Buenos Aires - Day 7

Sunday 29th October

Force myself to get up even though it´s pouring with rain and I feel rubbish. The truth is the rain is too heavy to photograph so I end up sitting in a 'McCafe' -a spin-off from Mcdonalds - for about 2 hours. I haven´t actually been to a CD´s since I was about 15 but it´s difficult to get a proper latte in this town and I´m desperate.

The rain doesn´t really abate all day so I wander about aimlessly killing time until the Boca Juniors game at 6pm. Have a goodbye lunch with Andy, who is leaving for Lima today, the last member of our travelling troop.

Quite excited about seeing Boca Juniors even though I don´t know any of the players. Maradona apparently comes to nearly all of the games and from where I´m sitting I can see his big yellow sofa in the VIP box, but he doesn´t show. The left-hand stand which is standing only is full of die-hard Boca fans who chant all night without tiring. They have dedicatedly put up banners and flags all over their stand and dance all night despite their team not putting on a great performance. The opposition - Argentino (I think but who cares) - do score a goal in the second half but the Boca fans don´t bat an eyelid and carry on celebrating their 2-1 lead. There is a lot of male hugging going on and much less abuse than in the Rio game or UK games for that matter.

Back at the hostel after the game the conversation degenerates to such an extent that we decide to inject some ´fun´ into the evening´s proceedings by playing drinking games. As I´m with a new bunch of people (English & Australian), I´m introduced to couple of new games including 'power finger' and the intriguingly titled 'sucky-blowy'. This is where your forfeit is not to drink the normal two fingers of beer but to pass a playing card to the person sitting next to you without using your hands. Difficult I´ll tell you. Still feeling pretty rubbish I remember thinking I´m glad I came to South America to immerse myself in the local culture.

The night whizzes by and I don´t know how I manage to make it to 5am without falling asleep, although I´m nearly there. Very late in the evening/morning one of the card-playing group turns to me and says:- ´You´re not very good at boy-girl interaction are you?´ Having hardly listened to any of the conversations going on around me all night this stuns me.

I´m not actually sure what he means so I say nothing, not wanting to dig a deeper pit for myself. I´m longing for my bed, having developed a thick headache and stuffed-up nose but it still troubles me the next day (in true Carrie Bradshaw style).

I spend the next day, while walking around Palermo, wondering if people are born with an innate ability to flirt/relate with the opposite sex. Is it acquired and if so can you become good at it later on in life? Answers/comments/insights all welcome on the blog.