Choices

I chose to skip El Chatlen and Torres del Paine.  It was a hard decision and I agonized over it before booking my return flight north. These are the iconic treks of Chile and Argentina.  Here in El Calafate, there are a lot of people who are either coming from or going to Torres Del Paine, and they are forever swapping stories.  They rave about the high you get from trekking through such barren, stark beauty.  They gush about how it's so different from anything you've ever seen before - like a place on another planet.  They describe the punishing conditions - incessant wind, snow and rain at all times of the year - that push you to the brink of your physical limits. And these are all fine things.  But they weren't for me. 

But I like hiking to lakes I can swim in.  I like landscapes that have green in them.  I don't need to prove anything to myself so the 10 hour per day, 5 day hike simply called "The W" does not appeal to me like it seems to appeal to the rest of the world. 

So I am skipping these iconic places, for better or worse, to spend more time in the region of the world I find the most beautiful.  I feel a little re-affirmed that the Argentinians feel the same way.  There are a ton of Argentinians from Buenos Aires and Cordoba that could have gone anywhere in their country, and chose to skip El Chatlen and Torres del Paine to come to the Lake Region.

I also skipped the famous hikes because I have yet to have time alone on this trip, and all reports say that you pass people almost every 10 minutes on these treks.  I set out 6 months ago nervous about what I would do with all this time by myself.  But you are never alone when you travel.  I have met people at both hostels and hotels, on the trail while hiking and at bus stops.  I even met a guy just walking down the streets of Mendoza.  When you travel solo, you are simply open to meeting people than you would pass up if you were inside your own bubble of friends and family.  I discussed this at length with the girl I befriended in El Calafate and the next one I befriended in Bariloche.  All 3 of us are solo travelers.  All 3 of us were struggling to find time for trip planning and relaxation because we keep meeting fun people and having amazing experiences [like glacier treking].  I've discussed this with travelers on every continent I've visited in the last 6 months and it's always the same.  You are never alone when you travel alone.  Some of your newfound acquaintances end up just keeping you company for a meal, but some end up being delightful companions with stories and perspectives that change your view of the world forever.  

So . . . I am sitting here now with exactly 2 weeks left to go and I'm worried that I haven't had time for the soul searching I intended. It hasn't helped that I've spent almost every down moment going through pictures or catching up on the blog.  (Close readers may have noticed my blog actually gets more thoughtful when I have time to think.). So I'm going to try to force the issue.  I am going to intentionally stay at places without shared common areas and I'm going to start turning down invitations to join for dinner.  Not every day, but at least a few of the next 14.  We'll see how this choice turns out.