date in the afternoon.

Our big plan on Monday was to fix our spare tire and head to Argentina, a mini three-day road trip to be somewhere different, eat good food, bid farewell. Our last hoorah here, so to speak. S is leaving on his last guiding trip in a couple days. When he returns, we'll only have four days to get everything in order for leaving, say our human good-byes to friends here.

{road trip postponed : via}
But on Sunday, I received a call from a friend that somebody wanted to buy our car. We were already pretty much giving up on selling it before we leave. Though this should have been happy news, I really wanted to go on that trip. Yesterday was dedicated to running around with the gringo who wants our car, while he figured out how he could get the money out of his accounts to make the purchase. The morning was warm and windless enough to sunbathe, though we were fully clothed. A friend let S & I into his still-closed cafe, where I could use the bathroom (my new hobby) and we could enjoy the sun in the garden out back, while we waited for the gringo to manage his banking.

In the end, it was a no go, and too late for us to leave. I'll spare you all the silly details. If you've ever done any long-term traveling, you know how difficult it can be to actually get access to your funds when you most need 'em. How often travelers get stuck, cards stolen, new cards sent, the limbo of overseas banking. It's never pretty. Add Chilean bureaucracy and the added difficulties of this remote region to the mix, and you get a days-long process. Which S is working on with the prospective buyer as I write this. We decided I didn't need to go on another 5-hour journey, running around the town this morning.

Since we still had the car yesterday afternoon, I really wanted to do something with it. (You know, something more constructive than whining about how we should be in Calafate, enjoying our road trip together.) Go somewhere we won't be able to without wheels. So we went on an afternoon date to the far end of the sound. To a tiny peninsula that caught the rev of wind. We shot my 30 week belly pics, and sat on dry slate protected from the wind by the sea. We watched a patch of sunlight ray over our perfect view of Torres del Paine. A white gull pair fought with a dark petrel over fishing territory. Terns squawked or screamed. With impeccable timing the seabirds ceased, so we could better listen to the garbage trucks barreling down the dirt road.

{ice cream condolences : photo by josh liba}
Back in Natales we were entered an eerie windlessness again, so we splurged on ice cream cones. There's something so touristy wonderful about walking around town licking ice cream. We sat on a bench beneath a random ventana cultural sign in one of the town's random plazuelas, watching the old ladies in the artesenia shops watch us.

Do you ever walk like a tourist at home?

19 comments:

E. Charlotte said...

What an interesting day! I'm glad you made the best of it and still got to go somewhere and enjoy the day. Hurray for ice cream and belly pics! :)

Jude said...

So glad you guys got a good day out of it, despite everything! (Sigh, I wish I weren't so acquainted with being abroad and having credit cards stolen and dealing with an impossible bureaucracy.) Ice cream and a belly shot sound like a perfect way to wind things down and celebrate moving on! :)

Dawn said...

So glad you made the best of a "lost situation that could have been"!!!
You guys sound flexible and oh so happy! Wish I could say that for me;))

Looks and sounds like you had a still-wonderful time!

Hugs to you for another day!!!
(Like the photos you put up!)

Signe said...

Sorry your trip didnt go as planned, but it sounds like you had a nice afternoon date at least!

And I once got stuck in Bilbao - my passport and ATM card stolen but that is a long story ;)

Hugs,
Signe

Faiza said...

I love walking like a tourist at home and everywhere else. I hope I never forget to look up and all around and take in all the life around me!

Love your belly pics and hope that baby stays safe in there!

A'n'G Johnson said...

and where are those belly pics, missy?!
glad you made the most of the rest of the day.

kelli g. { bug miscellany } said...

too bad about the trip. i know what it's like to try cram in "one last more..." before leaving for good.

we do a lot of tourist type exploration here. it's been nearly 2 years, but there's still so much we haven't seen... next up: a stroll along the pacific coast (never done so in WA before!)

OneCraftyFox said...

Sorry to hear the car sale didn't work out and it was a bit of a waste of a day. But I am glad that you made the most of it afterwards.

So funny that you refer to going to the toilet as your new hobby ;)

Wishing you safe travels, xox!!

ag. said...

You write so well, it's so wonderful to follow along with you. I'm sorry to hear your trip didn't work out but there is something really great about wandering around and discovering things in your own town, sounds lovely! And beautiful photo choices!

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

At least the day ended on a high note. Ice cream makes everything better!

koralee said...

Sounds like a lovely time even though it was not as planned my friend....ice cream will fix everything. xoxoo

DolceDreams said...

Occasionally....an ice cream cone sure sounds like fun!
Nathalie

20 YORK STREET said...

Es verdad eh? Ice cream also seems to carefree that you do tend to slow down and smell the roses!

Maybe road trip next time?

Besos!

k said...

that sounds like a wonderful mini vacation :) I always feel like a tourist here, haha :)

Kristin H said...

I can't believe that you are leaving this gorgeous place.
Going through my goodbyes here before we leave for London in January.. and it is harder than I thought it would be.

stylenuggets said...

I laughed over the new hobby - going to the toilet. But sorry to hear the sale didn't go through.

LyddieGal said...

Glad you got to do something enjoyable despite the chaos, and your afternoon sounds simply wonderful.

Chic on the Cheap

Anonymous said...

your flexibility is really inspiring, dear. great post :)

xo Alison

Nikki said...

SO frusterating, but that ice cream would have made it worth it for me. That belly is so cute ;)

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