Back in Puerto Natales
I took a shower and shaved so as to look and feel more human again. My laundry smelled awful and fortunately a local place agreed to have it ready for me by 6:30 the next morning. Back at Hostel Natales, I worked on packing my things and talked with a couple Australian guys staying in the room. They had both studied agriculture and were farm boys. It was interesting to hear their perspective as they talked about the inefficiencies caused by US farm subsidies and how much more careful and productive Australian farmers had to be. I found these guys really interesting and it was fun listening to their accents as they talked about the year-long trip around the world they had planned.
We went out to eat at the Mesa Grande since I’d been told about their amazing pizza. The rumors were true and this was definitely the best pizza I’d eaten in South America. We each devoured our individual pizzas–especially me. It’s amazing what 11 days of camp food will do to your appetite when you’re presented with real food. I talked the guys into splitting another one with me and my three slices were gone before they had finished their first.
Next to us at the table was a couple from suburban Washington D.C., along with their friend. We had a nice discussion and talk of the election eventually surfaced. I mentioned that I was considering voting 3rd party for the first time ever while the couple was Democrat and their friend a “moderate” Republican. The husband in this couple reminded me of someone, but I couldn’t think of whom. They were happy that we had this chance to travel and must have liked us because they came back to the table and told us they had taken care of the bill. The guy joked that it wasn’t often a Democrat could buy dinner for a Republican. What was strange was that, in the back of my mind, I had been thinking, “Wouldn’t it be cool if they picked up our bill?”, and then it happened.
Back at the hostel I checked email for the first time in 12 days and was incredulous as I read about what the landlords had done to my friend back in my apartment in Buenos Aires. I didn’t sleep much as I thought about the situation all night. I’m working on keeping this out of my mind and prefer not to write more about it for now.
