Bleary-eyed, I trek down to the bathrooms. There, I am completely baffled by the toilet. There is no visible means to flush the toilet...no lever, no valve, no button, no chain...nothing. I stand there for several minutes before I figure it out. There's a bucket next to the toilet...ah...you take that to the sink, fill it with water, and pour that into the toilet for your "flush".
Back at camp, I boil water with my little "Pocket Rocket" camping stove...and I pour that into my cup with two packages of Starbucks "Via" instant coffee. Not the greatest cup, but it'll do this morning. I'm out of leftovers to eat, but I did bring a few "backpack meals" with me. I boil more water, pour two cups in an aluminum pouch, wait ten minutes...and...I've got scrambled eggs with ham and peppers. It tastes pretty good on a cold morning.
After breakfast, I break camp...tent down, chair and table packed up. At 10:00AM, I'm on the road to Parque Provincial de Aconcagua...about forty miles further up in the mountains. It's a beautiful drive...lots of photos. I've got the Park programmed into the Garmin but, about eight miles short of my destination, I see a sign for the entrance to the Park. And...there it is...a huge open stone-filled field. There is no "park"...there's just...nothing. And, ironically, you can't even see Aconcagua from the Park that bears it's name. I decide to proceed to my "Garmin destination". There, I have a great view of Aconcagua, but no "Park".
I decide to drive further west...maybe there's a different part of the Park that I've missed...or a campground. Twenty miles late, and all I've found is a small hotel/restaurant. I stop there for lunch (grilled ham and cheese) and chat with the owner, a nice Aussie fellow. I ask him where I can find the closest campground, and his answer is...Chile. OK...switching to Plan B...return to Uspallata and make that my "base".
On the way back, I decide to do some hiking. There are no camps, no trails, no nothing...so I just stop the car and go. It is not the most "fun" hike, and I only make it about a mile before the rough terrain, beating sun, lack of shade and high altitude take their toll. The hike back is not a pleasant one.
Back at camp, I relax with a Bourbon on the rocks (they had ice at the gas station near my campground). I drink, listen to the iPod, and read. For dinner, I've got another backpack meal...Tuscan Beef Stew with Polenta. These meals are made by "Pack-It Gourmet" in Austin, Texas, and they are not bad. Just add boiling water, wait ten minutes, and eat...and throw in a nice bottle of Malbec. After dinner, I watch another beautiful sunset with the rest of my Malbec. By, 10:00PM, I'm nodding off...time for another uncomfortable night of sleep in my tiny tent.
Saturday is not much different from the day before. I'm up early and boiling water for coffee. I drive east ten miles or so...more photos. I return to camp in the early afternoon and, seeing something that looks like a "trail" leading out of the campground, I go for another hike. This hike is much better than yesterday...less sun, trees for shade, lower altitude, smoother trail. Today, I make it out about two miles.
Late in the afternoon, I hike back into town. I stop in the local grocery looking for something to cook for dinner...nothing looks particularly appealing. So...I end up back at the little pizza joint for a small pizza and a one-liter bottle of cold beer.
After dinner, it's back to camp where I have more beer chilling in the cooler with a fresh bag of ice. Some more reading, music on the iPod. Another great sunset...and another night in my tiny tent.
