Nov 20 Friday (viernes)

Uli got up a bit early to go secure his permit (it might have been yesterday but i dont remember).  apparently it only took 5 min!  anyway, still with no moto, we had to catch the bus to Capilla del Monte again to meet Ariel.  today was the day we were going to climb la Montana Uritorco (mountain).  it's almost 2000 feet up; a four hour climb with a 3 hour descent.  i didn't think i was going to make it - especially because my stomach hurt.  we started climbing around 10am - very hard on the calf muscles.  everything was so dry.  there were a lot of giant bees - many times i almost jumped off the mountain because of a big giant bee.  Uli walked behind me, thank goodness, because im clumsy and didn't want to fall without protection - and i definitely fell a few time, but nothing life-shattering.  every half hour or so of climbing, we'd come to a rest point where a sign would tell you the name of the stop, how far up you were and how far from the bottom you were and roughly how much time you had left until the top.  the views were incredible.  we took lots of pictures - even Ariel took lots of photos because he said when he takes groups up ther he never has the time.  the environment changes as you go up:  different grasses, different rocks, lack of trees, thorny and prickly shrubs.  apparently mountain horses climb the mountain.  we saw one coming up on our way down.  there are so many rocks...i dont know how thy do it.  i  was almostready to give up.  my legs were killing me after Uli told me to re-tie my shoes.  but they pushed me and we did it.  we got to the top and you could see for km. and km - even an inactive volcano that was bordering Cordoba and one of its next provinces.  i sat there and freehand drew the lake down there.  Uli was smart to bring cans of tuna ad his swiss knife so it was the perfect lunch: tuna and crackers.  we were at the top for abut an hour enjoying the view, reflecting, thinking...and then we started the descent.  you'd think it would be easier, but it wasn't.  i felt like my legs were going to give out.  Uli and i searched for rocks as were were climbing down ; some for me, and some for my students.  i forgot to mention we ran into a group of young people camping on the mountain - they were filming a movie.  i bet it would be amazing up there at night, but i imagine the wind would be a bit much at times.  it was crazy windy when we were ging down the mountain - i almost losst my hat that Uli bought me.  the view were just as impressive, but the light was htting things differently, so it was almost as if you wer eseeing all new things.  we finally got off the mountain and i bought a necklace at the bottom to commemorate - its pretty - colours of fire - i think its an agate stone - but from Argentina anyway.  we were exhausted and got into an argument on the bus.  i really like him though.  we had dinner at La Entrada, a few blocks over in the Villa.  a lot of food for very cheap.  but these kids kept running around and stry dogs kept begging for food - just gets tiresome.