Puerto Varas to Ruta 23: Some Things You Know You Miss

Some things you know you miss

Moving, moving, moving

Keep those bodies moving

Back to Argentina, back to Patagonia. 

We made a dash,

Pouring rain,

Camp hidden near a little laguna

And peanuts by the handful. 

Homesick today,

Lovesick. 

So when I saw that couple riding in the opposite direction?  The ones riding close — his hand on her back, pushing her up the hill?

I just burst into tears. 

Some things you know you miss. 

Little orange rope wrapped around my handlebars. 

Something built together

To withstand all the trees, valleys, and mountain passes between him y yo. 

Lick the end and thread it through. 

Lava rocks light in my hand. 

It isn’t easy being rained on all day. 

Mountains dusted in snow. 

And did you know, that in the local pizza shop —

8:45pm, sitting on wool covered stools waiting for our pizza and empeñadas —

That every person who walks in says, “hola,” or “buenas noches” —

To the entire room. 

There is a warmth and ease here that I was not raised in. 

And I am jealous. I am. 

Because in America?  We lock our doors

And shoot each other. 

I know, not only that. 

But a void, a blank. 

Some things you know you miss. 

You can feel it the entire time. 

But others — you don’t realise you’ve been missing them until you see them again. 

Not until we turned left onto ruta 23 and the traffic disappeared

And the cliffs rose up around us

Then,

The familiar, muted yellow grasses and bushels of spikey plants,

Oh, pampas, I missed you!

It’s simple here. 

And the one time I passed Be on a downhill,

She was singing. 

Love,

Kelsey

Sam and Sammy: the second two dogs who thought they’d like to travel with us for a while. 

Secret back route out of Puerto Varas

Rest day in entre Lagos with a visiting friend (hola Karin!)

Can’t say we started riding very early on this morning

(“Libre soy! Libre soy!”)

(It’s a sad sad day when your alfajore tastes like deodorant. “That’s just not right.”)

Back to the pampas! Thanks for the million dollar shot, Be.