All smiles as we get settled in for our 10-hour bus ride from Buenos Aires to Córdoba in our fully reclining seats (Cama Ejecutivo).
After a decent night's rest we arrived in Córdoba a half-hour earlier than scheduled. There is only one Sarmiento bus that travels to San Marcos Sierras each day. Luckily, we had arrived in time to catch it with only a two-hour wait until departure.
The Sarmiento bus stopped frequently along the way, letting passengers on and off in various small towns. We were unsure of how long the bus ride would be, so we had to stay vigilant looking for signs. After about 4.5 hours (150 km) we finally pulled into the dusty, hot town of San Marcos Sierras.
I trekked across the dry empty plaza to the tourist information office to find out where our bungalows were located as their website had stated they were only 1,500 meters from the centre. The young girl working the desk handed me a map and pointed me in the right direction. It seemed a fair distance from the plaza and there were no remises (taxis) in sight. Our only option was to hike it.
With none of the roads in San Marcos Sierras being paved we knew we had a big task ahead of us, especially as we have two very impractical roller suitcases. Sweat already pouring from Claude's head, we began our walk.
The mid-day sun was beating down on us and the swarmy dust filled our noses. Zenchai was whiney with hunger, thirst and generally over-heating. My womb felt achey from the exertion of tugging my heavy bag and my own empty stomach began agitating me.
We were all barking at each other and far from the picture perfect family. The road just kept weaving ahead.
Finally, confirmation that indeed we weren't just wondering aimlessly amongst the beautiful foliage.
But, it still wasn't all roses. Claude's suitcase was protesting this gruelling journey, maybe even more than me!
Salvation at last. I don't know how long the walk from hell took, but we were all relieved when it was over.
On a side note, the walk from hell is no longer the task it was when we first journeyed it. Quite possibly because we aren't lugging big suitcases and rucksacks down it when we go in and out of town. It is actually quite a charming saunter with many pretty trees and aromatic smells. But it's still a long way!
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