It’s been a while, and for that I apologize to all those who were hanging onto the edges of the their seats waiting for the conclusion to the ‘pick your own adventure book’ (its still not done).
I’ve left my little wwoofing ‘farm’ because I ran out of things to do and the guy who lived there got weirder and weirder as the days went on. Actually ‘weird’ isn’t even the correct word…its more like eccentric lunacy. Also, the farm had earned the nickname among us wwoofers as ‘the container’ because ideas, events and happenings in the outside world seemed to be unable to penetrate into the inner world of ‘the farm’. Even thoughts lacked the normal free reign and scope. So, an escape was needed from the container…and an escape was realized.
I left the farm with two other wwoofers and headed down to Trevellin to help renovate a hostel in exchange for room and board. Unlike the ‘farm’, there was plenty of work to do here…carpentry, construction, gardening and such. In sort, the kinda work that leaves one satisfied and hungry at days end. The hostel was run by an Isreali with anther Isreali volunteering with us (three Yankee blokes)…all very nice people. But, alas, we only lasted two days. Not because of the work or the people, but because we wanted to be in a place that forces, or at least gives us the opportunity, to speak Spanish. In short, to get something more outta the work than just room and board.
So now, Proc, my traveling companion from NY, and I are in a tiny town on the Chilean border in Santa Cruz province situated on the second largest lake in South America…Los Antiguos. This is the cherry capital of Argentina and we are somewhat hopeful of finding some sort of work, but if not, it’s at least a good place to chill out for a while and for Proc to nurse his finger that he brutalized with a jig-saw in Trevellin. We are camping in a municipal campground and found out last night that when Argentines camp on a Friday night they don’t plan to sleep much…and they like loud music booming from car speakers…and they love Asados.
If nothing works out here workwise I guess the next stop is El Chalten for a nice long, refreshing five day hike.
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Shame the farm didn't work out as well as hoped. The hostel renovations sounded like fun, except for the brutalized finger - nasty things jigsaws! Sounds like you are experiencing the full gamut of South America from "container" to "campground". What are Asados, or is that a brand of beer? :-)
ReplyDeleteKeep on hiking - Frank & Sylvia
Ian - awesome trip, man!
ReplyDeleteWhen you start heading north, let me know - I may still be around and I´d love to have you as a Spanish-English dictionary. We transit the Panama Canal in two days, then I´m free to move elsewhere but will probably stay in Panama.
Also, how did you get that map at the side of your blog - can´t figure this stuff out for the life of me.