On Monday we undertook our first mammoth bus journey, from Buenos Aires to Tafi del Valle. The length, about 1000 miles. The time. About 20 hours. It was the first of many bus jorneys we will take across the continent, and had good, bad and ugly points.
The Good - Seeing a gaucho galloping on horseback across an open plain, or eagles soaring overhead. About 15 hours in something began to loom on the horizon, like an immense black shadow; the Andes. As we approached, they grew bigger and bigger until suddenly we were winding slowly up a precipitous road through sub tropical forest, with every bend bringing treacherous drops, and spectacular views.
The Bad - At times the scenery on the drive from BA to the mountains became so repetitive it felt like I was trapped in a ´50s cartoon like The Flintstones. It seemed we weren´t making any progress, and I´m amazed the driver stayed awake.
But, the worst thing about the journey was the haunting amount of roadside crosses, placed in memory of those who have died on these routes. As we approached the Andes, we passed these crosses more often. The number is staggering, over the years probably amounting to the number of casualties in a small war, and it is a stark reminder of the perils of daily travel in these parts, and the sheer power of the mountains.
The Ugly - The depressing amount of litter strewn by the side of the road near some settlements; plastic bags hanging off cacti, coke bottles everywhere, permanently tainting the landscape.
All in all though, the good far outweighed the bad, and it was an exhilerating journey. Hopefully the first of many.
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