Argentina from a British Point of View, and Notes on Argentine Life
History
Argentina from a British Point of View, and Notes on Argentine Life
Argentina -- Description and travel; Argentina -- Economic conditions; Argentina -- Social life and customs
Well, we left Tolapampa about 6 a.m., and for the best part of the day
the route was over country very similar to that passed on the previous
day; but we were descending rapidly now, and the temperature became
perceptibly much warmer, in fact, by the afternoon we had indications
that soon we should arrive in the "montes," where we would have
vegetation in abundance, and consequently we would at least have some
shade during the heat of the day. The road, nevertheless, continued to
be very rough and broken, and we had frequently to dismount and lead our
animals for long distances at a time. The long pass of Margurani was
unusually tiring, as it was down hill most of the time, and over loose
rocks and stones, which were very hard on our poor feet. Pararani, a
small stopping-place, was reached about 2 p.m., and as both we and the
animals had just about had enough of it, we decided to remain for the
night.
We were now right in tropical surroundings, and the beautiful palms and
ferns, not to mention the magnificent butterflies of all colours, were a
grateful contrast to the scenery we had been accustomed to since we left
Sorata. We were now only about two thousand feet above sea level, and
the weather was very hot indeed, mosquitoes and other worrying insects
were very plentiful; but, bad as they can be, they seemed trivial
troubles compared with what we had come through. At this "puesto" we
were better treated, as we obtained vegetables, bananas, and oranges,
and with our tinned stuffs made quite a decent repast. The place was
owned by a Spaniard, and he, along with his wife, cultivates a little
piece of ground, and supplied passing travellers with general rations
for both man and beast. The place was clean in comparison with what we
had been accustomed to, and we seemed to sigh a mutual sigh of content
at our good luck in reaching this "oasis." We rested all afternoon, and
got to bed early, and, although there were rats about, I slept "like a
log," I was so fearfully tired.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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