Rio Grande

Before our trip had began I asked Haukur if we could tell people that I was from Iceland as well. The reason being that every time we encounter new people they are exited to meet someone from Iceland and generally disappointed to meet another American. He loved the idea and even gave me my own Icelandic name, Kristofer Bjorn Robertsson.

Upon arriving in Rio Grande we were waiting outside a supermarket, trying to stay out of the wind and the rain, when a Chilean gaucho started chatting with us. He asked us our nationalities and I figured this would be the perfect time to try out my new Icelandic heritage. He didn´t seem to even know where Iceland was but told us about all the European countries he knew about from watching soccer on TV. He liked all the European countries, but his favorite of all... The United States of America. Those Americans, he said, were a clever bunch. Not clever enough I guess.

We passed 5 days in the home of our friends in Rio Grande comfortably. We spent a majority of the time washed in the yellow light of the kitchen lamp. Our cozy base of operations was thourghly enjoyed as we avoided the wind and the cold, which are just about the only two things that Rio Grande has to offer.

Spent our days inside, waking at two in the afternoon and doing our own various activities without responsibilites until around midnight when we would cook dinner and bullshit over empty liters of Quilmes.

We did go out and experience the night life that Rio Grande had to offer, which is just like night life in all the rest of Argentina, only shittier. I don´t understand what Argentines love about clubs. We spent a couple of hours drinking at the house and headed out to a party a couple of blocks away. Started chatting with the people at the party and enjoying ourselves, when at 5 am, the sun already fully in the sky, everyone decided it was time to go. We were not going home, which would be the logical thing to do at this time of the morning after drinking for six hours. No, it was time to go to the club! It should be noted here for all of you who know Haukur and his character, that I was against going to the club, but it was he who was all for it. 10 mintues after arriving he was complaing about how lame it was.

Thanks to the wonderful hospitality of our friends we got some good rest before we were back on the road in search of more adventure.