Jule in the Andes

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Hello!
Since i last wrote things here in Argentina have been beautifull, I love the west of the country very much. We spend a day more in Salta, and there we took a bike ride, where the streets turned to rivers! It was a really lovely place we stayed there and pitched out tent, but suddenly, we had to get moving...............further south to mendoza, where i would meet my good freind sophie and her new travel freind Alex. The trip to mendoza was odd, because, sitting on a bus 20 hours is......odd....... especially in argentina, especially when you wake up to see the andes to your right handside and feel like a little child so exicted or like your in a dream........ when the bus stopped at one of the stops i got out and just stared, i tried to wake pil up but she was really asleep! It turns out it didnt matter anyway..........they dont vanish, they just stay there, huge statues of earth looming into the clouds all the way down from Salta to mendoza......... the earth is like desert that runs up towards them , and the patterns in them reminds me of clouds, the way you can keep finding new shapes!

When we got to mendoza we were exhausted, id arrange to meet sophie by the toilets, to me it seemed logical, however, there were 8 toilets in the bus station so i went ot each one, only to come back and find them waiting with pil at the same one we had chosen! The first hour in mendoza we were hit by a huge thunder storm which seemed to rock the whole earth!! it wasnt just a thunderstorm but a hail storm........the hostel people thought we were a little odd as we ran outside to run in it!! The place we stayed was gorgeous, run by a man called Raoul and his family........ it was great to see sophie again even though we only had a day. She has an accordian and has become really good on it, so we played music together, made food, made art, and had a lovely time. THe next day we took our first trip into the andes and visited a bath house.............. you know the kidn where you go in different temparatures of water until your dizzy then throw yourself under the cold one at the end! so good! but i burnt really badly!
The rest of mendoza was very lazy, saying bye to sophie and alex, reading, playing a lot of guitar........... which is coming on really well at the moment, lots of new ideas coming still.

Two days ago, we came here to Uspallata , one of the last towns before getting to the border with Chile. here we are truly in the heart of the andes, anywhere you look on the horizon is beautifull........ huge huge mountains, with snow topped caps. We have rented bikes and cycled all around and today i cant wait , when it cools down we will go trekkign deep inside these beautiful acient wonders........... it is so still here, when you get close to them its like.......... all you can hear is rock, i dnt know how to explain it, not sound, just stilness and you can almost feel their magic. I think to take some time to mediate over the next few days next to a huge dragon face i have found naturally engraved into the rock!
After here............well.......... mendoza for a day, then i leave pil and spend two days in beunos aries with a friend i have spoke to for a few years over the internet.
Im very nervous and sad to leave here and leave pil! but at the same time, excited of what is next both for me...... and of course excited for pil and her solo voyage!
I think this will be the last you shall here from me until berlin
so to anyone who reads
happy chrismas, i hope its beautifull
much love
sam x

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Comments

[pollywotsit]

They are still there?
I'm so pleased to hear that the Andes didn't disappear whilst Pil was sleeping, bet the Argentinians were pleased about that too :) How is Sophie? Bet it was great meeting up like that. Hope your trip to Berlin is a good one; it's been great reading about your adventures in Argentina - let's hope India is just as amazing! Love Muvva Turnip xxx

[Barry]

Happy New year
Hi Sam, thanks for your blog of south america, its been a great read that puts all sorts of visions in your head from your descriptions. have a safe trip back.

[secret agent]

put some more photos up
hey sam. i im looking forward to wread more form the andof yellow and red dragons.. india. i love you