We are now in the North West of Argentina, in a small village called Tafi Del Valle. It is a barren and dry, yet starkly beautiful place in the Andean foothills. I´m still not sure whether it´s hot or cold (even Tash has sunburn, but jumpers are a necessity?)Nonetheless it is an amazing place. I have tried local beer (I knew Argentinians had made a name for themselves in the world of wine, but I was unaware they made ale! And good ale, too!), a local dish called locro, which can best be described as innards soup, and made Tash nearly vomit everywhere. We have climbed our first mountain, and we have been attacked by birds for straying too close to their nest. All this and we had no intention of ever coming here. How did this happen?
Well, as I have mentioned in other posts, we are not restricted by time, and at the moment the South of Argentina, where we intended to go, is ridiculously cold. So we decided to come to the North West, where it is ridiculously cold. Or hot. I don´t know. Nonetheless, my months of meticulous research has gone out of the window! However, the change to our plans has not in any way depressed or deterred me. In a way, it makes the whole trip seem more exciting, more of an adventure. I am reminded of the words of Ernesto "Che" Guevara in The Motorcycle Diaries;
"The trip was decided...and it never erred from the basic principle laid down in that moment - improvisation."
So, waiting for the South to warm up, we are wandering aimlessly, the road ahead snaking slowly towards Bolivia. The next stop is Cafayate, one of Argentina´s premier wine regions, and there is a festival there on Monday, which promises much dancing, drinking and merrymaking. And after that...who knows?
No comments:
Post a Comment