Phase 4: Complete. Phase 4b:i initiated!
Really sad our Patagonian adventure is drawing to a close but also profoundly grateful to have experienced such a fantastic place and to have seen so many awe-inspiring landscapes and natural beauty. Packed up and left P.Piramides mid-morning and drove back to Puerto Madryn where we stopped for lunch and banana milkshake at the Lizard cafe and had a wander round the shops and along the seafront. Then back in the car for the final leg of the journey back to Trelew airport (via some very straight roads!) where we returned to car to the lady from Budget (who probably wondered if we'd just directly shovelled several sacks of sand straight into it), checked in for our flight (which was on time) and then simply waited, rather despondently, for our flight back to the noise and bustle of Buenos Aires. I think both of us were in a fairly reflective kind of mood - the sheer expanse of nothingness and desolation of the Patagonian steppe allows your mind the freedom to wander and explore, unsnagged by distraction. I think both of us were wondering how jarring we would find it to be back in amongst all the commotion and the throngs of people.

Flight was uneventful and made it to Buenos Aires in plenty of time for Sam to retrieve his back from the Marriott before heading over to the hostel del Granados. Was a great place - right in the centre of San Telmo, where we had our own room (with a balcony) for only 90 pesos! Bargain! After we checked in, Sam took me to Cafe Tortoni, a very famous coffee house and tango place in BA - was fabulous, except unfortunately i wasn't feeling great (extremely bad back and stomach ache) which was a real shame. But am very glad i went - another one to cross off the 1000 Places list!! Despite being in the middle of Party Central in BA, we headed back to the hostel after Cafe Tortoni and had a quick supper in a place just down from the hostel before calling it a night and going to bed. Glad both of us had earplugs as the party carried on, outside our window, well into the morning!!