This is pretty much the end of this trip.  It is sad that it had to fizzle out this way but there are more important things happening in the world right now.

Our taxi got us safely to Buenos Aires by midday.  Then the fun started.  The guesthouse in which we were booked to stay, conveniently close to four bicycle shops, had a family with Corona Virus contact.  This meant they were in quarantine and could not admit us.  They tried to organize an apartment a few kilometers away for us but when we got there there was no space for the bicycles.  So we cycled back to the Duomi Plaza where we had stayed previously.  They claimed to be in quarantine as well.  Huh ?  So I abused their internet connection to find somewhere else to stay.  Then, when I stepped outside, they locked me out of the hotel so I couldn't access their wifi.  When we arrived at the next hotel they wouldn't admit us.  So we headed to a cafe. ordered some food and used their wifi to book at another hotel.  Third time lucky and the River Hotel will be our home until we can organize our flights back to South Africa.  They have been very kind and helpful, making space for us to store the bicycles.  The room is great and affordable which is good because we may be here for a while.  I called the South African Embassy to let them know of our whereabouts and they told me that flights out are very full because everyone is trying to get home as soon as possible.  We are just happy to be in a reasonably safe and functional place from where we are in the best position to organize a way to get back to South Africa.

In a far worse position are our friends Martin and Elsp who are stuck in Carleta Tortel having caught the ferry from Puerto Natales.  It turned out that six people on the ferry had the virus and the town is in forcible lockdown.  It is one of those places with no ATMs, few credit card facilities, very little internet connectivity and only one road out.  

In an even worse position are the millions of refugees around the world that have been displaced by wars caused the super powers using the refugees' countries and governments as pawns in their power struggles and continued raping of the developing world.

As stressed as we felt earlier on today we have no reason to complain our our situation at all.

It is likely that the next time I will post it will be for the 9th Step.  Until then let's use this current world crisis to make it a better place.  Don't be kak, be lekker.