counterclockwise

…made glorious summer by this son of York.” Shakespeare, Richard III.

So the sun is setting on my Peace Corps service. I’m in the big city this week for my Close of Service Conference, where we start to gamely tackle the mountain of paperwork and decisions it takes to go from the developing world back to the United States. See the new, shiny link to my resume over there on the right? It is but the tip of the iceberg.

Which is apt enough. For the first time this year, we’re having premonitions of winter. Can’t say I’m discontent, though. Not about the weather and not about the prospect of going home. It’s all welcome change.

The Guaraní word of the day is kavaju, meaning horse. It’s an adapatation of the Spanish caballo. Like all pre-Colombian Americans, the Guaraní didn’t have horses until escapees from Spanish herds started settling South America’s grasslands.  But the Guaraní seem to have taken hold of the concept and stuck with it. Walking through Tacuatí, you routinely see kavaju pulling farmers’ carts or hitched up in front of businesses.

OK, I’m back in Asuncion, and I’ve finally been able to get my camera hooked up. Picture time!

Cathedral in Cordoba:

Great meal in Mendoza:

Wine tasting on the outskirts of Mendoza:

Horseback riding in the Andes:

Fountain in Cerro Santa Lucia park in Santiago, Chile

Port in Valparaiso

Hours spent on buses so far this trip:
Tacuatí to Asunción - 7 hours
Asunción to Rosario - 18 hours
Rosario to Córdoba - 6 hours
Córdoba to Mendoza - 10 hours
Mendoza to Santiago - 7 hours

Anticipated bus routes:
Santiago to Valparaíso - 2 hours
Valparaíso to Santiago - 2 hours
Santiago to Asunción - 30 hours
Asunción to Tacuatí - 8 hours (yes, it’s longer on the way back)

That’s a total of 90 - count ‘em - 90 hours of bus travel, or almost 4 solid days. I don’t sleep very well in moving vehicles of any kind, but with that long to work on it, it’s bound to happen sooner or later.

I’ve crossed the Andes to arrive in Santiago, Chile. So far, so good!