Kyle Berg

Day 16, 3/27/07
I woke up early to take the bus to San Martin de los Andes. My plan was to spend the day in town, arranging transportation and preparing to visit Lanín National Park. We pulled into town about 1:30 and I hopped online in search of information and then proceeded to visit the tourism office. The last bus for Lanín had already left, so I found a lovely little place to stay called Puma Youth Hostel. After relieving myself of my enormous backpack, I returned to town to search for trekking maps of Lanín.

But the bus trip, planning, and everything else was without enthusiasm. It was as if I felt compelled to go trekking but had little desire to do so. The whole bus trip I thought about Vanesa back in Buenos Aires. After leaving El Calafate, traveling had felt meaningless. My trekking with Mike & John was outstanding, but that phase of the journey was over. Having an overwhelming loneliness, it was as if a big part of me was empty. Traveling alone and creating memories without her seemed pointless and without joy. I wanted her to be in my photos and to have the same memories I had.

With these thoughts weighing on my mind, I climbed up a hill on the outskirts of town to get a glimpse of the beautiful lakes surrounding San Martin de los Andes. Rather than taking the 4km dirt road, I hiked up a steep path worn by previous visitors. The city sits at over 2,000m above sea level and I was panting like a dog upon reaching the lookout. I sure earned that view! I took a lot of photos, but again they lacked sentiment. I wanted to share the moment with Vanesa. I sat up there for a couple hours enjoying the view, thinking, and looking at the 4 pictures I had of Vanesa. It was obvious what I wanted and needed to do. I needed to return to Buenos Aires as soon as possible. Upon making this decision, I was filled with an inexpressible joy and sense of relief. A burden had been lifted off my shoulders.

I walked back down to the city, this time taking the longer, easier gravel road. The beauty of the mountains, lakes, and overall tranquility comforted me. After leaving a restaurant in disgust because it was 8:30 p.m. and they had yet to open for the night, I proceeded to another and enjoyed venison tenderloin and some of the best potatoes I had ever eaten. Sleep came easily that night as I was extremely content with my decision.

Day 17, 3/28/07
Rather than spending the day enjoying the beautiful, alpine surroundings, I spent hours and hours staring at a computer monitor in various locutorios. Rather ironic, but necessary. After booking a bus ticket for Thursday the 29th, it stood to reason I would need a place to live upon arriving in Buenos Aires Friday morning. My former apartment was occupied until April 2nd, so that was off the table. The woman with whom I make the arrangements said I could stay in a different apartment on the first floor and then move up to the other April 2nd. However, it would cost extra because it´s a short rental period with a different landlord. Ahhh! Oh well. I can´t wait to see Vanesa and if I have to stay in a hostel for a few days, fine.

I sent Vanesa a text informing her of my decision to return to BA. She was absolutely ecstatic. We chatted via MSN for an hour and a half and that really put me at ease. There was no doubt I had made the right decision. I made the choice not only because of my emotions but also for her. She was in rough shape emotionally when we talked the other night. I remember how it was when she was in Bolivia. While it´s difficult traveling abroad without the one you love, it´s even more difficult being the one left behind. I was on the verge of tears toward the end of her trip and definitely was not myself. It wasn´t depression, but it wasn´t normal either. It´s especially so traveling down here where cell phone calls are cost prohibitive and sometimes impossible. Add to that trekking in the woods without a phone or Internet and our communication is intermittent at best. It´s not like traveling in a city and staying in hotels where one can call home every night. While 2 1/2 weeks may not seem like much to people who’ve been married for 30 years, but for both of us it´s a long time right now.

That night I met Mike from Utah. He and his friend have been biking throughout Patagonia. They had biked between El Calafate and El Chaltén! I can´t imagine the wind they faced. He introduced me to a couple girls from Buenos Aires and we ran (literally) to the supermarket to buy some cheap pizzas and drinks before they closed. Mike lived in Cordoba 11 years ago as a Mormon missionary and spoke Spanish very well. It was a lot of fun to talk in Spanish all night and get to know them. We exchanged emails and one of the girls who works in HR with Price-Waterhouse offered to help me look for an apartment as well as work on my resumé. It´s been difficult to make Argentine friends outside of church, so this was a very welcome encounter.