Badlanders MCC Website

 

I’ve left Mendoza...Can you believe it?

 

I’ve finally left Mendoza, after what seems to be a lifetime there. Mike and Celeste at Hostel Lao had practically adopted me!

 

Mike decided we should celebrate my  final night’s stay (or the fact that they were getting rid of me) and so I joined Mike, Celeste, Onno, Leti and German at Don Marios, where I ate my last monster steak, sharing a Filet Mignon and a Bife de Chorizo with Onno. It was a Sunday night, so there was very little open as late as is normally the case in Argentina and Chile (though Argentina is nowhere near as bad as Chile). However, after a number of enquiries, Mike eventually heard about a transvestite bar/ club that was open until 4 am. Having explained that I wouldn’t be able to cope with more than one drink then back to the hostel, a few fernets later, I was still there at 3.00 am. During this time Mike had managed to get punched for questioning whether a “person” should be in the Gents. He might at least have picked on a transvestite who was shorter than 6ft 4 and lighter than 18 stone. Though I didn’t see it, I heard from German that it was a straightforward knockout. Mike didn’t see a thing coming,

 

Despite German and I protesting that he needed to go for stitches, he stayed until dragged him out and indeed returned to the hostel, to finish a half drunk bottle of cognac and listen we to some class music from my Ipod of course.

 

The next day it was planned that Mike and German were going to smuggle me past the police control point. I was not looking forward to a second meeting with the police at the San Juan Control point, given that he didn’t receive his money and, he let me use his phone to phone home. So he was certain to be angry. If I was easily nervous, it would have been nerve-racking. First of all, we passed the haulage/scrap yard where the dodgy copper lives/ sleeps/ works! I was busy pointing out the place to Mike and German, when standing in the middle of the yard was the man himself! IHe was looking directly at me! Mike said “ do you think you could find a more obvious way of drawing attention to yourself?”

 

Secondly, we stopped at a small police station I dropped into when the  “good cop” went to get another gun. The police were checking insurance and license details and it appeared that Mike didn’t have his up to date insurance document. We drew into the side of the road where a number of police started to gather. Fortunately, just as I thought we were going to spend the rest of the day ( and with my luck, night) in a police cell, Mike found the necessary documents. I was melting under my baseball cap, as I tried to keep my face hidden. However we were off in no time and passed the control point with no problem.

 

We enjoyed Maté en route, and though there were sandwiches for three, Mike and German ended up eating mine out of starvation! My sandwich was the least they deserved, because not only did they get me past the control point, the found the most amazing crystal blue lake, where we went swimming. Even German, who is as soft as comes around cold water, eased himself into  the fresh and fairly chilly water, though nowhere near as fresh as Lago Nahuel Huappi or Beagle Channel! Mike only just managed to keep his head above water, thereby avoiding his bandage getting wet, and the prospect of new stitches.  It was glorious.  A couple of guys came to ask us for some money, just as we were leaving. German and Mike sweet- talked them, explaining that they weren’t aware that there was a fee for sitting on the beach. We had only passed five signs telling us the charge after all! However as the place was deserted, bearing in mind that this is still winter, we assumed that there was no-one taking cash.

 

I still haven’t received all my post, but hope to eventually get it forwarded to a Hostel on route. The joy of the journey!