This will be a long one. I traveled many countries for work and vacation, but Argentina hit very different on so many levels. A few days ago I mentioned there was nothing special about Palermo, but staying for two days and then two additional days forcefully changed my perspective. Yes, my travel plans to India got disrupted due to my mistake of not checking entry restrictions of India after visiting Argentina. I did not have a valid Yellow fever vaccination card to board the Emirates flight on September 19th evening. This was the first time in my 14 years of international travel that I was denied boarding a plane. I maintained my cool, called Emirates helpline, evaluated my options and moved my flight to 21st September night.
On 20th September, I set out to get vaccinated for Yellow fever, met this healthcare professional who has only good things to say about India and his trip to Hampi which I have not yet visited. He was not the only one who praised India and Indians. The governor of Catamarca also had really interesting things to share about his self-discovery in India and how the India trip broadened his perspective which he benefited from. The people from the Governor's office seemed quite intrigued about India and me. Then there were a few strangers I met in Buenos Aires who were quite fascinated about me being an Indian.
I had never experienced being this special for the fact of just being an Indian. Switzerland was indifferent, although a couple Swiss friends share the same levels of fascination for India like the Argentinians. The two extra days gave me time to explore myself, through the exploration of the city and its people. I met a couple from Brazil yesterday who invited me to a club. Saw a young man wasted and was possibly under the influence of substances as well. Talked to a few people at the club, but somehow I could not connect with anyone. I stayed in a corner just observing everyone around. A north Argentinian native struck a conversation with me and was very upset when someone from Mexico interrupted our conversation. I left right after that and noticed that young man at the exit door surrounded by healthcare personnel who are trying to treat his allergic reaction. His face was disfigured and it left a very strong imprint on my mind that fun should not be taken too far that it becomes suffering.
Now that I established going clubbing by myself is a bad idea, I started to think how it would be if I came to that place with a partner. I had a feeling that I would enjoy it better. I asked myself, am I ready to become someone's partner? or do I feel ready to have someone as a partner? - two very different questions, but the answer seems to be yes for both. I think I am much more comfortable in my skin these days and the trip to Argentina only made me more conscious of it. Five years in Switzerland really transformed me into a confident man, and to put my name out there for the things that matter to me the most.
I woke up to loud music around 2 AM today, complained to the receptionist via Whatsapp who addressed the situation. Could not sleep until 4:30 AM and then had a couple of weird dreams. One weird dream was about an old woman who was begging me for something got run over by bus and somehow I got blamed for it. The other one was about me being stuck in a maze of a club with people staring at me from all directions. I woke up again at 8:30 AM, had breakfast, changed 100 USD to Pesos, got ready, checked out of the hotel, kept my bag at the reception and then started to walk in the Palermo neighbourhood. At 12:30 PM, I went to a massage therapist for a relaxing massage, given all the stress I had to put up over this trip and the aching neck I had since the 24 hour journey here from India. After receiving a 90 minutes relaxation massage, I thanked the therapist and let him know I like to learn his skill. I think health, good food and wellness will be my key focus areas going forward.
Thank you Argentina for helping me discover the path for my immediate life. The good food, green spaces of the city, friendly people, friendly pets and happy faces in general is what life should be all about.