Patagonia....and beyond

Bariloche is a sleepy ski town and the biggest city in the Lake district of Argentina. I think its the biggest city in Patagonia but do not quote me on that. It feels like I'm living in a giant postcard. This place is breathtaking.

Click it for info on Bariloche: http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bariloche

Click it for info on Patagonia: http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patagonia


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Ben, Billy, Garrett, and I took off from Mendoza at about 8 in the evening. The bus rides in Argentina are normally very pleasant. However, I think that once you hit the 20 hour mark things tend to take a turn for the worse. My first problem, is that my ass has been in extremely bad shape since the horse backing episode in Mendoza. Problem number two, is that we were supposed to arrive in Bariloche at 1:30 pm. Unfortunately, our bus decided to blow up. We had to sit around at a gas station in the middle of nowhere until a new bus arrived. Nonetheless, it was a monumental day. We can wear our first South American bus breakdown like a merit badge. According to the seasoned travellers that have been here for months, this is something we better get used to.





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In reference to the music that we have heard so far, See if you can picture this:

At 9:00 in the morning on the bus, most of the people were quietly relaxing or asleep. When, out of nowhere, the most outrageous video medley of all time appears on the TV screens with the volume at full blast. It was so loud you could not help but stare at this jaw dropping spectacle. It was not possible to concentrate on anything else. It woke every single sleeping person, including myself.

Here are some of the highlights from quite possibly the most disturbing/entertaining hour and a half of music I´ve ever experienced:

(All of these songs have an electric drum machine bed that unifies them into one glorious medley)

Forever Young
The Eagles, Hotel California
Love Hurts
Lady in Red is dancing with me, cheek to cheek....
I want to know what love is, and I want you to show me
The Bangles, Is this burning an Eternal Flame....
UB40, I can´t help falling in love with you
Toto, Africa
Bon Jovi, Living on a Prayer
Amedeus Amedeus
Roxette, She´s got the look
Phil Collins,I can feel coming in the air tonight
Please dont go
Starship, Nothings going to stop us now
Top Gun Theme Song, Take my Breath Away
Peter Gabrial, Sledgehammer
Tears for Fears, Shout
Boy George, Do you really want to hurt me
Men with Hats, Land down under
Olivia Newton John, Im Walking on Sunshine
Rod Stewert, If you want my body, and you think Im sexy
Inx, New Sensation
Ghostbusters Theme Song
Fine Young Cannibals, She drives me Crazy

This is the mix of 80s trash and "songs you wish you could here more" I mentioned in my last post. It was a true Argentinian musical experience...

click it for info on the music of the 80´s:
music:http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/80s_music#Acclaimed_Music_of_the_1980s

Sidenote: While sitting in the Internet cafe right now they are playing Starship "Nothings going to stop us now". I love this country!!!!

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The other day the Aussies (Ben and Billy), Garrett, an Englishman (Tom), an American from San Francisco (Grahm) and I hiked the Circuit around the biggest Lake in Bariloche. It was probably a 5 mile trek. We stopped for lunch on the side of the lake. The picture above is me writing in my journal at lunchtime. We also took a dip in the lake and the Aussies got naked again and took ridiculous pictures. Lets not confuse this with skinny dipping... No real gayness, just ridicoulousness. All pix were staged. They have a serious goal of taking naked pictures in every city they visit. Both Ben and Billy are sending the pictures home to all of their friends and family, including their Moms and Dads.

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Notes:

> I have been carrying around a giant man purse everywhere I have been for the last month. Its extremely enormous. Yesterday, I finally broke down and bought a smaller backpack. Simply put, the Aussies were making way too much fun of me and I could not take it anymore.

> We are taking a bus to El Calafate tonight at 8:00. Drum roll please.... 32 hours long. I am going to be finished my 1200 page book in no time. Garrett the Canadian is staying in Bariloche for a bit longer, then travelling back to B.A. I have decided to travel with Ben and Billy to El Calafate, then we will say our goodbyes. I would like to get over to Chile for a bit. The boys have to go south faster to catch a flight to Rio for Carnival. I am definately going to miss these crazy bastards. This first month of travelling has been everything I hoped for and more.

> My hair is in the beginnning stages of getting completely out of control and I am loving every second of it.

> Thanks for the comments and emails. My friend Melissa helped me immensely with this message. To convert to Fahrenheit simply follow the rule: "Double and Add 32."
Lets say it is 10 degrees... when doubled, becomes 20, then add 32, and the answer is 52 degrees Fahrenheit.

> Im sorry to hear its 7 degrees in Baltimore. Its colder in Patagonia then in the rest of Argentina. Today it was 60 degrees with high winds. The other days in Bariloche it has been around 80. I had to buy some warm weather gear for my travels south. I do not know if this makes you guys feel any better. I am trying though.

> Does anyone know how Skype works. I think I can call landlines over the computer for 1 cent a minute. Post replies in comments or email me.

> Internet service is getting spotty at best. As we move further south I am anticipating that it will get tougher and tougher to find reliable service. Nonetheless, I am going to do my best to keep the blog going strong. Its really supposed to suck in El Calafate. This blog is a lot of work, but it gives me a sense of purpose. It is something that I feel like "I have to do". Its pretty much the only thing that I have to do. It works well to counterbalance the "flying by the seat of my pants" lifestyle I am enjoying. For the most part, I just need to find a way to get into the Internet cafe for a few hours every few days. I would like to figure out who exactly is reading the blog. I am not exactly sure how to go about it. I guess send me an email to daveford88@gmail.com if you are checking it out. Or post a comment at the bottom of this blog if you have a free second. Thanks.