San Juan and challenges for life

Hello again! 

You might wonder why I write 2 messages in one day. Well, right now I'm in San Juan, elected in 2010 'most boring city ever', after Guimaraes in Portugal. San Juan is located on the way to Mendoza, my last stop in Argentina, so I felt like stopping there and visiting the Valle de la Luna. 

Paint, the love of my life.

Unfortunately, it appears that just one day to visit this damn valley is not enough, as it takes at least 4 hours to go from San Juan (why has Argentina got to be so big? I mean, I know that size matters, but sometimes smaller is better). And for a day trip, it's quite expensive. So Miss Cheapo decided she will spend tomorrow in the surroundings of San Juan, which aren't mentionned in any travel guides because... they don't have anything special. But hey, this is what being impulsive is about. First buy a bus ticket, then do the thinking (or remember the advice you got from locals who said it's nothing special)

So, I got to visit San Juan today, since my (night) bus from Salta arrived early in the afternoon. After 10 minutes I was already bored, so I did what I always do when I'm bored: eat. I bought myself a quater of a kilo of ice-cream and went to eat it in a park. And also kissed my self-will goodbye. 

Here's a few pictures of San Juan: 

Plant all the trees you want, this will still be ugly.

The main square... Even the Argentinian flag is depressed.

Actually I should have known: the small map/flyer I got from the tourist information office said 'San Juan, destroyed by an earthquake in 1944, has been rebuilt in a modern way'. Which means: San Juan used to be nice, then it got ugly, the Architects of the time sucked, shit happens. 

So, as I was eating my ice-cream (which didn't even taste that good: I'm doomed), I thought about things I told myself upon arrival in Argentina, wondered what had become of these challenges, and if I could still manage to fulfill them during the 3 or 4 days I still have left in Argentina. 

- Stay vegetarian

- Take the train 

- Stay with CSers the whole time 

- Keep myself out of trouble

- Make it with a local  

- Try coca 

- Do not talk to strangers 

- Improve my portugnol

Some are a lost cause, some still need some working on... If you have suggestions or mockeries, please let me know. Make me perform stupid activities. I'm up for anything, as long as they include humiliation and lost of pride!