I came over the boarder from Chile through a real little resort area... It was very nice and I can see why the locals take vacations here, but to me it was just another touristy region... lots of little hotels and resortlets and spas etc....blah blah blah!
But the boarder area is a national park, and I liked that much more :) It had very few people on the roads (holiday season is over now) and there were lovely views of the volcanoes and Arucaria pines. Most people call them "Monkey Puzzle Trees" because the branches are covered in the sharp pointed leaves that a monkey would not be able to hold onto to climb... hence the puzzle aspect. They have an "unusual" appearance when they are young trees and I think thats why most people plant them in gardens. But I prefer the shape of the adult trees. There were quite a few stands of these at the pass between Chile and Argentina... They looked like little family groupings :)
And then it was over the other side and back into the arid stepp of Argentina.
Actually, its now getting much warmer and much less windy as I head North (did I mention that already), and wonder of wonders, its actually quite pleasant riding!
Ive been struggling away with bad gravel roads, cold air, and insane winds for almost a month now and Id kinda forgotten about the "pleasure of riding"... But its starting to come back to me :))
Anyway, it had been another fairly long day with its share of really rough rippio as well as a good amount of pavement.
I had a meal of sorts in a descent sized town at about 7pm and now as I rode out of town, it was time to find a place to camp.
It doesnt take too long to spot a likely place... There is a little building about 50m back from the road, and there is no gate or fence and it looks unoccupied. Perfect, some shelter from the wind and not too much highway noise etc. I drive on in, case the place.. yep looks empty - padlocked door), and then park the bike and set up my little tent just as the sun goes down behind the mountains :)
All is normal and well till about 10:30pm when a pick-up truck pulls off the highway and heads in toward the little house... Bugger... I wonder what little gem of an experience life has in store for me with this?
Chances are Ill have to do some explaining and ask if I can stay... and probably have to move on, but maybe not... We shall see!
Sure enough, the truck pulls up and people get out and come look at the bike... Actually, quite a lot of people seem to be appearing... But, I now have to say hello and take it from there... So, I stick my head out of the tent and say hi, and start in on the apology etc... And the people acknowledge me ... But, they seem to give me and the bike about 10 seconds of their attention and then go back to what they are doing?
I dont push it, I just sit there and wait for a bit.
... And there are lots and lots of them... Id guess about a dozen or more people got out of the one pick-up truck!
I stay in my tent, but I deduce the presence of about 4-5 adult men (say 25-50yo), a similar number of adult women, one older "grandfather" (say 60-80yo), at least one baby, and there are also several adolescent girls (say 12-20yo) and at least a couple of boys of similar age - All from that one vehicle!
But, they are leaving me alone and doing there thing... So, I guess that means I can stay??
I am not disturbed any further and the group of people settle into what seems like a low-key get-together of a few families and friends.. I hear the opening of bottles of beer and the chatting and laughing... And after about 15 minutes someone starts up with a guitar and someone else starts singing... And then the others start to sing along.
Its not too loud so Im fine with that (not that Id have any say since its clearly their land) and the guitar player seems pretty reasonable with his chords... But, the singer is another story!... Shes got one of those really quite nasal voices and she sings almost completely out of tune :)
... But, actually, it kinda grows on you... They are singing songs that are sort of ballads and a bit melancholic, and it suits the voice... And the other off key voices and background conversations and laughter and sing-along... And they have a good large repertoire (I dont think I heard a single repeated song the whole night!)
... It all seems to be a good time :)))
... And so it goes for about the next three hours till about 1am.
At which time I hear someone open the pick-up door and then I hear some words from the grandfather and then others start talking and it gets more interesting... And before you can say "inappropriate liaison", there's all sorts of activity and the singing and music has stopped, and every one is talking fast and loud... And there seem to be two main groups... Its the women grouped inside the house and I can hear one of them sobbing, and the men are outside and quite near the tent, so I concentrate on them more...
One of them is clearly angry though not yet belligerent as he paces around... And there are at least three other men telling him to "calm down" and talking loudly and very quickly and everyone is talking over the top of everyone else, so I really cant tell at all what anyone is saying... And I dont really have any idea what is happening.
But, things dont seem to escalate... The talking and the sobbing and the pacing and the "whole show" seems to continue this way for about 15 minutes... But its calming down a bit.. I stay put in my tent and listen but I dont manage to hear any details or figure out what it is other than that the grandfather keeps saying "I just went to go get some sleep and..." (I cant make out the rest).
After about another 15 minutes, the guitar starts up again, and then the singing and things resume more or less as per before...
From inside my tent I hear the occasional passings-by of people going out the back to relieve themselves, and there are a couple of people who come outside to the quiet to make phone calls, and then there is someone who goes and quietly vomits in the bushes.. You know, pretty normal party stuff... :))
And I nod-off, and wake, and stop paying attention... And eventually it seems that they are all done, and from my almost asleep state I hear the pick-up load up and all the people hop in and it drives back toward the town (3am?)...
... and then I sleep...
I sleep-in a bit late the next morning, but then Im up and I pack and there is virtually no evidence that either I or the "horde" of locals were ever there at all when I ride off in the other direction.
So, I dont really have any solid idea of what the "big issue" was...
Id guess someone was "getting intimate" with someone who they should not have been!.. Dont know if it was between the adults or the adolescents, or a mixture! But, they seemed to sort it out in a very public manner with lots of public wailing and everybody getting involved, and everybody having their say, and then letting it cool more or less immediately and getting back on with things as per normal... How Latin! :)))
I think its called "shame culture" by the sociologists where the motivation for not doing "bad things" is the "shame" incurred by all ones friends and relations etc knowing about it - just as was done here.
... Not at all like the "guilt culture" of the "Anglo's" where these sort of events are immediately hushed up and discussions happen privately and behind closed doors. And the motivation for not doing "bad things" is more motivated by ones own "guilt" of the consequences... Or so I was once told :))
But, it was kinda fun, laying there quietly in my tent and having the privilege of listening to the community having a good social time, and then sorting out their issue, and then getting over it and getting back to what they were doing...
After the first hello, I was not disturbed or involved at all...
"A fly on the wall" :))
