Time flies and I’m already back in Buenos Aires. I was absolutely stunned by the landscapes, the different colours of rocks, and particularly the people.
I took too many photos, I have climbed a little, I cycled against the wind in amazing landscapes, I have been cold, I saw a sprinkle of snow, I have been hot, I have absorbed dust, I have been over 4’000 metre-passes, I had slight headaches, I did not chew coca leaves, I forgot my magic lipcare in Buenos Aires and kind of survived with anti-wrinkle Vitamine A cream until today, I am totally fed-up of unpaved roads,
I have been to a wonderful remote village so so far away, I have been I don’t know how many times to a stream at 3’500 metres high stranded in the middle of nowhere at 5 p.m. with a plastic bottle to fe-fill and coolen a hot and leaking car, a school class asked me in a Park for my opinion (in Spanish of course) about the arrival of the Argentine Spring I will unfortunately, unfortunately, unfortunately not see, one kid managed to give me the name of the fifth and smallest country bordering Switzerland (we visibly had something in common…),
I have eaten excellent empanadas, I have had to eat mixed cheese and jam, I have taken care not to break my bones on mountain village pavements washed by ladies in the morning when the temperature is still below freezing point, I have seen huge cemeteries for tiny mountain villages, and definitely understood that space was not an issue here, I have been explained Argentine economics, why dollarisation is not a good idea and why Ecuador will be in a mess in the next few years,
I met very nice Swiss people, I met an extraordinarily nice Argentine family (and all the relatives), I was invited at their small appartment for my first night, I was guided around for the best places to go out, I was invited again, I watched Argentina draw against Chile with a terrible reception, I was invited to the Shopping Mall, and was invited again last night for an Asado, I had great discussions, I discovered local dance styles such as Chacarera or Quartet, I did not dance any Salsa can you imagine,
I got up very early quite a few mornings, and went to bed late a few mornings too.
I shed a tear when getting back to bed early this morning, thinking of all these great moments, and didn’t sleep much. I got up early this morning to catch my flight.
To sum up, and you will have understood, I did not have much time, despite the free internet access at the nice hostel I stayed at in Salta, to sit in front of a computer and write some posts!
I guess I’ve forgotten to mention quite a few things but I’m looking forward to telling you the whole story when I get back.
By the way, I hope I’ll manage to import and distribute in Switzerland a sprinkle of this wonderful Argentine attitude, welcome and warmth I have witnessed. More invitations, less preparation, less planning, and more so many other things.
On Sunday I’m off to the Valdes Peninsula, in Northern Patagonia, to say hello to a few whales and other penguins. I’ll then be back in Buenos Aires on Thursday night.
In less than 2 weeks I’m back in Switzerland. Time flies and I’d like to find a way to stop it.
