Heyho readers! How are you? Passing by to share another crazy adventure story, of when I almost got stuck in the middle of Patagonia with Sushi.
Remember when I write on my posts that the best way to learn about yourself and to become a stronger, more confident person, is by putting yourself into incredibly uncomfortable positions?
Well... I happen to do that a lot, sometimes without even wanting. Those moments that I think "What the heck am I doing?". This post I will talk about one of the many times I ended up almost stuck in the middle of nowhere.
Obs.: This story is part of a bigger journey that I plan to tell you one day. Since it would be incredibly long I've decided to release parts of it, featuring the most crazy bits. It'll not follow an order of events, but I'll put it in a way that you can read as parts of a book. Hope you enjoy.
This happened when I was hitchhiking Argentina and Chile in summer 2017. Carrying only the essentials and little money for the journey. I had left Buenos Aires in early January with the main goal to reach Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the americas. Plan was plain an simple: Work if needed, camp, hitchhike all the way, have loads of fun and let my desire guide the way.
From the start untill January 26th I had travelled more then 4.000 km without spending a single dollar on transport, I was confident and super happy about the hospitality in Argentina and Chile, to be honest, I though it had been too easy to hitchhike so far. Only if I knew what was waiting for me...
After spending days in El Chaltén exploring mountains and living in the woods my food supply had started to shrink, my money had long gone and I needed to find a solution, either a job or hit the road. That's one of the moments in life where you need to do something, otherwise you'll panic, that's when you learn to take control over your life, you simply must!
El Chaltén, for the matter of information, is a small hamlet in southern Argentina at the base of famous climbing peaks Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. For that reason, the city hosts during the summer more backpackers than the population itself. Can you imagine tons of broken and stinky backpackers all over the place? It sure is amazing however, during high season it becomes a bit of a nightmare to hitch a ride.
It was a typical cold and windy morning that day when Cyril (my french friend) and I placed ourselves along the road to try to hitchhike out of El Chaltén, we both wanted to go north so we joined our forces. The thing about hitchhiking is being the first in line, there's an unoficial rule between backpackers estipulating order on the road, that day it wasn't different. Many backpackers trying to hitch a ride organized in order of arrival, I knew it was going to be difficult, didn't know it was going to be impossible.
Being by the road on a really strong wind watching cars pass by, with no money and hungry like a lion, can be really tough but you got to be patient. That's key, patience and perseverance! In my case I had no option but waiting.
One hour... nothing. Two hours... nothing. Three? Yes!... nothing. I was starting to become bored. Little to no cars and the ones passing were not willing to take some stinky backpackers. I had to do something.
- Cyril, I'm bored... - I said to my friend.
- Yeah, but gotta wait! - He replied.
- Let's do this... I'll walk further on the road to distract my mind. If you catch a ride take me on the way - I said.
- Ok, if you want... - He said.
And that's what I did; I put my backpack and started walking, just for the matter of walking... Wind was strong and sometimes would almost make me trip. If Cyril found a ride he would take me, or I'd continue walking. Afterall isn't that how ancient people traveled? Miles and miles of walking.
I may have walked 15 km and nothing of my friend "god dammit, where's Cyril" - I though. My belly started to sound like a bear waking up from its winter nap, I was hungry like a frozen Mammoth that came back to life and the wind was incredibly strong to start my stove. "Bloody hell, why have I walked? Now it's too far to go back you stupid" - I was thinking. Surrounding me there was nothing but farms and that long straight asphalted road. The nearest house was a couple more kilometers, a farm house. "Maybe I could go there and ask for help" - I thought.
But I'm to hard head to stop now, so I kept going. Until it got worse, rain was coming from the distance and I was on open terrain.
When I had no more options I've spotted something strange, it was some concrete structure before a ditch. I slipped down there and it was a really cool tunnel passing below the road.
- Good! Best place to cook something, protected from the wind - I thought.
I had never imagined that in my life I'd be happy to cook inside a tunnel below a road, that place felt like heaven. Protected from wind, plenty of space and no one to annoy me. Life couldn't be more simple, I was trully enjoying myself without any interference, I was happy to be there!
- Thi is perfect. I could even sleep here if needed! - I though
My bunker
While cooking my rice I could see, from below the ditch, the sky getting darker and rain coming my way. I could smell wet gravel. At least I was protected, I still wanted a ride, but if rain really picked up I could just enter the tunnel.
It came! Strong drops hiting the floor.
- Dammit! Now no one will pick me up. - I cursed.
But I was still confident! I thought of a crazy hithhiking strategy: I've put by the road my backpack with the rain cover on, a yellow super flashy cover to draw attention. From the tunnel, protected from the rain, I'd wait for the cars, at any glance of lights I'd run out of my protection, try to hitch the ride and come back when failed.
It failed a lot! But the beauty of hitching a ride is that you only need on 'yes' to be succeful. And I was! The red lights turned on, the van had stopped.
- Run you bastard. - I said to myself.
- Jump in man! - The driver said.
- I'm wet! - I replied.
- No problem! Jump in. - He said.
I did it! Finally a ride... Hector and Valéria were coming back from Chaltén, where they had dropped some Korean tourists. With their mini van empty they decided to lift me. Awesome!
- Where are you going? - Hector asked.
- Ruta 40, north. - I said.
- Well... we are going south. But we can leave you on the crossroad, 90 km from here. - Hector replied.
- Perfect. I just hope the rain stops. From there I try again. - I said.
- It'll stop, don't worry. - Hector said.
- Hey Arthur... are you hungry? We have this Sushi, the box is closed, untouched. - Valéria said.
Sushi? I had never tried Sushi in my life. To be honest, I've had the opportunity to try it many times back at home, but it never caught my eyes. But now I was travelling and always hungry, of course I accepted, right?
- If you're not going to eat, then I'd love to keep it. - I said.
So we continued, talking and drinking 'Mate' until they've dropped me on the crossroad, where the road to Chaltén meets the main road "Ruta 40", the last one cuts Argentina from south to north and tha'ts the road I needed to continue my venture up north.
There I was again trying to hitch a ride, backpack on the road and a box of sushi. On a radius of many, many, kilometers: Nothing. Rain had stopped. I was in the middle of a complete desolation of the great argentinian steppe, no farms, no cars, nothing. My only companies were the wild Ostrich (Choiques).
Choique (Ostrich)
Argentinien Steppe
What would you do in a situation like that? I've tryed my best to get out of that place, hours were passing by fast; I've taken pictures, I've danced by the road I've even invented a game of throwing rocks as near as possible to the white line on the road. No cars coming.
After many hours on the road I was feeling tired.
- Ok, i'll try until 8 pm. If I don't find a car I call it a day. - I thought.
Eight PM, nothing!
Near me another ditch with a tunnel, it was a small shallow and dry ditch, hence protected from the wind. It had signs of other backpackers passing by there; wine bottles and some cans inside the tunnel. I prepared my tent, sleeping bag and entered my 'house', I had the brand new Sushi box. Ready for an incredible night by the road in the middle of nowhere.
- Ahh, Let's try this Sushi thing - I though. I opened the small package with a green sauce, grabbed a Sushi and covered it all with that green thing.
- Hmm tastes good. - I thought. Five seconds later... Bloody freaking holy mother of Christ, have mercy of my soul! It was spicy. Dude I'll tell you, my face melted. Weather was cold, yet I was feeling as hot as a volcano.
That crazy green demon I've discovered later is called Wasabi, one hell of a spicy sauce!
After that, not so good, experience I've slept very well by the road. The other day I finally found a ride on a Police car. But that I'll tell in another post!
As for my friend? I've never seen him again. Exchanging e-mails later he told me that he gave up and took a bus.
I'll remember it for the rest of my life. The day I've tasted Sushi in the middle of Patagonia.
~Love ya all, Arthur.
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I'm Arthur. I blog about Brazil, Adventure Stories, Travel, Camping & Life Experiences.
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