On the 23rd of March, with a full tank of gas, we departed the little town of Chalten, and ended a 2 week long chapter of our journey. We drive north bound over Route 40 or "La Cuarenta", Argentina's famous road connecting Patagonia to the rest of the country. The anxiety is high since the car is still not in great working condition. A severe worry is also the state of the road. Route 40 has nice paved secrions, but also sections that look like someone burried a thousand softballs halfway in the ground. Needless to say, this condition nearly rattles our poor little car to death. There are hundreds of kilometers of road inbetween us and the next living person and the going is slow, sometimes dropping under 20 km per hour. We have the time though, and our next destination will be worth it (more on that later).
Nevertheless, it feels good to be on the road again. The pampas here, though desolate, have a wild beauty to them. Wild animals are plentyful here and we drive past herds of sheep, and guanacos as well as rheas, ostrich like birds that are maybe three feet tall. The pampas are a land of plateus and grass and there is not much shelter to be found. Last night we spent the night in a concrete drainage tunnel that cut under the road. We blocked the other end with Mike's old 15 dollar tent and we had quite the cozy shelter, although, no view of the stars.
For anyone we has not seen stars beyond the lights of human civilization, you cannot imagine what you are missing. Anyone who has, would describe a peppering of colors which reaches its peak in the Milky Way. Blues and reds join other white stars that twinkle intensely in the cold desert atmosphere. If it were not for the strength of the wind, the sky would be a much better backdrop, but since we want sleep, the concrete tunnel will do.
One of the pleasures of being on the road is cooking meals. In Punta Arenas we purchased a gas stove and wok and have used them to create some delicious meals. Last night we stirfried red and green peppers with onions, mushrooms and chorizo to put on French bread. Past meals include herring fillets and rice in curry and a dill cream sauce over bowtie pasta and fish. Breakfasts often consist of oatmeal or leftovers from last night along with peach marmalade and dulce de leche. Hot water makes coffee or hot chocolate and we have a well rounded meal.
500 km from El Chalten is the dusty settlement of Bajo Caracoles. The "town" consists of a hotel and a hostel. Since it is the only gas for 500 km it was a vital stop on our journey. Unfortunately they were out of gas and so this is where I am writing you from. Somehow, no one knows when the next shipment of gas will come in so Mike hitched a ride 120 km North to Perito Moreno. As of now we are waiting for him to return. La Cuarenta is notoriously slow this time of the season and only a handful of cars will pass in a day.
Another traveler had some luck southbound earlier. Last night a young woman approached me and introduced herself as Julia (pronounced you-lee-ah). She was a from Sweeden and had spent the last year and a half in Buenos Aires and traveling all over the continent. Carrying a small backpack and a grocery bag, she looked ill prepared to be traveling alone. She asked if we were heading south and when I told her north, and we were out of fuel anyways, she asked to stay with us for the night (the hostel was full and the hotel cost too much). I donated my sleeping pad and we got a great night sleep under the stars on a relatively windless night in Patagonia. This morning she found a quick ride south to El Calafate and we said our goodbyes.
The trip has been full of short friendships that seem to involve more than run of the mill encounters that happen in the states. Travelers here seem to be united under a common goal and are naturally outgoing. We spent an afternoon with Jordy, a Dutch traveler we picked up before arriving in Chalten. He contributed some produce to our lunch and we ate in the middle of a brown desert, by a crystal blue river and abandoned mud houses. Nora was a traveler from Denmark and we talked for a few hours about traveling, politics and culture while I was making dinner at a hostel in Chalten. I've also met people from Isreal, Germany, South Africa, Australia and France while traveling and on the trail.
We have a long way to go! Stay tuned!
I got up earlier than usual and as soon as I started prayer time your face was right in front of mine. I pray for you, Mike, and Steph: Not just for your safety but for your journey. A journey that leads to adventure, fun, and all the other emotions and feelings one might imagine. I am also intrigued what it is like to be a witness to so much of God's creation in ways most of us will never have the opportunity to see. May your faith in Him, and love for Him flourish. I love and miss you.
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