I'm Going Down South

I'm about to leave Bariloche.

Tomorrow at 12 noon I hop a bus to El Calafate. 28 hours later I will arrive in El Calafate. I got a ticket that's not exactly first class, not exactly coach. Let's just say it doesn't come with food, but I will be able to recline a little.

28 hours through the Patagonia. 28 hours of the closest thing on Earth to Absolutely Nothing.

I'm bringing lots of books - even, against my best hiker's instict, an iPod. I know I am going to thank myself for that.

If you look on a map, the sheer southern-ness of Calafate might surprise you. I will be farther south than South Africa, farther south than Australia, even - if my calculations are correct - 250 miles farther South than the southernmost tip of New Zealand.

As great American poet Tom Petty once wrote, "I'm headed way down South/ Gonna impress all the women/ Pretend I'm Samuel Clemens/ Wear seersucker and white linens." I know, that has nothing to do with what I am going to do. It's about another South. I was just proud to remember a lyric that halfway applied, at least in direction.

Eventually I'll make it all the way to Puerto Natales, Chile, then on to Torres Del Paine National Park, home of one of the awesomests hikes in the world, which I am going to do.

I'm prepared for some great trekking. I've recently been collecting necessary gear to get ready to be outdoors for a while. I met an Israeli traveler named Daniel downtown one day who sold me his tent that he couldn't take with him. Today I bought a little camp stove. So I'm all set to take on the harsh nature of the Patagonia. (We've met before, but I'd like to get to know her a little better.)

Wish me luck! Talk to you all soon.




And check out this cool picture. It's from a while ago, but I thought I'd put a picture on here. Thats me playing guitar on the beach where we were camping. The stars are spinning because it was like a 15 minute exposure on the camera. It was pitch black, with the light from our fire in the corner. It's not edited - the long white light is from a headlamp when our gaucho bud Andres forgot about the camera and walked past. Turned out cool anyway.