The first thing I do when I wake up after spending my first night in BsAs is go to the Brazilian Embassy. Kasia and I plan to get to Brazil by March 1st and it’s a 44 hour bus ride so we have to leave by the 25th of February to arrive on time and explore the city before Carnaval starts.
At the embassy I go on the computer to make an appointment and the first available appointment is 3/1. Well, this is a problem. Because, if we wait until 3/1, it will then take 2-3 days to get the Visa after the appointment and then the bus ride that it will no longer make sense to go to Carnaval.. it will almost be over by the time we get there!
So we go to the counter.. side step.. Kasia is a strong, loud and sometimes very obnoxious chica. She will fight and not hear what you have to say and just keep arguing her point. Sometimes she gets results sometimes it’s a disaster. She comes to the window with me, because he Spanish is ten times better then mine and the woman is speaking Spanish and starts to argue with her about the VISA and I need a new appointment, etc. The woman doesn’t have much fight left in her since it’s the end of the day and basically says we can come back BUT there is no guarantee that she will see me.
SO that afternoon I must get all the paperwork needed for the appointment.
1. A copy of the bank statement
2. An address where I will be staying
3. My passport, obviously
4. And.. OI.. tickets showing that I am going INTO and OUT OF brazil.
Well, this causes a real problem. Tickets are expensive and I have no idea where im going after brazil. Victor has been telling me he will join me there but most recently his mother got very ill and his assistant was sent to jail so he is up in arms between work and family. So I write the letter. The dreaded letter. Goes something like this:
Victor, I am about to make whatever we have go from fantasy to reality in 2 short seconds; hold on and breathe…
I go on to explain the situation and say im terribly sorry that this is such bad timing for you considering what is happening and blah blah blah but I need to know because I will make other plans if you are not ready for me to come to Colombia in the middle of next month. In case you don’t know, he has been writing to me telling me he wants to live with me and be with me and …… ya know.
I was petrified, because as most women know, the last thing a man wants is pressure. The last thing I want is to have to create a whole new plan. Its not easy traveling and not knowing where I will be next. Its fun to an extent but its really fucking hard too.
So.. panic, panic, nervous, upset, over it, panicked.
Go online half an hour later and he is online.. I write to him immediately and say, “now are you scared?” and he writes back one sentence (something like this):
“silly, shy girl. You make me laugh. You go round and round in circles to finally get to the conclusion that I want anyway.”
We write a little more and he says to me that he will never do something he doesn’t want to do and he will always be honest about what he wants and he wants that I come whenever I’m ready whether its from Argentina tomorrow or brazil in a month. Wow. He has no fear about my leaving, no fear about my meeting someone else or forgetting about him because he knows that if I do, then we are not meant to be together.
Anyway, I realize 2 minutes later that I do not have to book a flight out of the country right this minute but I can buy a bus ticket and then return it for only losing 10%. Why can I never do my research before I panic? But it was good that I know how he feels.
So that’s what I do. Thursday morning at 7 I leave the house where im staying and take the subway to the bus station, by my there and return ticket.. 88 hours on a bus.. AHHHH!!! And head to the embassy.
The trick:
When I get there, there are loads of other tourists who have come to try to change their appointment. They are also aggressive and pushy and try the “im going to cry” approach. What do I do? I make sure im at the office first. I let this woman see me (she looks like Josephine if anyone knows her!) and then I go sit down.
(Finally these ugly green glasses pay off because everyone in South America tags me as the girl with the green glasses.)
I wait 2 hours, crocheting, reading my book, and in this time the woman and the guard are going off the hook yelling at people and trying to get them to leave because they are trying to sneak in before their appointments and they are yelling back and its just a whirlwind. At one point I think I should go home because this woman is not happy. Finally at 11 people stop coming into the office and the line lessens and I stand up and walk quietly over there. I make sure not to speak to anyone or do anything. I just wait. 2 girls are before me and they go to the window. They are American, in college and have an appointment for 3/2 and their flight is 3/5. They start to plead with “Josephine” and beg and finally the woman has had enough. This woman who speak very poor English stands up from behind her “encasing” and shouts…
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? YOU WANT ME TO DEFY MY BOSS.. MY BOSS who is the brazilian government?!?! You want me therefore to defy my government so tha you 2 Americanas can go to my country for a vacation. Don’t you dare ask me to turn my back on my government for you. you are so full of yourselves. It takes your country months to hand out a visa, it takes us ONE DAY and you still cannot wait. Why are you so important.. GET OUT”
So obviously, now I’m a little shaken. I have to decide (since im next and last on line) do I go or do I not go? I just saw this woman’s fangs and I’m freaking out a bit. I approach her and very quietly say (by the way.. do you see that most countries hate Americans.. its not Americans as much as it’s the government and its because our government treats their people like shit most of the time when they are applying and charge heavy fees and make them wait days, weeks or months and also because a lot of Americans feel privileged and that they are better then everyone else and they an work there way through anything, and it makes other people PISSED OFF! As you can see.)
Where was I? yes.. I walk up to Jo and I say in my retarded Spanish. Hola, vino ayer y me dijo que puede regressar hoy dia. Llegue a las 9 y esperi para todo de los gentes a salir antes do viniendo a su ventana. Tengo mis boletos, tengo todo” Well, this woman just started ranting and raving and shouting in Spanish.. but not at me, about the girls who she just yelled at and were waiting behind me to see what would happen. And then she says in English, why,, why these Americans? And then she takes me passport and says, “oh. You’re American too?” and I nod slowly and steadily and she takes my things and starts jammering away and saying things mostly of which I don’t understand but something along the lines of.. “im going to do this for you but its also to teach those girls a lesson that they cant just come here when they want and I get to decide who comes and who doesn’t and if I want to be nice to someone and they need to learn manners and im sick of this and then she smiles at me and says, OK.. you’re done.. make sure they see that you have your VISA.
Of course I didn’t have it exactly, I still had to go to the bank and pay about $150 to get it and return the next day (today) to pick it up.. but they knew right away that she took my passport and I was through. They were flabbergasted, I was happy and restful since I really didn’t stress over anything and well, Brazil, here I come!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
2/17/11 White ass – Burnt Bum
So I went to the beaches in Rosario and never before in my life have I seen so many ass cheeks staring at me from near and far, young and old.. I felt dizzy with butt bums. Then Rosalia says to me, Jessica, how can you wear those diapers that people wear to the beaches in the states, I’m taking you to buy a new bikini. Oh boy.
Not only do I not show my legs on the beach for weeks usually (because im so white) but I hells of don’t show my ass.
So after a few hours shopping I finally go home with my new bathing suit. No, it is not a thong. That will never happen. Its just a slight improvement on what I have worn in the past.
I am so excited to wear this bathing suit and the very next morning we go to the beach while everyone is at work. It was a Friday and we lay out for only about an hour and a half with breaks for swimming in between.
We finally get back to the apartment around 4 PM to loads of emails, skype missed calls and facebook messages waiting for me from all of my family members. My grandpa passed away. Immediately my plans change and I must look for a ticket back to the states for the very next day since the funeral is on Sunday.
2 problems. Flights leave from Buenos Aires, I am in Rosario and over the 2 hours that im talking with my family and making arrangements, the burn slowly starts to set in. I’m sitting and chatting and looking up flights and making plans to get to Buenos Aires when all of a sudden I start to squirm in my seat and then immediately jump from the chair in pain. I run to the mirror in Rosalia’s apartment to find that my ass turned purple in the matter of minutes. I am completely reddish purple from the back of my knees to my butt and onward and upward to my shoulders. So reddish purple that even just looking at it I start to panick, not to mention the feel of it. Rosalia rushes me to the pharmacy where I get 3 tubes of “After sun” cream and then I lay on my stomach and groan for the next 12 hours until I have to leave the next morning for BsAs. The shit part, I have 4 hours to BsAs, 2 hours to the airport, 8.5 hours on a plane, rest for a day and do the whole trip return and I CANNOT SIT DOWN. (I will not talk about my gramps funeral here). So for 24 hours straight I cant stay in one position for too long without having to adjust, itch, pull, tear and every 2 hours I have to run to the bathroom to put more cream on me which then sticks to my clothes and makes me slide and.. ugh.. so uncomfortable.
Lets go back a minute. I take an 8:30 bus to BsAs. Beto is waiting for me when I arrive (yes, we re-united in Rosario.. coming to this). We take my bags to a friend of Rosalia’s so I do not have to bring anything with me to Florida for 2 days except a backpack. This friend, Ongie, then joins us for the whole afternoon while we walk around and eat. Beto and I then grab some ice cream and get on a 2 hour bus to the airport. On this bus ride we talk. We talk a lot. He basically shares with me that he loves me and wants to be with me and have a family but he is so afraid that I will pick up and leave one day. I try to explain to him that I understand his position BUT even if he married the girl next door who never left her village, she too can pick up and leave one day. My traveling has nothing to do with looking for men (unless im single, jeje, then it doesn’t hurt!) but it gives me strength, it gives me an eye into another persons world and therefore help me to open my mind and see things from different perspectives which.. blah blah blah, you get the picture. He then asks me what im doing after carnaval and I tell him im not sure (this was before the next part…) and he asks me if I will come back to Lima. I tell him I do not know. He knows I met someone else and this person may be coming to see me and if things go well, I may want to pursue it. But I also tell him that I cannot come until he is settled with a job and a home. He has neither now and im not going to struggle while he gets to sit in his grandmothers home doing nothing being all taken care of. If he can show me that he is working towards getting a job and making a living and can afford a place to stay, then and only then I may come back. But this again is only if I still feel connected with him. And then I told him that he hurt me (yes I know.. I left him first, but then I called him and asked him to come meet me or if I can go back and he said no) and that now.. I don’t know if I ever can come back, I do not trust him. Mostly because he does not trust me and he will always question my decisions. He understood that he may have fucked up and lost me. And I tell him its most likely so but things always change. And he hugged me and told me that he knew he was in love with me when he was watching me speak to Ongie. And for me, this is love. When someone is watching you from a distance and you do not know they are watching you and you are being completely yourself and they are just breathing you in… but for me, I do not know if I can ever love him again. Its sad. Especially since my emotions were SO strong at the beginning of the year. But maybe that’s why I pulled away so quickly and so fast. I also believe things happen for a reason. And they happened this way so I can recognize that we are not meant for one another, no matter how amazing and wonderful he is.
Ok, so.. BsAs-Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami-BsAs. Im back….
Not only do I not show my legs on the beach for weeks usually (because im so white) but I hells of don’t show my ass.
So after a few hours shopping I finally go home with my new bathing suit. No, it is not a thong. That will never happen. Its just a slight improvement on what I have worn in the past.
I am so excited to wear this bathing suit and the very next morning we go to the beach while everyone is at work. It was a Friday and we lay out for only about an hour and a half with breaks for swimming in between.
We finally get back to the apartment around 4 PM to loads of emails, skype missed calls and facebook messages waiting for me from all of my family members. My grandpa passed away. Immediately my plans change and I must look for a ticket back to the states for the very next day since the funeral is on Sunday.
2 problems. Flights leave from Buenos Aires, I am in Rosario and over the 2 hours that im talking with my family and making arrangements, the burn slowly starts to set in. I’m sitting and chatting and looking up flights and making plans to get to Buenos Aires when all of a sudden I start to squirm in my seat and then immediately jump from the chair in pain. I run to the mirror in Rosalia’s apartment to find that my ass turned purple in the matter of minutes. I am completely reddish purple from the back of my knees to my butt and onward and upward to my shoulders. So reddish purple that even just looking at it I start to panick, not to mention the feel of it. Rosalia rushes me to the pharmacy where I get 3 tubes of “After sun” cream and then I lay on my stomach and groan for the next 12 hours until I have to leave the next morning for BsAs. The shit part, I have 4 hours to BsAs, 2 hours to the airport, 8.5 hours on a plane, rest for a day and do the whole trip return and I CANNOT SIT DOWN. (I will not talk about my gramps funeral here). So for 24 hours straight I cant stay in one position for too long without having to adjust, itch, pull, tear and every 2 hours I have to run to the bathroom to put more cream on me which then sticks to my clothes and makes me slide and.. ugh.. so uncomfortable.
Lets go back a minute. I take an 8:30 bus to BsAs. Beto is waiting for me when I arrive (yes, we re-united in Rosario.. coming to this). We take my bags to a friend of Rosalia’s so I do not have to bring anything with me to Florida for 2 days except a backpack. This friend, Ongie, then joins us for the whole afternoon while we walk around and eat. Beto and I then grab some ice cream and get on a 2 hour bus to the airport. On this bus ride we talk. We talk a lot. He basically shares with me that he loves me and wants to be with me and have a family but he is so afraid that I will pick up and leave one day. I try to explain to him that I understand his position BUT even if he married the girl next door who never left her village, she too can pick up and leave one day. My traveling has nothing to do with looking for men (unless im single, jeje, then it doesn’t hurt!) but it gives me strength, it gives me an eye into another persons world and therefore help me to open my mind and see things from different perspectives which.. blah blah blah, you get the picture. He then asks me what im doing after carnaval and I tell him im not sure (this was before the next part…) and he asks me if I will come back to Lima. I tell him I do not know. He knows I met someone else and this person may be coming to see me and if things go well, I may want to pursue it. But I also tell him that I cannot come until he is settled with a job and a home. He has neither now and im not going to struggle while he gets to sit in his grandmothers home doing nothing being all taken care of. If he can show me that he is working towards getting a job and making a living and can afford a place to stay, then and only then I may come back. But this again is only if I still feel connected with him. And then I told him that he hurt me (yes I know.. I left him first, but then I called him and asked him to come meet me or if I can go back and he said no) and that now.. I don’t know if I ever can come back, I do not trust him. Mostly because he does not trust me and he will always question my decisions. He understood that he may have fucked up and lost me. And I tell him its most likely so but things always change. And he hugged me and told me that he knew he was in love with me when he was watching me speak to Ongie. And for me, this is love. When someone is watching you from a distance and you do not know they are watching you and you are being completely yourself and they are just breathing you in… but for me, I do not know if I can ever love him again. Its sad. Especially since my emotions were SO strong at the beginning of the year. But maybe that’s why I pulled away so quickly and so fast. I also believe things happen for a reason. And they happened this way so I can recognize that we are not meant for one another, no matter how amazing and wonderful he is.
Ok, so.. BsAs-Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami-BsAs. Im back….
Sweet Claudio 2/12
From Claudio. I revised since his English isn’t so good.. didn’t change words or ideas, just grammatical ouches.
You called me shit head, im proud of you.
Listen, sorry that im not good saying compliments and stuff... as i told you sunday morning; you were like an answer to a question.. even if that sounds not good, i started to think: before i met you that saturday i was asking my self another question, like, “how long since I have had a crush?” it happened to me many times that i have those feelings but i dont have them returned usually., anyway, my point is not telling you, “jess i have a crush on you” or something like that, but i have something similar on my chest... like, “i want a jess in my life”. I was talking to you hours ago about the things that repeat and hurt, and how it happens to me. I had the desire that you where the special person for me, like being in couple kind of special. I know my self, I like to fly in my mind to those stages...
Anyway,..beyond that I have magic moments near you, like i don’t want you to go, i could be hearing you talk for hours, i would love to know who you are what you want, or that sensation of, that girl came out of a movie and I fell for the star. And, with your sense of humor, and the list continues, but, then i got a reality check, that you are just passing through my life, maybe only to move something in me. Perhaps an opportunity to express beautiful things that happen inside of me, perhaps its just karma, like things that return, perhaps an opportunity to be patient and to trust who i am; a guy who is going to be so happy when I find that one for myself. I like to think like this as a conclusion. That if i knew such an incredible person like you, the moment might be closer for me to meet the one.
Before i wrote this, that was what I was thinking. What is the point of telling her this? Then... I thought there doesnt have to be a point
I want to thank you for treating me like you did, for the magic morning on sunday, for calling me shit head, i felt so close to you, like a sister talking to her brother remembering how they fight when they were little ones.
Might be more perhaps to tell of this little things, beauty things...
How exciting ah.. je its not like im waiting for an answer , but a shit head will be just fine.
You called me shit head, im proud of you.
Listen, sorry that im not good saying compliments and stuff... as i told you sunday morning; you were like an answer to a question.. even if that sounds not good, i started to think: before i met you that saturday i was asking my self another question, like, “how long since I have had a crush?” it happened to me many times that i have those feelings but i dont have them returned usually., anyway, my point is not telling you, “jess i have a crush on you” or something like that, but i have something similar on my chest... like, “i want a jess in my life”. I was talking to you hours ago about the things that repeat and hurt, and how it happens to me. I had the desire that you where the special person for me, like being in couple kind of special. I know my self, I like to fly in my mind to those stages...
Anyway,..beyond that I have magic moments near you, like i don’t want you to go, i could be hearing you talk for hours, i would love to know who you are what you want, or that sensation of, that girl came out of a movie and I fell for the star. And, with your sense of humor, and the list continues, but, then i got a reality check, that you are just passing through my life, maybe only to move something in me. Perhaps an opportunity to express beautiful things that happen inside of me, perhaps its just karma, like things that return, perhaps an opportunity to be patient and to trust who i am; a guy who is going to be so happy when I find that one for myself. I like to think like this as a conclusion. That if i knew such an incredible person like you, the moment might be closer for me to meet the one.
Before i wrote this, that was what I was thinking. What is the point of telling her this? Then... I thought there doesnt have to be a point
I want to thank you for treating me like you did, for the magic morning on sunday, for calling me shit head, i felt so close to you, like a sister talking to her brother remembering how they fight when they were little ones.
Might be more perhaps to tell of this little things, beauty things...
How exciting ah.. je its not like im waiting for an answer , but a shit head will be just fine.
the re-emergence... 2/10
Beto has arrived on the scene... i went to the house where he was staying (his friend from peru's wife) and when i got there I was soaked from head-to-toe. it was crazy raining. so he gave me a pair of his shorts and i changed and he took a towel and dried my legs with such care and love. i forgot that about him. he is such a caretaker. and then we just hugged and cuddled for hours. we went out and made lunch for the wife, Rosalia, because everyone has a siesta in the middle of the day and then we lreaxed some more and waited for her to get home at 5 and then went for ice cream. when we were out i teased beto (even though it was about me) and told her how he didnt want me and destroyed me. he got really upset and wrote me an email when he got back to the apartment about how he never meant to hurt me and he is trying to think about his future and having a serious relationship and he doesnt know what i want or where i want to be and that scares him and therefore he cannot commit to me.
well.. that was it. i had it at that point. part of the reason i was sooo upset when i left and then called him and said i want to be with him and he told me now is not good was because HE didnt know what HE wanted to do and HE was confused about his life. not because of ME.. and yet, he told me that (not because he was malicious.. but because he didnt get it) and i blamed myself.. like "if only i told him i would stay.." etc. and i sent him the first nasty email i ever sent him and told him to grow the fuck up and start accepting responsibility for his own feelings and that HE is the one confused and its for this reason he cannot be with me because no matter what i was doing.. he knew i would have stopped for him.. and blah bah blah.
anywya.. he was supposd to leave rosario the next morning but his clothes "were still wet". so he is here today until the afternoon and he wants to meet with me to talk because after i sent him that letter he told me he was too tired mentally to think and wanted to meet in person again to talk. of course i will.. i always will.. i do love him.. but after the other day.. its just not right. i mean, after all that he tells me he loves me yet.. he does NOTHING to show me he wants to be with me.. thats not enough. i think, and he told me, the other day, that he is afraid right now.. afraid to be alone (traveling alone is sooo hard), afraid about what he will do for work when he returns and afraid he made the wrong decision about me.. and he really is suffering. but so did i. and i dont want to stop him from suffering, he needs to do it to move on. but i will be here for him always. Even when my heart belongs to someone else, which it may very soon! Who knows.
the other guy. Gabi, came back to Rosario and met us at 4PM. he had some stuff planned for me and Kasia but first we decided we want to go to our crochet class (which we were going to take the next morning) and talk to the teacher about materials we need so we are prepared. i want to take crochet because of the looong bus rides and the looong days at the beach (not a beach person but kasia is). anyway, we get there and she said.. "why dont you buy the stuff and come back for an hour" so poor gabi took us to buy stuff and that sat with us and 2 older women as we all crocheted. then he took us to our salsa class. and watched us and then walked us to tango... poor guy.. but he didnt complain once. he only said.. well, now i think i need to go and have some man time. he told me how much he liked me and wanted just a little kiss.. and i told him he makes me laugh and that he will get nothing from me.. i am leaving and there is no reason to kiss. he understood but didnt stop him from trying. He even came to the bus station the day I was leaving, at 8 in the morning to say good bye. Unfortunately I was running so late that I got to the bus while it was pulling out and didn’t even have a chance to say good bye to him let alone hello. He helped me with my bag, gave a quick peck and I ran off!!! Poor, poor Gabriel.
well.. that was it. i had it at that point. part of the reason i was sooo upset when i left and then called him and said i want to be with him and he told me now is not good was because HE didnt know what HE wanted to do and HE was confused about his life. not because of ME.. and yet, he told me that (not because he was malicious.. but because he didnt get it) and i blamed myself.. like "if only i told him i would stay.." etc. and i sent him the first nasty email i ever sent him and told him to grow the fuck up and start accepting responsibility for his own feelings and that HE is the one confused and its for this reason he cannot be with me because no matter what i was doing.. he knew i would have stopped for him.. and blah bah blah.
anywya.. he was supposd to leave rosario the next morning but his clothes "were still wet". so he is here today until the afternoon and he wants to meet with me to talk because after i sent him that letter he told me he was too tired mentally to think and wanted to meet in person again to talk. of course i will.. i always will.. i do love him.. but after the other day.. its just not right. i mean, after all that he tells me he loves me yet.. he does NOTHING to show me he wants to be with me.. thats not enough. i think, and he told me, the other day, that he is afraid right now.. afraid to be alone (traveling alone is sooo hard), afraid about what he will do for work when he returns and afraid he made the wrong decision about me.. and he really is suffering. but so did i. and i dont want to stop him from suffering, he needs to do it to move on. but i will be here for him always. Even when my heart belongs to someone else, which it may very soon! Who knows.
the other guy. Gabi, came back to Rosario and met us at 4PM. he had some stuff planned for me and Kasia but first we decided we want to go to our crochet class (which we were going to take the next morning) and talk to the teacher about materials we need so we are prepared. i want to take crochet because of the looong bus rides and the looong days at the beach (not a beach person but kasia is). anyway, we get there and she said.. "why dont you buy the stuff and come back for an hour" so poor gabi took us to buy stuff and that sat with us and 2 older women as we all crocheted. then he took us to our salsa class. and watched us and then walked us to tango... poor guy.. but he didnt complain once. he only said.. well, now i think i need to go and have some man time. he told me how much he liked me and wanted just a little kiss.. and i told him he makes me laugh and that he will get nothing from me.. i am leaving and there is no reason to kiss. he understood but didnt stop him from trying. He even came to the bus station the day I was leaving, at 8 in the morning to say good bye. Unfortunately I was running so late that I got to the bus while it was pulling out and didn’t even have a chance to say good bye to him let alone hello. He helped me with my bag, gave a quick peck and I ran off!!! Poor, poor Gabriel.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Chile - Argentina: Take 4
There are many scenarios which I could never see myself in. This was one of them. We finally left Arica, a place I could have stayed for only one day but stayed an extra day for Kasia. Our plan: go to Salta. However, trying to save money, we decided to take 2 separate buses with a transfer in between. We spoke to a few people who all said this was a good idea and that it would be easy to manage. So, we hopped on our first bus from Arica to Calama at 10:30PM and arrived at 7:30AM. Well, you can’t always believe what people say. We arrived to find that there was not one bus terminal that allowed you to see the different buses, their schedules and prices. Instead, every bys had its own terminal spread throughout the town. Not to mention, the town was quite sleepy and bus stations didn’t open until 9AM. So, the wait began. What we soon found out after walking a hefty distance to one bus terminal (because we also had no Chilean pesos left and there were no ATMs around or money exchange places) is that because its summer and because every South American is traveling now, the buses from Calama to Salta are jam packed and the first one doesn’t leave for another few days with the second one leaving on February 18th. That day was February 1st. That was NOT ok with me.
Calama was shit, so at 9AM we bought a ticket to San Pedro. I wasn’t sure what this place was but this was the only place where there were tickets to, and tickets were for every hour and a half. Our ticket was for 10:30AM and we had nothing to do but sit and wait. However, after 15 minutes, the driver of the bus approached me and asked me if I want to ride on his bus, at 9:30 instead, since he had extra seats. His bus was much nicer and more expensive but he took our tickets and changed them for free. We jumped on the opportunity and were also invited to sit in front. Passengers NEVER sit in front with the drivers because these are serious drivers. They drive for hours and days at a time (there are always 2 of them) and they have a cama and everything else. It was awesome. Front seats, more comfortable and only had to deal with a little creepy looks every once in a while!
As we are driving in that hour, we pass through nothing but desert for miles around us. It was actually quite beautiful. Then, out of nowhere there is this massive patch of grass, an oasis in the middle of nothingness. It was full of amazing trees and flowers and was only about 10 blocks b y 30 blocks. And then, once again, nothingness for hours and hours. We decided to walk around this little place for a few hours looking for buses and found again, there was NOTHING. And then, with no choice left, realized we had to hitch hike. Everyone told us it was safe to hitch hike only in Chile and Argentina and being in the middle of the desert in what really looked like an Old Western town, only dust and sun and people in big hats, I thought this was the best option.
So the first time we tried we found an amazingly nice man who was willing to take us. He was almost like a father and told us to meet him that evening. This was perfect, a few hours walking around and I would be set to go. That night, around 8PM we hopped in his massive truck and started on our way. An hour into the drive there was a cop on the side of the road that told us and everyone else that we had to turn around. Supposedly there was snow up ahead and conditions were extremely dangerous. (this is summertime, I cannot even imagine conditions in winter) We went back and he told us he was going to leave around 10 in the morning. I wasn’t sure of this and told Kasia I wanted to get there at 5 or 6 in the morning because I wanted out. She decided it would be better to sleep in and because the driver said he would no leave so early she was confident in this. I was not. We got there and of course, he had left. So we walked around this trucking area (all trucks going from Chile to Argentina and vice versa have to stop at this oasis because this is where they collect their stamps to enter and leave the country. So, as it turns out, we are SUPER lucky we didn’t make it the other day because we never thought about that and never got our stamp which meant.. if we would have driven 4 hours to the Argentinian border, we would have had to turn around and go back to get our stamp out of the Chilean border. Well, we found another driver who said that conditions were still pretty bad and he was going to wait until 12 to leave. We told him we would come back around 11 (it was now 8) to make sure he was still planning to leave at this time. Once again I told Kasia I wanted to go back in an hour to check on our ride because he wasn’t going to wait for us if he had passage. She told me she didn’t think it was a good idea to just go and sit and that we told him 10 and therefore, should wait until 10. And yet again, there was no one there when we arrived. By the way, we weren’t the only ones hitching.. there were many of us who wanted out of this place. It was cute for a day, not more then that. So at 10, once again, nothing. And this time I put my foot down and said, we are getting the bags, we are coming here and we are waiting until we find someone and until he is ready to leave. She told me she doesn’t think it’s a good idea since it was already 10 AM and we probably wouldn’t leave until 12 and then we would be stuck in the middle of nowhere in the evening. This time I wasn’t budging. She obviously got it wrong the first few times and I wasn’t ready to spend an extra night there because she didn’t feel like waiting. We already missed 2 opportunities. She tried to argue her point and usually I don’t really care what we are doing but I was done and ready to get out of Chile. We missed 3 opportunities (the first being if we spent the extra 10 dollars and went straight to Salta) and I wasn’t ready to accept this anymore. We got our passports stamped and she (she speaks much better Spanish then me, its really amazing!) found a guy who was traveling with 2 companion trucks. Each truck had 2 to 4 people in it and we all left together.
Our driver, Oscar, was so chill. He was from a small town in Argentina and he is 32 years old, had a 15 year old daughter and is no longer with his wife. He was very sad about this and constantly pondering what he should do with his life. Both Kasia and I liked him instantly and we took shifts talking with him and sleeping. After about 4.5 hours we arrived at the Argentinean border where we had to wait a few hours for cargo to be checked in the truck. So me, Kasia and 2 of the other hitch hikers, also Argentinean, went to the only little shop around for miles. We had some grub and began talking to them (my Spanish is improving!!) and became pretty friendly with them. 3 hours later, around 7:30PM Oscar pulled around with his massive truck followed bus the other 2 guys and we all stocked up and prepared for a 7 hour ride, again taking shifts talking to Oscar to keep him awake. We arrived at 2:30 as planned and Oscar had mentioned that he was going all the way to Rosario the next morning, 11 hours, which was where we wanted to go. He told us he would give us a ride and we agreed if we couldn’t find a bus there. We told him we would call him in the morning and said our good-byes. The boys, Gabi and Nancho, were waiting for us and we all took a taxi to the bus station to check out options. They were buying tickets to a place called Tucuma and when they saw that we had no options and didn’t exactly want to sit in the truck again for a full day, they offered to take us to where they were going and give us accommodation in Gabi’s aunt’s house. We agreed and spent the next 4 hours waiting in the bus terminal for our bus.
Now we are here, we showered, washed our clothes and relaxed and did LOTS of yoga since my back was killing me. And, the best part, when I arrived, I went to an internet café and had 3 messages and lots of pictures from Victor. Yay. I also told Beto about my travels (he is a few days ahead of me) and he “yelled” at me via internet. I will see him soon either in Rosario, where we go now, or in Buenos Aires where we will most likely be on Monday!
Calama was shit, so at 9AM we bought a ticket to San Pedro. I wasn’t sure what this place was but this was the only place where there were tickets to, and tickets were for every hour and a half. Our ticket was for 10:30AM and we had nothing to do but sit and wait. However, after 15 minutes, the driver of the bus approached me and asked me if I want to ride on his bus, at 9:30 instead, since he had extra seats. His bus was much nicer and more expensive but he took our tickets and changed them for free. We jumped on the opportunity and were also invited to sit in front. Passengers NEVER sit in front with the drivers because these are serious drivers. They drive for hours and days at a time (there are always 2 of them) and they have a cama and everything else. It was awesome. Front seats, more comfortable and only had to deal with a little creepy looks every once in a while!
As we are driving in that hour, we pass through nothing but desert for miles around us. It was actually quite beautiful. Then, out of nowhere there is this massive patch of grass, an oasis in the middle of nothingness. It was full of amazing trees and flowers and was only about 10 blocks b y 30 blocks. And then, once again, nothingness for hours and hours. We decided to walk around this little place for a few hours looking for buses and found again, there was NOTHING. And then, with no choice left, realized we had to hitch hike. Everyone told us it was safe to hitch hike only in Chile and Argentina and being in the middle of the desert in what really looked like an Old Western town, only dust and sun and people in big hats, I thought this was the best option.
So the first time we tried we found an amazingly nice man who was willing to take us. He was almost like a father and told us to meet him that evening. This was perfect, a few hours walking around and I would be set to go. That night, around 8PM we hopped in his massive truck and started on our way. An hour into the drive there was a cop on the side of the road that told us and everyone else that we had to turn around. Supposedly there was snow up ahead and conditions were extremely dangerous. (this is summertime, I cannot even imagine conditions in winter) We went back and he told us he was going to leave around 10 in the morning. I wasn’t sure of this and told Kasia I wanted to get there at 5 or 6 in the morning because I wanted out. She decided it would be better to sleep in and because the driver said he would no leave so early she was confident in this. I was not. We got there and of course, he had left. So we walked around this trucking area (all trucks going from Chile to Argentina and vice versa have to stop at this oasis because this is where they collect their stamps to enter and leave the country. So, as it turns out, we are SUPER lucky we didn’t make it the other day because we never thought about that and never got our stamp which meant.. if we would have driven 4 hours to the Argentinian border, we would have had to turn around and go back to get our stamp out of the Chilean border. Well, we found another driver who said that conditions were still pretty bad and he was going to wait until 12 to leave. We told him we would come back around 11 (it was now 8) to make sure he was still planning to leave at this time. Once again I told Kasia I wanted to go back in an hour to check on our ride because he wasn’t going to wait for us if he had passage. She told me she didn’t think it was a good idea to just go and sit and that we told him 10 and therefore, should wait until 10. And yet again, there was no one there when we arrived. By the way, we weren’t the only ones hitching.. there were many of us who wanted out of this place. It was cute for a day, not more then that. So at 10, once again, nothing. And this time I put my foot down and said, we are getting the bags, we are coming here and we are waiting until we find someone and until he is ready to leave. She told me she doesn’t think it’s a good idea since it was already 10 AM and we probably wouldn’t leave until 12 and then we would be stuck in the middle of nowhere in the evening. This time I wasn’t budging. She obviously got it wrong the first few times and I wasn’t ready to spend an extra night there because she didn’t feel like waiting. We already missed 2 opportunities. She tried to argue her point and usually I don’t really care what we are doing but I was done and ready to get out of Chile. We missed 3 opportunities (the first being if we spent the extra 10 dollars and went straight to Salta) and I wasn’t ready to accept this anymore. We got our passports stamped and she (she speaks much better Spanish then me, its really amazing!) found a guy who was traveling with 2 companion trucks. Each truck had 2 to 4 people in it and we all left together.
Our driver, Oscar, was so chill. He was from a small town in Argentina and he is 32 years old, had a 15 year old daughter and is no longer with his wife. He was very sad about this and constantly pondering what he should do with his life. Both Kasia and I liked him instantly and we took shifts talking with him and sleeping. After about 4.5 hours we arrived at the Argentinean border where we had to wait a few hours for cargo to be checked in the truck. So me, Kasia and 2 of the other hitch hikers, also Argentinean, went to the only little shop around for miles. We had some grub and began talking to them (my Spanish is improving!!) and became pretty friendly with them. 3 hours later, around 7:30PM Oscar pulled around with his massive truck followed bus the other 2 guys and we all stocked up and prepared for a 7 hour ride, again taking shifts talking to Oscar to keep him awake. We arrived at 2:30 as planned and Oscar had mentioned that he was going all the way to Rosario the next morning, 11 hours, which was where we wanted to go. He told us he would give us a ride and we agreed if we couldn’t find a bus there. We told him we would call him in the morning and said our good-byes. The boys, Gabi and Nancho, were waiting for us and we all took a taxi to the bus station to check out options. They were buying tickets to a place called Tucuma and when they saw that we had no options and didn’t exactly want to sit in the truck again for a full day, they offered to take us to where they were going and give us accommodation in Gabi’s aunt’s house. We agreed and spent the next 4 hours waiting in the bus terminal for our bus.
Now we are here, we showered, washed our clothes and relaxed and did LOTS of yoga since my back was killing me. And, the best part, when I arrived, I went to an internet café and had 3 messages and lots of pictures from Victor. Yay. I also told Beto about my travels (he is a few days ahead of me) and he “yelled” at me via internet. I will see him soon either in Rosario, where we go now, or in Buenos Aires where we will most likely be on Monday!
The King.. Part 3 (or is it only 2)
how the non-existent relationship between me and Vic grew to an even bigger non-existing relationship..
“Tuesday, January 25, 2011
14.29pm...
A client called me to make some pics in Guayaquil, Ecuador on Feb 12th and 13th . And the place I want to go is Montañita (2 hours form guayaquil, surf, beach, sun) and I'm planning to stay there for 4 days. So .... Let´s go! ONLY IF You wanna go with me. I know you have an strict schedule to go Argentina, Falls, everything bu I'll really love to go with you. let me know.
Abrazo,
Viti”
WHAT?!?! did he seriously just ask me to meet him? I had to immediately write to Kasia to OK it with her first.. because I would have to leave her for about a week.. this was her amazing response:
Kasia:
“of course chica!!! no problem at all! I am doing really fine on my own, adn as much as I am looking forward to travel together, i know that I ll be fine without you for few days:))
mind you it will cost you arm and leg to fly from argentina or brasil do guyaquil I am afraid. and we would need to think carefully exactly where from and where to you'd need to get your flight. I actually would be happiest to be on the beach in this time, but I;m not sure if we could make it till this date to the beach. whatever, we'll see. no worries - you're given holidays from our holidays:)))))”
but after 2 hours of searching for flights.. it seemed helpess.. everything was too expensive and too difficult, like Kasia had warned, so I wrote him to tell him that after all that, I may not be able to join him afterall.. and he wrote this:
Vic:
“I wanna see you, in a maddly way , lets see some options and if we cant do it, i will meet you in another place
1. what is the next stop after lima?
2. How long each stop?
3. does she want to go to Ecuador?
4. How much extra do you need to make ir (from bs-guayaquil)?
5. How long you will be in BsAs?
6. Where are you going after BsAs”
and when we knew for sure it wasn’t going to work.. this was our dialogue:
Jess:
“in all seriousness.. it breaks my heart to know i cannot go meet you in Ecuador but i know you will not leave me heart broken for very long... thats what i like about you “
Vic:
“No, I wont.
I'm gonna plan a good thing
i'm checking some stuff now.
i'm patient, but I'm not lazy.”
Then only a few days later.. he wrote me a whacky email and which I responded in a cryptic way telling him to say whats on his mind and tell the truth, this is the time to do it.. and his response was…
Vic:
Friday 1/28/11
Hey little princess!
What a crazy week, a lot of things happened and some changes are coming.
Yesterday when I wrote the email to you, it was a kind of writing that I do: I start writing without thinking, just writing whatever is passing through my spagethi-hair head and then I pressed “send message” without reviewing. It´s a good exercise because you are not trying to correct the text or trying to sound good. When you write in this way you can realize things…
So, when I re-read the email, I realized that:
- I don’t want to hide my feelings, it doesn’t make any sense, even if you get scary.
- I’ve been dating a bunch of girls the last years, but I don’t feel a connection, maybe i´m picky, maybe I’m not ready, maybe they weren’t what I was looking for.
- When I knew you, I start wanting to do special things, like the box, write messages, etc. I really love when somebody makes me feel like that. :) And the last time it happened was some years ago. Don’t think i do all these things with every single girl, I have work to do!
- So, I’m fucking crazy about you
- I don’t know everything about you, but I want to.
- As you know, I’m not in a rush and I want you to go through your path: The travel, brasil, “making babies”, jajaja, and all that. You know that I’m a little crazy, the day you were leaving from Medellín I was about to ask you to stay with me, (actually I did with signs at the metro, lol), for how long? I don’t know, maybe years if we feel the flow. But I don’t like to force things and change people’s plan, because I love when the people has a life: friends, hobbies, plans, dreams and follow them. I can wait while I follow my plans, then people start making common plans but no leaving theirs.
- I don’t know if I’m ready to start what I think we can start, but definitely I want to try.
- I want (actually I'wll love) to go with you to a travel, go to the beach, walk, take photos, cook, dance, fight, share the bubble. I’m thinking in 10 days off with you, and have some places in my mind, when you finished your travel and if for that time you and I want to.
- I have the veredict, princess.
Lollipop ah? Cheesy Little messy jessy.
Viti
As I told Susan about the message.. just reading his messages are like reading my own. He is chaotic, excitable and with absolutely no direction in his thoughts and how he expresses himself. He lets his emotions run wild and isn’t afraid of the consequences.. and he shouldnt be, because they are good. ☺
In only a few days I have had more experiences with Victor then I have had with people I spend months if not years with. As he said, 2 days felt like 20 days.. and this is a good thing.
so.. just another whirlwind romance? or maybe something more? friends have written to tell me not to fall into the same trap as in the past.. but hell, if traps have this kind of reward.. it cant be THAT bad.. and also i truly feel that i can never stop trying... or i may just happen to miss it. more to come.. i hope!
“Tuesday, January 25, 2011
14.29pm...
A client called me to make some pics in Guayaquil, Ecuador on Feb 12th and 13th . And the place I want to go is Montañita (2 hours form guayaquil, surf, beach, sun) and I'm planning to stay there for 4 days. So .... Let´s go! ONLY IF You wanna go with me. I know you have an strict schedule to go Argentina, Falls, everything bu I'll really love to go with you. let me know.
Abrazo,
Viti”
WHAT?!?! did he seriously just ask me to meet him? I had to immediately write to Kasia to OK it with her first.. because I would have to leave her for about a week.. this was her amazing response:
Kasia:
“of course chica!!! no problem at all! I am doing really fine on my own, adn as much as I am looking forward to travel together, i know that I ll be fine without you for few days:))
mind you it will cost you arm and leg to fly from argentina or brasil do guyaquil I am afraid. and we would need to think carefully exactly where from and where to you'd need to get your flight. I actually would be happiest to be on the beach in this time, but I;m not sure if we could make it till this date to the beach. whatever, we'll see. no worries - you're given holidays from our holidays:)))))”
but after 2 hours of searching for flights.. it seemed helpess.. everything was too expensive and too difficult, like Kasia had warned, so I wrote him to tell him that after all that, I may not be able to join him afterall.. and he wrote this:
Vic:
“I wanna see you, in a maddly way , lets see some options and if we cant do it, i will meet you in another place
1. what is the next stop after lima?
2. How long each stop?
3. does she want to go to Ecuador?
4. How much extra do you need to make ir (from bs-guayaquil)?
5. How long you will be in BsAs?
6. Where are you going after BsAs”
and when we knew for sure it wasn’t going to work.. this was our dialogue:
Jess:
“in all seriousness.. it breaks my heart to know i cannot go meet you in Ecuador but i know you will not leave me heart broken for very long... thats what i like about you “
Vic:
“No, I wont.
I'm gonna plan a good thing
i'm checking some stuff now.
i'm patient, but I'm not lazy.”
Then only a few days later.. he wrote me a whacky email and which I responded in a cryptic way telling him to say whats on his mind and tell the truth, this is the time to do it.. and his response was…
Vic:
Friday 1/28/11
Hey little princess!
What a crazy week, a lot of things happened and some changes are coming.
Yesterday when I wrote the email to you, it was a kind of writing that I do: I start writing without thinking, just writing whatever is passing through my spagethi-hair head and then I pressed “send message” without reviewing. It´s a good exercise because you are not trying to correct the text or trying to sound good. When you write in this way you can realize things…
So, when I re-read the email, I realized that:
- I don’t want to hide my feelings, it doesn’t make any sense, even if you get scary.
- I’ve been dating a bunch of girls the last years, but I don’t feel a connection, maybe i´m picky, maybe I’m not ready, maybe they weren’t what I was looking for.
- When I knew you, I start wanting to do special things, like the box, write messages, etc. I really love when somebody makes me feel like that. :) And the last time it happened was some years ago. Don’t think i do all these things with every single girl, I have work to do!
- So, I’m fucking crazy about you
- I don’t know everything about you, but I want to.
- As you know, I’m not in a rush and I want you to go through your path: The travel, brasil, “making babies”, jajaja, and all that. You know that I’m a little crazy, the day you were leaving from Medellín I was about to ask you to stay with me, (actually I did with signs at the metro, lol), for how long? I don’t know, maybe years if we feel the flow. But I don’t like to force things and change people’s plan, because I love when the people has a life: friends, hobbies, plans, dreams and follow them. I can wait while I follow my plans, then people start making common plans but no leaving theirs.
- I don’t know if I’m ready to start what I think we can start, but definitely I want to try.
- I want (actually I'wll love) to go with you to a travel, go to the beach, walk, take photos, cook, dance, fight, share the bubble. I’m thinking in 10 days off with you, and have some places in my mind, when you finished your travel and if for that time you and I want to.
- I have the veredict, princess.
Lollipop ah? Cheesy Little messy jessy.
Viti
As I told Susan about the message.. just reading his messages are like reading my own. He is chaotic, excitable and with absolutely no direction in his thoughts and how he expresses himself. He lets his emotions run wild and isn’t afraid of the consequences.. and he shouldnt be, because they are good. ☺
In only a few days I have had more experiences with Victor then I have had with people I spend months if not years with. As he said, 2 days felt like 20 days.. and this is a good thing.
so.. just another whirlwind romance? or maybe something more? friends have written to tell me not to fall into the same trap as in the past.. but hell, if traps have this kind of reward.. it cant be THAT bad.. and also i truly feel that i can never stop trying... or i may just happen to miss it. more to come.. i hope!
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