Dirt roads that sparkle

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What I first took for broken glass buried in the dusty road, turned out to be mica, loads of it. In the unrelenting midday sun, in this small, town, the dirt streets sparkle as though littered with jem stones.

Its sunday, and many kids are outside. I can hear them now while sitting in this room, which lets out into the street, typing at the computer. When I went for a walk earliers, I saw girls playing field hockey next to the church, boys playing soccer in the street, and teenagers playing pool in the only place open at this time of day. Today truely feels restful, and at the same time, extrodinarily fun and active. They way leisure time ought always to be.

I stayed in this small town because I didnt want to have yet another earlier morning. I had left yesterday to catch the bus at 7 am. Also, as fortune would have it, I have found this wonderful little hostel which costs only 8 pesos a, night, or rather, less than $3. I was going to ride a bike today, or maybe see if I could take a horse ride, but at noon everything was closed. Or maybe it had always been closed, given that it is a sunday. Either way, there was nothing to do but wonder the streets.

The heat here is so perfect. Its not humid in the least and a slight breeze keeps things moving. The air stays cool, while the warmth of the sun penetrates your bones. I could lay forever in this sunshine, and I have done quite a bit of that today, while reading pride and prejudice. There is not a cloud in the blue sky to obscure the sun in the least.

I dont know how else to describe this particular little town. Today I stopped and looked at someones personal house. The front entrance way had no door but only a cloth, blowing in the wind. In a car port, made of tree trunks, well worn into a sheen, and a tin roof, stod a well kept and oiled, but otherwise dusty and rusty 70s chevy car. Actually, it would very cool... if only it were taken care of a bit more. On one of the tree trunks were hund a couple of bird cages, and intrestingly colored, but small song birds, flittered inside. Below them hung the things of horse riding: some stirrups, a bit, and things I cant identify. The whole thing was surrounded by a fence made of sticks, cut to an even hieght, and wire. The front patio was swept perfectly clean. I can hear a mule making mule noises. I can hear chickens.

At another place, things are a little more wealthy, but like the first, an outdated car, a green beetle, sits out front. An arbor covers the patio. On it are growing grapes. (Ill have to go to a winery. More than 70% of Argentinas wine, and this is a country known for wine, is grown in this area. ) In a large garden near by, its hard to tell what is growning because it is early in the year, but I can see well tended rose bushed and irises, alongside things that will definitly become vegetables. Unlike the last house which was a practical white, this one is a festive mint green color.

I also saw the local cemetary today. LIke recoleta, they are not like our cemetaries at all. People are kept above ground in small chambers. The cemetary was all white, and light blue, and black. There were plenty of fake flowers for the deceased, and these manyly came in the shades of fuscia and yellow.
In the back of all of this rise green and blue foothills, precursors to the Andes, which I am slowing sneaking up on.

Its all so simple, I cant imagine a place that would make me happier.

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Photos

Walking about
This was infront of one of three resteraunts in the entire town. It was two days until I realized that two of the places had the same name.

The hostel
quaint, isn´t it?

See...
the satelite dish? See the donkey?