa Ana was quite good too. I thanked him for the directions and walked on a bit before I heard him run after me and ask if I'd like to go to Santa Ana later in the afternoon with him. Gulp! Well...why not? I told myself to trust my gut and be open to new adventures. He seemed like a nice kid. Sure. I'd go. But first...the San Ignacio ruins.
13:15 - 60$ entry for a UNESCO site and a guided tour, not bad. Even better because I was the only one who showed up for the tour in English!
So...San Ignacio isn't really mini, it's quite a large mission built in 1632 by the Jesuits in the Americas during the Spanish colonial period. At its peak about 3000 Guaraní people lived there. By 1821 it had been abandoned after attacks from Paraguay.
It was quite interesting and I was definitely pleased I made the effort to go.
14:44 - Off to meet Aurelio at the bus station for 15h.
15:20 - Aurelio and I hop on a bus bound for Santa Ana. About 20 minutes later we get dropped off.
There was a bit of confusion on my part when we ended up at 'Parque Temático de la Cruz' instead of the ruins and it was much further from the road than I'd thought. I caught myself getting antsy but really...who cares?! Everything is unscripted! Once I relaxed and just went with it it was all good. Besides, one set of Jesuit mission ruins was good enough for me anyway!
We checked out the butterfly enclosure and and orchid house which were really nice.
Afterwards we went on a short walk, on the 'Sendero Religioso' (religious path!!!) and then we went up into the big cross you can see from miles away. At this point Aurelio was asked by a group of cyclists why he was carrying around his guitar and if he'd play a song. He treated us to four songs and he sang and played beautifully. He's really very talented!
We spent a nice time together, he's a very kind person. I did find it challenging to make so much conversation in Spanish but it is exactly what I need to do. My head hurt and boy do I really need to learn a few more verb tenses!!!
18:25 - I said goodbye to Aurelio at the side of the road and thanked him for a lovely day. It wasn't the day I'd planned at all but I like good surprises! :o)
20:10 - Back in town and killing time devouring my book in the lobby of the hotel with a glass of Malbec before my night bus.
23:58 - Still wondering where the Andes Mar bus is, I ask the driver, on the last drag of his cigarette before leaving, if, by any chance, THIS Buenos Aires bound bus might be mine. Thank goodness I asked.
23:59 - Off we go. Next stop, Concordia.
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