story time

so much has happened in the past ... i dont know how much time (i told u i dont count). last post was written in Mendoza ... gee, i lived a whole lifetime since then! so what have we got?
San Juan - Julia, the chick i shared my wiking with, and I had a heck of a time. We went to a nature maseum, where the old lady told us that all the stuffed animals are her husband´s private collection, and that sometimes he stuffs humans too, for private orders, but he doesnt put them in the museum... also she didnt like San Juan because it´s so dusty. one moment you´re wiping the dust off and the next one it´s all covered with this thin powdre again. what a terrible life indeed, especially when u have to dust all the crap your husband collects. after we´d gotten closer julia confessed that she´s muslim and the reason that she never wants to eat out is that we´re in the middle of the Ramadan. she was really strict about not eating and not drinking all day, even in the dusty and arid San Juan.
Valle Fertil - after an exhausting bus ride we finally got ... to the middle of nowhere, populated by 3,000 people all in all. the french in the hostel persistently spoke french, which really brough me down. so predominantly out of boredom i followed Pablo to the backyard to watch the moon and the stars and to listen to his story, a common story of a common guy who failed his studies and would never leave this village because the expenses there are so low. i had to wait until the end of his shift to get a good night kiss. not a very good kiss, but i didnt have anything better to do anyway. and it´s part of the culture.
the next day, which was the reason for this whole sketchy enterprise, we took a proper touristy excursion to the national parks of Ischigualastu (Valle of the Moon) and Talampaya. the landscape was absolutely stunning, but the one thing i learned was to never try to be a proper tourist again... (and this will surve an explanation for why now i am spending time in the poorest neighbourhoods in town, and generally places which are far out of the Lonely Planet scope). this van-riding-picture-taking-money-making industry is not for me.
back in San Juan, spend the whole evening looking for a decent dinner for poor Julia for whom the night eating turned to be the only joy. bars and cafes dont surve food, and no one else surves food either until 9 p.m. that´s the main drawback of non-toursity places - you have to live by the local rules, which means you cant consume anything during the 4-5 hours of siesta, u cant have dinner until 10-11 p.m., you have to eat pizza with knive and fork, and you cant lick your fingers. and you share. you have to share everything. if you become really greedy, an decide that no matter what, but today you just want to have your lunch for yourself alone, some one else will be cooking and you end up beeing invited to his lunch. and if you go out and you decide that you dont want to get drunk today and you´re not purchasing any drinks, by the end of the night, u will surely be as drunk as ever because you cant refuse all the Quilmes that´s being passed in rounds all night long. you just can´t deny being part of the community.
also i figured out that Julia was a 28 years old doctor from London traveling on her own, wearing colorful mini skirts and flip flops, and delightfully waisting the night out with her 22 year old brittish compatriots in bars and clubs. it´s really nice to not ask people what they do back home, and just be their friends for whatever they are...
Tucuman - as always, the time has come and Julia and I had to part, and it was difficult as ever. i develop this pattern of traveling with someone for 3-4 days, enjoying security and support, and then when needing to separate again (and i always separate because i seem to be the only one oblivious of time - other people seem to alwas need to go when i still want to stay) i feel like my heart gets broken over and over again and i´m overwhelmed by sudden loneliness... thats the hardest part i guess. but i think i learned to control it lately, traveling for a while now i aquired a certain measure of security knowing that i will never realy stay alone for a long time. also spanish helps a lot. low tourism season doesnt.
so Julia has gone, and im in the middle of Tucuman, almost 40 degrees during siesta time (but u´re not supposed to know about it cause u should be sleeping). didnt like it so much there. also got dehydrated from walking down a mountain without water. pot and beer with dehydration made me blackout in the middle of the dinner, so i officially say no to drugs now.
Tafi del Valle - was next on the road. spent absolutely lovely 5 days surrounded by mountains, horses and tourists. my spirits went high up
Quilmes - is the argentinian national beer. after experimenting with others it turned to be the only one i can stand, and in fact consume it in unlimmited amounts. but only this one. besides Quilmes was an indian tribe that lived in the region until the crazy Españoles came and cut thir water supply so they all dried out. the ruins are quite impressive.
Cafayate - is all about the 7 color mountains. to experience it properly my new argentinian friends and i decided to camp out. on our way to the bus terminal, right in the main plaza - whom do i see right in front of me ?! its my norwegian friend again! heading for the same camping spot! a rather surreal encounter. camping was fun. his norwegian friends gut abnoxiously drunk and kept giggling and talking norwegian all night. but we still had a good time. and at least i finally used my sleeping mattress that i keep dragging around with me.
Cachi - the first in the series of the tiny northern villages i'm about to spend a long time at...