April 2, 2006
Day 186
Leyana, an Argentine I met yesterday, Ben, from Washington DC, and I all wanted to go to the national park near San Luis. It would be very difficult to access with public transportation, so we agreed to go with another Argentine couple in their car and pay them gas money. Once we got to the park, we paid an entrance fee and signed up for a tour, which was required in order to try to keep the new park pristine.
I was amazed at how beautiful the park was. It was like walking along the Grand Canyon. Huge red rocky walls nested in by swooping condors were everywhere. About the only plants growing in the area were cacti, but we saw plenty of other animals like beetles and guanaco as well. The whole place was mind-bogglingly big, with rock formations stretching as far as you could see.
The park is only about 15 years old, so it looks like it has barely been touched by humans. Indeed, not too many tourists visit it, just like the rest of the attractions in the area. That got me thinking: for the last three days, I have had to find city buses, get rides from strangers, and walk long distances to get everywhere around here. I'm willing to put in the time and effort to see the sights, but most tourists probably aren't. I bet with a better transportation infrastructure to places like the national park, tourists would flock to the area in droves. On second thought, maybe I should keep this entry a secret.
