November 11th
Rainy, cold morning – but great for maté and catching up on planning and admin. Ali and I had plans to visit a local museum about the coal mine history in the area, but by the time the rain let up a bit, it was already closed. So, we pivoted and decided to head to the nearby town Río Turbio. At the bus stop we smiled and half-jokingly stuck out our thumbs hoping for a ride and lucky for us it worked. A kind man in a truck picked us up and took us into town.
On the way we had the classic chat about where we’re from and what brought us here. He told us he’d lived in the area for over 20 years and, while there are some pretty spots in the area, there’s not much to do or see here. When we arrived in town, I exchanged some money for Chilean pesos at—of all places—a smoke shop. Apparently, it’s common for Chileans to cross the border for cheaper gas, groceries, and cigarettes, then head back home. Ali knew the spot, so she led the way.
The weather stayed nasty – windy, drizzly, and cold – so we asked a couple of street police for suggestions. They directed us to a cultural center, which turned out to be mostly empty except for three people at a desk. They were friendly and told us about some events for kids later in the day, but otherwise, there wasn’t much to do. They recommended the Río Turbio Museum, insisting it was open. But after a chilly walk across town we found that it wasn’t.
Ali, still in the mood for adventure, decided we should check out the sports center next door. We definitely stood out in this small Argentinian town, so heads turned as we walked into a gym packed with high schoolers playing volleyball after school. We ended up hanging out in the warm gym for a bit, watching the kids mess around. Ali struck up a long chat with the gym teacher, who almost went so far as to refer me for a teaching job at the school.
We made a quick stop at a dietética to grab a few things for the house and then caught the bus back home. Impeccable timing because every time we get home from a long tiring day in nasty weather, the sun suddenly comes out to taunt us and make the rest of the day absolutely gorgeous.
