Travel is like a Box of Chocolates

Posted by on Jan 17, 2019 in Live Your True Nature | 1 comment

You never know what you’ll encounter…

Feel yourself sink into the most comfortable sleep on a king sized bed with a firm but just soft enough memory foam mattress and perfect down pillows and duvet.

I slept like a baby and woke to my alarm at 8:30. Last night’s beautiful mountain view was enshrouded in clouds and the balcony glistened from rain that would continue steadily all day.

Its not all immediate magic and ease in travels. Some days require more tenacity. I’ll share highlights of today. Keep in mind that each action involved me carrying my big backpack on my back and smaller one in front as well as probably talking to several people to get directions and clarify and that was all in Spanish. I speak just enough from my semester at university 25 years ago and my from learning as I traveled in other Spanish-speaking countries (a total of 5 months). The few times someone tried to engage in English, we discovered that my Spanish was actually better to communicate in than their English!

I realize Spanish is different in almost every Spanish-speaking country and this area is certainly no exception.

From Wikipedia:

“This accent is notably different from the local accents in the provinces neighbouring Córdoba. Seemingly unique, Cordobés is thought to derive from the languages spoken by the Comechingones, the local indigenous people.[3][4]

Its distinguishing features are the elongation of the sound of the vowel in the syllable preceding the stressed syllable, and of the vowel(s) of the stressed syllable in Proparoxytone three-syllable words [5] The Cordobés also tends to elongate the sound of the last syllable in a word.”

This morning I tore myself away from my comfy room, leaving via taxi for the airport for the bus to Santa Rosa.

Discovered I first needed another bus to take to the bus station in the center of the town. Plastic card ticket needed to be bought upstairs in the airport. ✔️

I WhatsApp messaged the center where the workshop is to update them on my time so they would be able to pick me up in Santa Rosa. Though we had connected earlier in the day, it was only now they learned and shared they wouldn’t be able to pick me up because of the condition of the roads due to the rain. I would look for a place to stay in Santa Rosa.

Waited outside for the bus. 30 minutes to central bus station.

Bought ticket to Santa Rosa.

Five minutes to spare— just enough time to “run“ and squeeze myself into a bathroom stall with all my bags.

I waited outside for the bus where I was told, asking, several people to confirm. Chatting with one man who told me he was also going to Santa Rosa and that’s where the bus would come , when a woman chimed in she heard the bus was in a different spot. Sure enough.

2 1/2 bus ride to Santa Rosa. Rainy, windy road at times.

I had found a place with a room near the bus station. It showed they they had a Facebook page and I found it on Google maps. Though close, I didnt want to carry all my stuff in the rain there and back if they didn’t have available room so I took a taxi.

We couldn’t find the place Perhaps you enter from another street… it wasn’t possible to call since service was not good enough in the rain. A couple people try tried for me.

He left me outside another place. Drunk kids in one corner room and music blaring from the other.

I walked. It seemed kind of rural without much available. One place had a sign and though it said ocupado, I inquired within.

I found myself embarrassingly suddenly with tears streaming as I tried to communicate. The woman got a map and slowly explainef how to get to a visitor center for Information. 8 blocks. Walking in the rain.

I stopped and smiled as I caught a glimpse of mountains behind a gas station.

And then this beauty

4 more blocks.

Information circled all available hotels on a map.

I walked again. Viewed a few rooms. Got one that is not at all like my paradise last night but willl hopefully work for me to sleep.

I’ve come full circle and it’s not too far from the bus station so I will walk the 10 minutes there for my 8 AM pick up with others getting off the night bus from Buenos Aires. We will take this hour or so transport to the center for the workshop.

This evening after leaving my things to dry in my room, I walked around the center of town. I venture to say I am the only American and even non-Spanish-speaking “tourist” here. People are very nice. Of course I experience that wherever I travel.

Jasmine, Emma, Franceska 7,8,9 (family of the hotel owner) started up a conversation with me as I sat near reception using the Wi-Fi. Challenging with the Córdoba accent, but we had a lovely exchange. They marveled at pictures of snowy Vermont, sang happy birthday in English and we play tic-tac-toe. At 10 PM they left to get dinner and go to bed.

Now it’s my turn.

1 Comment

  1. Feeling hopeful it flows from here

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