Bobby Digital

Buenos Dias peoples. 

So the rest of Salta was pretty awesome. It felt really awesome to be back in a big city meaning i really fucking miss NY.  I feel the curse word is necessary for that sentence. We didn’t do many touristy things there - For example, I asked the woman at the hostel for the most un-touristy thing we can do. She says that she goes to a river with her friend to hang out. It´s an hour on the bus. A girl from buenos aires that we met in the hostel came with us. Before hand we ate at this awesome Market that no tourists were at and the food was really cheap and delicious. Empanadas are so delicious. Anyway, we get to this supposedly awesome river and there is NO WATER in the river. Its just a bunch of rocks. It kind of sucked but i had fun jumping on rocks like a 5 year old. At night we did the coolest thing. They have something called Peña´s, which is a restaurant that guitarists come to your table and play folklore songs and if you´re Argentinian, then you know the words. We didn’t, so we sat and watched. It was so awesome.

Two brothers who we met there showed us pictures of this town, Cafayate, and its amazing landscape. We decided to go there before Tucuman. This was a good and bad idea. The second we got there we booked a tour for the next day to go visit the Quebrada. After we booked the tour, we went to a free wine tour and tasting. There were a lot of wineries here. We bought a bottle of delicious cabernet. So that night was probably one of the worst nights of my entire life. 1. I was so effing hot, sweating non-stop. So why not just sleep on top of the covers, Robert? Because I was being attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes. Any exposed skin was attacked. I have over 20 bites on my body. Joey too. The other girl in our room, 0! I don´t understand. I was freaking out the whole night and we probably only got 1 hour of sleep. We woke up and hated our lives a little bit. So this tour we booked was not until the afternoon, so we rented bikes in the morning to visit the waterfalls of the Colorado River aka Cascadas del Rio Colorado.

When we got our bikes, two stray dogs followed us all the way there. It was a dirt road, all slightly uphill, and desert hot. Very dry and no clouds at the time. The two new friends were a small mutt that looked like some sort of terrier, and a german shepherd. When we got to the beginning of the hike, you leave your bike and pay the locals to watch it. They ask if you want a guide - but we said no. We wanted to do it on our own. Well it turns out, the trail is not that visible. You have to know where you are going. But did we get lost? No. Why? Because the damn stray dogs that followed us knew the entire trial! They showed us where to cross the river, where to climb rocks, where to sneak in between bushes! It was awesome. This little terrier knew every pass. We named her Guia (guide in spanish) She would lead the way. The german shepherd stayed behind is and would not pass. She was watching our backs. All of the sudden, both dogs dash past us and we hear barking. We walk through the bushes and there is a wild horse there in the path! These dogs scared it away! The same with Goats! We called the german sherpherd Angel, like our guardian angel. Not only was that awesome, but the canyon was so cool. We were at the bottom of this red canyon with awesome plant-life and a cool ass river we kept crossing by hopping on rocks. When we got to the waterfall, it was very steep and we had to do some cliffhanger type shit. The german shepherd couldn’t make it down the steep wall, so it sat on top of a huge rock and watched us the whole time. The waterfalls were the first 2 of 7. We didn’t have time to keep on going so we chilled there. Not another person in site. Just the sun, rocks, and running water. It was very zen. 

When we headed back, we passed all the other tourists and were so happy we woke up early and beat the crowd. We bought more delicious empanadas and a bottle of water and downed both. The ride back, which we thought was going to be difficult, was effing awesome. We pedaled once and it was all downhill. But just ever so slightly that you couldn’t tell it was downhill, as if someone was pushing us down. We got to the city and chilled in the plaza until our tour. We sat outside waiting for the bus, and there was this local who was WASTED off of fernet. He was dancing to this song that was blasting out of his car. And everytime the song was over, he would go into the car and hit back on the CD player. I guess he didn’t know that repeat existed. Whenever the song would start, he would stand in the middle of the street with his arms up in the air, and then spill a little of his drink. Then we would offer the 20 tourists watching him and tell everyone, 100 times, that he owns 2 stores. 

The bus arrived and about 15 of us got on and drove into the desert. Again people, the geography here is so incredible. Wide open deserts with rock formations just towering over us. We entered caverns and walked in a river. Then we get to an awesome thing called the Amputheather. A naturally formed amputheater that is MASSIVEEEEEEEEEE: There is a dude there playing the guitar and flute which just sounded incredible. I have a video and will post it when i get back. Then we went to something called The Devils Throat. It is a canyon where every rock was at a 45 degree angle! so incredible and lots of fun climbing. If you ran fast enough, you can make it up the walls. So much fun. 

So keep in mind that we got 1 hour of sleep. We get back and have to wait until 2.15 am to catch a bus to Tucuman. We have a fly infested dinner, and wait in the plaza for the bus. It arrives on time but it was the most uncomfortable 5 hrs ever. I felt constricted the entire time. We arrive in Tucuman at 7am, and decide to continue to Cordoba because everyone said Tucuman was an ugly city. Every company doesnt leave until 11am except one company which said they were leave that second. I stopped the bus driver as he was pulling out of the parking lot and we jumped on. THIS was the most comfortable sleep ever. I passed out the second i touched the seat. We arrive in cordoba and found the cheapest hostel which is quite expensive. 35 pesos a night. Our roommate is a 4th year med school, and the day we arrived was the day he found out he got is first choice residency in Canada for General Surgery. He invited us out and we had a great time. My lower jaw hurts because i have been dragging it on the floor. THE GIRLS HERE ARE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE. Why isn´t America like this? I don’t know. Every girl is more beautiful than the next. I hope there is a jewish one that i find and wants to move to the states with me and marry me and teach me to speak better spanish. 

Anyway, we are trying to find a bike rental place so we can cycle to Che Guevara´s house which is now a museum. It´s an hour by bus and so we think we can do it by bike. At least i hope we can. We plan to head to Iguazu Falls afterwards. That is going to be an expensive leg of the trip as it is as far away from anywhere we want to go. 20hr bus ride there, only to spend a day, then 15 hr to Buenos Aires. 

Paz, Amore y Felizidades

Robertico Lindo

Robertewag@gmail.com