Ruta 40 (Route 40) is Argentina’s version of the America’s Route 66. Five thousand kilometers long, it runs from north to south along the Andes and for the most part is unpaved. People usually travel this road by four-by-four, if at all, but lacking the finances to hire one myself I booked a ticket on the one bus that travels this road. The surprisingly comfortable Chaltentravel bus shuttled myself and a group of other keen backpackers down through Patagonia to the tip of the continent. It took two full days of driving along the bumpy road and we stopped along the way at a ‘hotel’ in the middle of nowhere for some sleep and a shower.
Although for the most part the scenery was very dull and drab with very little change on the flat, arid landcape, there were occasional beautiful places, especially when we came near the national parks in the south. Despite the tedium of ten or eleven hours a day on the bus, it was really nice to actually read a whole book (for the first time I can remember) and get a grasp of the grand scale of the country I am in.
Although for the most part the scenery was very dull and drab with very little change on the flat, arid landcape, there were occasional beautiful places, especially when we came near the national parks in the south. Despite the tedium of ten or eleven hours a day on the bus, it was really nice to actually read a whole book (for the first time I can remember) and get a grasp of the grand scale of the country I am in.
Occasionally there were views like this.
But mostly it just looked like this.
Typical Route 40 traffic (when there was any).
On of the very few small towns along the way. We stopped to fill up from the single petrol pump available.
The sturdy and surprisinly comfortable bus that delivered me safely to Patagonia after two days.
1 comment:
whoa, never done 2 days on a bus - that sounds hardcore. similar to a cambodian massage?
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