Get to the horsefly in a bit, but this was my experience in El Chalten. Calling itself the hiking capital of Argentina is not far from the truth. The park surrounding this quaint city that exists almost solely on tourism can be hiked via a multi-day trek or a few day hikes, returning each evening to the city. At this point, I was a pro at combining multi-day hikes into one, so knowing I had only one full day in El Chalten before setting out to the north, combining Mt. Fitz Roy with a few other highlights like the Mother-Daughter Lake and Iceberg/Waterfall on the trail was definitely going to happen.
Not nearly as strenuous as Torres del Paine, I only packed a makeshift lunch of an empanada and a can of Coke. Side note: I generally don't drink soda in the US because it's so incredibly unhealthy and all that crap, but every other country on the planet makes Coca Cola with real sugar as opposed to the subsidized high fructose corn syrup--the taste is so inviting. Moving on...
The scenery was so pretty and landscape so nice that I wish I could have spent one more day hiking to one more site. Except not. Cramming two days' worth of trails in one was not the problem. I was still definitely en route to Uruguay. The PROBLEM with rerouting my plans was that if I spent one more minute in the park, I was going to go apeshit.
I paused to take a sip of my coke and have a few crackers. Bzzz. Bzzzzzzz. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Giant, nickel-sized fly is antagonizing me. After several attempts, I ditched the soda, thinking that the sugar was what this sucker was after. Next, I attempt to take picture above, gazing at Mt. Fitz Roy when said bug followed me again. Swat swat. Duck. Put in headphones. I see his shadow circling around my head. ARGGGHH. Eventually, he goes away. Or so I thought.
Next pit stop for pics: Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. HE'S AIMING FOR MY HEAD. W-T-F. Is no one else having this problem? I've had it. Rocks, backpack be damned: it was time to sprint. The evil thing still followed me with no avail!
Total hours being followed: 6
Total sprinting episodes: 7
DEET sprays: 3
Attempts at McFly's death: 4
Success: 0
Grrrrr. At this point, I was natur'ed out. Time for the city.
Not nearly as strenuous as Torres del Paine, I only packed a makeshift lunch of an empanada and a can of Coke. Side note: I generally don't drink soda in the US because it's so incredibly unhealthy and all that crap, but every other country on the planet makes Coca Cola with real sugar as opposed to the subsidized high fructose corn syrup--the taste is so inviting. Moving on...
The scenery was so pretty and landscape so nice that I wish I could have spent one more day hiking to one more site. Except not. Cramming two days' worth of trails in one was not the problem. I was still definitely en route to Uruguay. The PROBLEM with rerouting my plans was that if I spent one more minute in the park, I was going to go apeshit.
I paused to take a sip of my coke and have a few crackers. Bzzz. Bzzzzzzz. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Giant, nickel-sized fly is antagonizing me. After several attempts, I ditched the soda, thinking that the sugar was what this sucker was after. Next, I attempt to take picture above, gazing at Mt. Fitz Roy when said bug followed me again. Swat swat. Duck. Put in headphones. I see his shadow circling around my head. ARGGGHH. Eventually, he goes away. Or so I thought.
Next pit stop for pics: Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. HE'S AIMING FOR MY HEAD. W-T-F. Is no one else having this problem? I've had it. Rocks, backpack be damned: it was time to sprint. The evil thing still followed me with no avail!
Total hours being followed: 6
Total sprinting episodes: 7
DEET sprays: 3
Attempts at McFly's death: 4
Success: 0
Grrrrr. At this point, I was natur'ed out. Time for the city.
P.S. During one of my sprints, I ran by one German couple that totally giggled at my dire circumstances. I don't blame them. I would laugh too.
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