Hot, Sunburned, & Going Home
The last day in Monte Leon ended up being much different. After the events of the previous day, I lost all motivation to really explore the park. I woke up early, tried cooking some breakfast, and eventually headed down to the beach. The water was too frigid for a dip due to the latitude of the park. So, I sat down on the pebble beach to take in some sun and read.
My book “Free to Choose” was very interesting and, had I not been distracted, it would have been a good opportunity to put a good dent in it. But I wasn’t able to concentrate too well and laid down to take in some rays for a while. But this too lasted only a short time as I’ve never been able to stand the sweat, discomfort, and general boredom of subathing. So I set off for a stroll down the beach to an area I had yet to visit. There wasn’t much to see on this side, but I needed to move around. The end of the beach featured an interesting view as the waves slammed into the rock along the coast and catapulted into the air. I turned around and walked back to my belongings and then to my campsite to eat lunch and pack.
Monte Leon is situated in the semi-desert part of Patagonia and therefore did not have any drinking water or sources from which to filter water. I had brought eight 1.5 liter bottles to the park, but finished the last one that morning. What had started out as a frigid morning quickly turned into a warm day with oppressive sun. They were building a small visitor center near my campsite and had hooked up some running water. While it wasn’t potable, I had an idea. I brought my cooking pot, filled it up, and dropped in the end of my water filter hose. It worked perfectly and I filtered 4 liters of water, which probably saved me from dehydration that day.
That afternoon I was really sore for two reasons. One, my back was aching from the spill the day before. Secondly, for some foolish reason I thought it might be good to do away with some tan lines, but I had exposed some bright white skin for too long in the process. (I would be feeling this for the next 5 or 6 days and even had swelling around my ankles and stomach area).
I pulled all my things from the tent, disassembled it, and proceeded to pack my backpack. I had forgotten how long it takes to tear down a campsite and pack! There were obviously too many things in my bag and I’d have to revise my packing list later. Fortunately, Pablo and Maria Christina showed up a couple hours early to take me back to town. I was certainly glad to see them and grateful they had followed through on their promise to return.
Once back in town, we first stopped at the bus station to inquire about getting back to Buenos Aires. Fortunately, there was a seat left on the 9:30 p.m. bus that evening and I scooped it up. I would be leaving Wednesday evening and arriving in Buenos Aires Friday morning. Afterwards, I gratefully accepted Pablo’s offer to return to their house and take a shower. Even with a sunburn, it felt great to clean up and I’m sure my bus companions appreciated it as well. In the short time before I had to go, Pablo took me on a brief tour of his metal working shop and back yard. What a mess! He had all sorts of scrap metal, old engines, and miscellaneous junk. But he was in heaven and I did my best to express more interest than I really had. After all, they had been so hospitable and were an answer to my prayers.
They dropped me off at the bus station and Pablo wouldn’t take any more money from me. It had been his pleasure to help me out and he was happy to save me from paying the high taxi rates. We said goodbye and they told me to make sure I stopped to stay with them if I ever came back to Piedra Buena. I knew the odds of that happening were slim, but I agreed and thanked them again for their incredible kindness. I then swung by the ice cream store for a cone that would hopefully help mitigate the effects of the heat. Then it was onto the bus to begin the 30 hour trip back to Buenos Aires.
