Matt & Rob's Big Trek

Last Sunday night, as we camped in a tiny triangle of trees right next to the road, I remarked that it didn’t feel very cold. We’d grown used to freezing nights and an Antarctic breeze but the wind had changed to a northerly. Lovely warm air from the Amazon slapping up against the cold and hey presto: Bang! Monday started with a cracking great thundery shower during which I suddenly became aware that lying in the centre of a metallic frame was going to be akin to taking a turn in a microwave oven should it be struck, so I jumped out and stood in the rain with my poncho, a tactic which, when offered to Matt, was laughed off with a cursory “I’m not getting out.” I felt like an arse so begrudgingly crawled back in, awaiting the 1.21 gigawatts that thankfully did not arrive. The weather cleared after that and while I was reluctant to move as always it seemed only right that we press on. Wrong! Within an hour we were looking at a horde of black clouds on the horizon and were crouched underneath a sewer as another shower come in. The wind then changed direction again and this time we were given seconds as another wave came in so fast you’d have thought Saruman had sent them. After that it seemed we may as well walk in the rain…and that’s when it really started. Hours and hours of driving rain, howling winds, thunder and lightning. Noah would have shat his pants but we had little choice but to press on and I was fuming. As I looked left to right for a place to stop I could see nothing but empty fields, that was when the hood of my poncho wasn’t slipping over my eyes and taking me to the brink of insanity. I screamed up at the sky, my soul blistering with fury as I spat up vile curses and some other more feeble grumbles about having “ought to have stayed in bed.” I think it’s the only time I get religious is when I need someone to have a massive pop at. The occasional maniacal laugh broke out as the torrents continued down on us and Matt pondered, “I don’t know why I keep avoiding the puddles; my feet couldn’t be any wetter.” Just at the last we found an open gate and a perfect and protective wood for the night. I half expected a house made of sweets and a witch it was so nice. I t reminded me of English woods and I think for the first time I missed home. You tend to when you’re wet through to the pants.

We’re safely tucked in a town called 9th Of July, named so after their Independence Day in 1816, and the 1st test of the tilte was the long stretch getting here. It was 40 miles between here and the last town and we were thankfuly able to up our walking rate now that most of the severe pains and blisters have gone, managing around 13 or 14 a day but we had no food for lunch, Thursday’s consisting of one tiny piece of bread and some cheap pate with nuts and an orange. I am now a more efficient machine! But at the end of each day our feet were really killing, which makes camping in the middle of a bloody dense thicket whilst avoiding being seen by a tractor that seemed sent to hunt us down a necessary evil.

Went out last night and stopped into a pizzeria that was just the worst ever. The girl who served us was the most sullen cow and flat refused to answer any questions about the menu, looking at me like I’d spoken in Swahili rather than Spanish, then slapped down our meals the wrong way round. I wish I’d kept Matt’s as mine was bloody cold. A cold pizza! How do you manage that? It’s made of fucking cheese! Had to send it back for ten minutes, after which it came back nice and cold. I gave up.

Anyway, when all is said and done we’re really enjoying it now. Freezing weather and tired limbs but it’s great out here. One bugbear I have is the amount of litter on the side of the road. Loads of plastic bottles (and occasionally the odd page of a porno. Yay!) are scatterd in the grass. I dunno, maybe what goes on in this country is none of my busin. But as long as I’m living here I think it is. Then MAYBE I SHOULDN’T BE LIVING HE-E-E-E-E-E-E-R-E!!!

Cheers then. Love you, bye x x

Taffin.

First off, I did Chivilcoy a little bit of a disservice yesterday. The Plaza is very pretty and it did get quite lively eventually, so much so that we had quite a few beers and decided it would be in our interests to stay another day. Anyway, here are some photos…

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Oh Chivilcoy. In my mind’s eye the streets were paved with Clairol Foot Spas and the road signs had massaging hands dangling down to my shoulders but alas, it is pretty much one central plaza with several long, long roads coming off it (you have to walk two miles from the main road to get to any town centre. It’s annoying) where half the shops are boarded up and they have almost nowhere to buy booze. Why don’t they have offies here? It’s a little bit like the town that died. It does possess that greatest of attributes however, and that is that it is a ‘day off’ town. We’d walked for 6 days and needed a rest so here we are. I think we’ve covered over 70 miles now but need to check the map. Could be more.

My feet are gradually hardening into a Monkey-like litho-biologic mass but they still hurt aplenty. That is not the main story, though. No, this being a Brit-blog I thought I’d better get around to the weather. It has turned. Since we’ve been here the days had been pretty sunny and even quite hot with the nights getting fairly chilly. Brian, I had even begun to scoff at your “It’ll be cold” advice (thanks for all your advice by the way!) but on Monday it absolutely shat it down all day. It was pretty miserable but we kind of laughed it away and still managed 9 miles or so in the stinking rain. After that it has been overcast all day and we had our first sub-zero night the other day. Icy tents in the morning. Yummy. Hats and long-johns were out in force. Better now, though. Crispy wintery sun today and the night doesn’t matter so much as we’re safe in our £6.50 per night hotel.

We’re definitely getting some notice on our walk now: tons of toots and horns from the traffic, a couple of stops by the police, and a lady who ran over to us saying that she’d kept seeing us in different places all along the road each day. They’re going to build statues to us!

Ciao for now, folks! Love you, bye x x

We’ve walked our first leg, from San Antonio de Areco to Mercedes……it’s not particularly far, but it bloody feels far when you’re carrying as much weight as we are. We’re consumed by the fear of not having enough water, so we make sure we top up at every opportunity. Unfortunately water is about the heaviest thing known to man. Camping out has been a joy….luckily so far we have managed to find little secluded woods set back from the roadside just when we need them. It starts to get dark here at around 5:30 to 6pm so we generally get set up about 4:30 to 5 o’clock, and have quite a long evening in our tents reading or listening to music. I’ve been keeping a written journal as well which helps to clear the head and pass the time. Our feet are pretty sore, we always knew they would be, but we’re both carrying more weight than we expected too, perhaps given time we will realise that there are certain things we simply do not need….books are an obvious one. But, on the other hand, I want something to read! And my Spanish conversation book is kind of a must…….that leaves the guide to Argentina which might just have to go….

My left foot seems to be suffering to most, I have plasters a couple of blister ‘hot spots’, but to be honest it’s not that bad…..Rob is feeling it more than me I think, but he is, by his own admission, a “big jesse” 🙂 We’ve both been in high spirits though, there is always something to laugh about, even if it is the ten minutes hobbling after our rest stops whilst our feet and toes struggle to find a comfortable position. I am, on the whole, very happy here though……I’m well aware that we have only just begun our journey, but there first few days have been great. We’re leaving Mercedes today, had a nice sleep and shower in a motel last night…..back to the stinky reality of the wilderness now 🙂

Yo! So, we got a bus out to San Antonio de Arreco very late on Tuesday and headed south to Mercedes (Dad, look them up. I know you’ll be tracking) where I am sitting right now. Nice little town but oh, these first few days of insufferable pain! The crushing 20ks on my shoulders combining with the mass of blisters on my feet have compelled me into becoming some type of zen, roadside warrior: “These are not my shoulders. These are not my feet. I am nothing, therefore I am everything”. It’s a bit like having an avatar except minus the big blue willy. That is, unitil my foot slips down into another broken tractor track and then they are my feet. These are DEFINITELY MY FRICKIN’ FEET! Goblin King, Goblin King, wherever you may be, take these wretched feet far away from me…Awuzzu wuzza wuzz…but Jareth did not appear so on Friday we had a rest day and stayed in the sanctuary of a small wood we’d found, and we really have to find them as there is bloody sod all but fields out here. Every batch of trees seems to circle someone’s farmhouse but at the end of the day we normally come across some ditch or copse at the side of the road so we’re ok. This one was special though. It did mean getting dangerously low on water but not carrying the weight of a Turkish wrestler around on your back has its advantages, so yesterday we walked about 16 miles to arrive here and slept in a tiny motel. Ooooh, showers (well, a little tub and a handheld but that counts).

Won’t be going too far today as I am effectively crippled again. Will take some nurofen to get me out of town and find a place to pitch early. We’re heading west now to Santa Rosa but it is miles and miles.

Tend to go to bed about half six as that’s when the sun goes down so a special thanks to Kelly for my wee torch which is great for bedtime reading and to John and Jay for my brill Adam & Joe shuffle. It’s all about the stopping and going to bed (It isn’t drinking now, Cager).

Anywho, speak to you in a bit. Will upload photos when we ae stopped in a proper place with wifi overnight.

Cheers. Love you, bye x x

Yo peoples! How ya’ll doing? We’re safe and sound in Buenos Aires after slipping through the ash-cloud net that keeps closing the airport. Ha! In your face, volcano! I win…except that the massive slapping arse-cheek of a problem was that Matt’s bag did not arrive on the flight. It was devastating. Trapped in a country were it was quickly becoming apparent we could not converse with anyone unless I was going to ask them “Do you have any grapefruit” etc. which didn’t cover “where’s our fucking bag?” But it’s here. It’s only here isn’t it. After three worried days it has arrived.

I say “worried days” but actually we’ve been having a whale of a time. The people here are, contrary to what I had been told, bloody friendly. There seems to be a real sense of community even in a city of 13 million people. We saw a woman fall over the other day and within seconds there were seven people around her helping her up. You don’t see that in London or even Brighton, not if I’m one of the 7 anyway…hee hee.

The hostel has been terrific and we’ve been up getting wasted until the early hours most nights (here’s a tip – don’t try to outdrink the Australians) but have still managed to walk all around the place. Will put up a load of photos later but we’re in a rush.

We’re setting off today on the first leg of the walk. Heading into gaucho (cowboy) country as we’ve had to modify our route somewhat and head inland for Santa Rosa. This being the product of learning tha our original route was essentiaslly a bunch of shanty villages.

Anyway, speak soon. Love you bye! x x