Dinero

(I´m not sure I spelled that right.)

So we have run into our first major travel hitch and it concerns cash flow.

So remember that post I wrote a while ago about having trouble getting cash? well, we thought we had fixed the problem, and we got lazy. I got out $600 pesos yesterday thinking... El Calafate is such a tourist town we CAN´T have a problem getting cash. Ha! I forgot to consider the fact that the machines run out of money and not a single store in town (or our hostel takes credit).

So I freaked out. It doesn´t help that I don´t have contigency cash, that I am functioning on 2 1/2 hours of sleep and a bad ham sandwich because of our 5:45 am flight this morning, and that this resort town seems to be charging prices three times those in BA. Trish and Mary deserve metals of bravery because they had to deal with the worst of my freak out which may have included me saying "just leave me alone I want to wallow in my own self pity for a while".

But they did it, managed to talk me off my ledge and we have worked out a plan. We have our basic needs for the next 10 days covered. Hostel, bus to/from El chalten, and trip to the glacier. We think we have about $250 for food and a jar of peanut butter and about 30 luna bars between the three of us, and we are hoping that the grocery store in town MIGHT take a credit card. We will survive. It may just be a more budget week than I thought it would be. And I don´t mind budget traveling when it is necessary but it´s a bit disappointing to not have money because of the fact that the town´s ATMs can´t get it to me and I dropped the ball on contingency cash.

Anyhow, we delayed our bus to El chalten and there is hope that we will be able to get groceries with credit and cash in the morning. If not, I´ve reconciled myself to the fact that its a week of top ramen (or argentina´s equivalent). The scenery is enough to make it worth it. It´s absolutely beautiful here in a desolate sort of way. I´m not sure if there will be internet in El chalten so you might not hear from me again until next weekend. I´ll let you know how I survive.

These are the stories you look back on and laugh about right? the ones that teach you can survive anything? Let´s hope.