10 January 2011

Last night I couldn’t sleep because someone in the dorm was snoring like a bear. Earplugs and my iPod didn’t help drown out the noise. I went to go sleep in the common area but there was a German family spread about all over the couches asleep so I returned to my dorm to try and sleep amongst the snores. It didn’t work so I returned to the common area and the family was gone. The clerk woke me up a few minutes later and I ended up switching rooms. Good riddance. Someones shoes were also stinking up the place.

Despite arriving at the tire shop early and being first in line I was seen third. The other three barged into the garage while I had gone to the inside counter. I wasn’t so happy with that but in the end it didn’t matter. I have plenty of time and shouldn’t always be in a rush. There was a thirty minute wait in line to use the ATM.

I picked up a French couple on the way to the Perito Moreno Glacier. I ended up parking next to the RV of the French family touring South America. The three of us walked around the lookout paths around the glacier before they split to see if they could get a boat to get closer.

Perito Moreno Glacier is very impressive. Small chunks peel off like onion layers and drop with a thunderous crash into the lake. The echo makes each icefall sound epic. We saw one large chunk topple with a deafening shot and loud splash. The glacier recedes into the horizon and deep within the mountain valleys.

I saw a beat up hippie van with California plates and I felt 100% better about my car. On the way out of the park I gave two young guys a lift back to El Calafate. They were Israeli.

Hippie van with California plates

The RV of the French family I first met on the Antarctic cruise

The three guys I picked up leaving El Calafate were also Israeli. I had wanted to drive as far as I could towards Bariloche up Route 40 but instead we all went to El Chalten. I dropped them off on a curb and turned around and saw Jordan.

On the road to El Chalten

The tip of Mt. Fitz Roy can be seen from El Chalten

I suggested we could ride together to Bariloche. He already bought a bus ticket to El Bolson. In El Bolson. there is a farm where all the Israelis go to kickback and rest from all their running around and traveling. There were no rooms at Jordan’s hostel so I tried two more but they also were booked. Jordan had told me to come see him when I had found a room but I couldn’t find anything so I was going to leave. But I saw him walking towards the bus station and I knew I had to turn around. He was trying to get a refund on his ticket. He also wanted a girl, Tal, to come along. That was fine with me.

He was not able to get a refund because he had paid with a credit card. So the clerk said she would offer the ticket to whoever needed a ticket to El Bolson and give Jordan the money.

I told him I could not find a room so he took me to a shambly nondescript building that turned out to be a hostel and it had a bed available. It seemed like the kind of place where you just have to be in the know to be privy to its existence. A friend of ours, Maayan, who was also on the Antarctic cruise and also an Israeli, had stayed there last night and reported that everyone left this morning.

Then we went back to Jordan’s hostel to play cards and cook dinner. Everyone there was Israeli. The Israelis are everywhere here and they all congregate in the same places together. Every Israeli goes backpacking in South America after they finish their two years of military service. I believe there is a large body of knowledge shared amongst Israeli backpackers on the web and that is why they are always in the same spots. It might make traveling cheap but I think it also cheapens the journey to do what everyone else is doing, going to the same places. Even though I am not unique I value my own experiences. I don’t want to follow the trail of a thousand other backpackers.

This guy took out his nylon guitar and I jokingly told him I had a real guitar in my car if he wanted to play it. When he learned it was a Martin acoustic he got wide-eyed and eager. He played the blues and relaxing classical-like music. He was good. Then we jammed together trading licks and solos and rhythms. He’s a fan of Andy Mckee so I recommended a few other acoustic innovators.

Tal came back form the bus station. She was able to refund her ticket but at a cost of 130 pesos. She wasn’t sure what to do because Jordan hadn’t sold his ticket yet.

Dinner was ravioli and gnocchi and garlic cheese bread. Jordan and Tal went out again afterwards to the bus station. Tal refunded her ticket even though Jordan still had not sold his. During the dinner conversation one of the girls revealed that she had worked in Tyler, TX at a mall kiosk selling Dead Sea beauty products. “Christmas is a time to make a lot of money”, she said. I think I understand how mall kiosks operate now. Bringing in fresh recruits from Israel to staff the kiosks and hawk beauty products. What a racket.

We all had ice cream and played cards. Tal ran out to find someone to buy Jordan’s ticket. She found a buyer but it's complicated and not guaranteed. He’s going to change the ticket to an open ticket and a hostel says they might buy it. Bottom line is tomorrow Jordan and Tal are traveling with me.