Sean and I arrived here last night in darkness. after taking the service elevator to the back end of the dingy looking city centre building to the tenth floor, we found a penthouse transformed to a charming and richly decorated hostel in indian-vibes of red and orange, lamps, cushions, incense and tapestries- yet still we had no idea what we were really in for. we sat with our tea and coffee in plastic chairs with our feet on the cement railing of our balcony, watching the city lights grow to dark sky, to sparse stars, to thick clouds and talked of our time back in Uganda, all the while minding the mysterious black abyss on our right. what we knew was lake, we knew only by map. so we joked it was nothing- this deep darkness of the scene in front of us- a canyon, a pit, a mine unworth viewing, while secretly we let the mystery of darkness unwind us- me to a giddy smile in unadulterated anticipation of the scene only morning would unlock.
having been rewarded now, i swear i won´t stop smiling.
i have woken up from dreams to find myself firmly inserted in what can only be a real fairytale land. Bariloche. from a less-than-$20-dorm in a penthouse hostel on the 10th floor, lakeside of a highrise in Argentina.
and i dont dare to blink.
i literally woke up this morning at dawn and thanked god i had taken the top bunk last night instead of sean, opened my eyes and saw THIS.
beautiful doesn{t even touch the majesty of this scene.
wonderous is too little a word to scratch at the sensation of sitting on a balcony, drinking coffee, just silently watching this sherbert sunrise quite literally unfurl and spill over these mountains.
all this and i cry: there MUST be a creator.
rolls of hills and pine and rock cradle this small, layered lakeside town with its buildings of airs of Swiss style structure against the thin shoreline of the lake, surrounded by purple mountains and flowing, frothy candy clouds- a lake, a mirror for a bursting sunrise proclaiming *viva! life! i bring you today!* with all her fiery orange and diva pink tones in her rising voice.
resplendent is the small token of praise and recognition i offer.
and if all my travelling of South America, little as it may be, was but for THIS morning, this sunrise, i welcome the bruises, the aches, the cut on my right elbow, the tear gas and tight neck and lost sleep and carsickness on dry roads with arms holding nothing but gratitude.
"wonderous is too little a word to scratch at the sensation of sitting on a balcony, drinking coffee, just silently watching this sherbert sunrise quite literally unfurl and spill over these mountains."
ReplyDeleteStunning words, and an even more stunning picture that they paint. Patagonia has always been one of my dream destinations.
Hope you kids are living it up, present in every single moment as you experience it.