08-25-08

Apuntes

• This Friday, I went out to get some groceries with my host mom, but before we ever got to the store, we pulled up in front of a nondescript house on Calle Libertad. A man emerged from the darkness, opened the gate, and let us pull into the driveway. He operates a makeshift service station in his backyard--and sells only the finest quality Argentine gasoline, which is about half the price of gas in Chile, even with a little profit for the middle man.
• Saturday, I went on a hike with Charlie, another volunteer (from Milwaukee, no less), and a group of students from the polytechnic. They can take "excursion" as one of their gym credits. We hiked through pampas and estancias, where we saw plenty of cows and sheep, as well as a real Chilean huaso, and also along the shore. Our first stop was Puerto Condor, where we saw at least 20 of these giant birds, who have nests nearby. We then passed a tiny community called Puerto Prat, and finally Puerto Consuelo, which was also just a tiny collection of houses and animals off a dirt road, but had one of the most beautiful views, right on a very narrow waterway with steep mountains in the distance. We could even see los cuernos, the twisting rocky spires of Torres del Paine--and also a gaping hole in the side of a mountain: Cueva de Milodon! I was pretty exhausted after the hike, even though it wasn't really that long, or even that far from Natales. I think that a lot of young people in Puerto Natales, even though it is so close to the National Park, and brings in thousands of tourists, don't really get to walk much in the countryside. So it's fabulous that high school students can take "excursion" for a gym class! They can also specialize in tourismo, gastronomia, or hoteleria, in addition to the usual polytechic subjects like automotive. After the walk, Charlie and I picked up a fabulous meal in town--for me, a beer and pizza, the perfect combination that just warms my heart and soul! I'm not sure if it was the fatigue, that the Austral was served "schop" (on tap), or simply that I was able to choose what I wanted, when I wanted it, but it was amazing.
• Sunday, I got up ridiculously early to catch the only bus to Rio Turbio, Argentina. The town is only about 35 km away, I think, but it took about an hour to get there, because of the border crossings (one stamp to get out of Chile, one to get into Argentina, another to get out of Argentina, and another to get back into Chile!). Not to mention that when my journey started, they were unable to break the equivalent of a twenty-dollar bill, so I had to wait 15 minutes while the bus driver asked all the passengers if they had change, and then had to walk around the center, to another bus station, to ask again! I came back to get my change later, and it was not a big deal, but I was surprised that a business, such as a bus company, would not have some spare cash on hand. When I got into Argntina, I wanted to doublecheck with the bus driver that the bus would come back to Natales that evening--he gave me a very vague answer: maybe there would be one, maybe there wouldn't be...he wasn't really sure, since it was a Sunday. My intention had been to go cross-country skiing, but when I arrived at the ski center (which was little more than West Bend's Sunburst, aside from the incredible cordillera in the distance!), I realized they only had downhill skis. It was kind of pricey to ski, so I opted for a couple hours of raquetas, or snowshoes! I tromped around some trails on the top of the hill, and actually bumped into at least one alumno from the Polytechnic school! It is a small world in this part of South America. I also spotted an eagle on the top of the hill, which was rare and stunning. I showed my photo to the woman at the ticket office when I came back, and she told me I'd have good luck. As it turns out, she was actually la dueña of the ski place, and she wound up giving me a tour of her hotel, and also offering me a job! Tal vez. I asked her about the bus back, and she told me I could get a ride with Cervando, a man who was also heading back to Natales. While he skiied away the afternoon, I walked to Rio Turbio, which, I hate to say, was a pretty crappy and depressing town, home to an enormous coal mine, graffitti, and a lot of abandoned buildings. This side of the Andes has apparently not benefitted from any of the tourism that has been so good to Puerto Natales. I walked back through el Bosque de Duendes, or Woods of the Gnomes, to meet my ride back at the hill. The woods were very snowy, and the trail was lined with very unusual--sometimes very dark and obscure--wooden sculptures. Apparently, many people believe that gnomes do in fact live there! I could believe it. When I arrived back to meet Cervando, I realized that his pareja is actually Susana, the yoga teacher from Natales! We went to fill up their truck with Argentine gas before heading back home on a very nice ride.