Lucia has something to say

Thursday, December 21, 2006

First Stop in Argentina

It’s inevitable when traveling to hit a low point. We arrived in El Calafate, Argentina, by bus today. It’s a charming town with artesanal chocolate and ice cream, bakeries, cafes and coffee shops. Dogs wander the streets and flop in front of the doors of tour agencies, bookstores, and stores with Gore-Tex gear and hiking boots.

I’m overwhelmed, though, by the options, and much of what’s here is set up for trekkers. I am in mid-life and not fit for trekking. The young and fit gather supplies, and I feel woefully inadequate and, well, old. Shorter hikes are OK, if not too much altitude is involved, but trekking, nope.

My marido’s idea of a vacation is to keep busy, to leave at 8:00 every morning for hiking or sightseeing. Up and at it. Mine is a little slower. I like to take it easy. Sleep in. Read books. Watch the world go by from a café or park bench. So sometimes we compromise. This trip is different from others because I’m not working, and usually when I’m out of the U.S., I am.

The next few days are shaping up to be a short hike (2 hours over rocks) to a really incredible glacier, and then a couple of days for him to do some serious hiking and me to put my feet up and read a novel. It’s hard to come to terms with aging, especially, when in my mind, I’m not much older than the trek set. But in reality, I am, and it’s sometimes hard to come to terms with that.

6 Comments:

Blogger QT said...

Honey, if this is truly your low point of the trip, I consider you blessed. There is nothing wrong with wanting to take it easy - it is your VACATION!!! Not the amazing race, or survivor or an endurance contest.

Enjoy your time alone and explore in your own way. And about the artesanal chocolates? Can you really have enough of those around? And I would love to see some pics of said dogs flopped in front of bookstores....

6:18 PM  
Blogger St. Dickeybird said...

Lucia,
Have a great "holiday weekend", wherever you are!
:)
St. D

7:23 AM  
Blogger karmic said...

Aww, don't let that get to you though. Remember the 70 yr old woman who goes backpacking around the world (it was in one of your earlier posts or comments)?

Do your thing at your pace and don't let how others do it, get to you. Do your thing cos you are different and unique than others.

Happy holidays to ya!

7:38 AM  
Blogger meno said...

Trekking is for masochists.
I love a good day hike, and then a nice hot shower, a restaurant and a real bed. Age has it's privileges.

8:26 AM  
Blogger Girlplustwo said...

i'd love nothing more than a day passing by while sitting in a cafe. hope you find your sweet spot amidst the goretex and the sinewy legs.

8:48 AM  
Blogger Lynnea said...

You do compromise well the two of you. My husband and I are opposites of you. I like to get up and go go go and he wants to sleep in and lay around. So we do the bargaining too.

Age seems to creep up on us doesn't it? We tried to go hiking last September and found that we were in bad shape and didn't even know it. We both ended up with sore knees for several days.

Take it easy and do what you love, after all it is Vacation!

12:55 PM  

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