So, this was going to be the day I would leave Argentina for good (at least on this trip). However, nature obviously thought I should spend some more time here, and sent down heavy rain in the night. The rain caused landslides, blocking the only road that leads to the Chilean border.
The bus company, obviously hoping that the mess could be cleared away quickly, drove us as far as possible, and then we sat waiting for around five to six hours.
At some point, without any visible reason, they turned the bus around and took us back to Jujuy, the closest bus terminal. There we were told we could leave our luggage in the bus, and should talk to the agency at 8pm to find out exactly when we were leaving again.
So I set off with two girls and a guy from France to have a look at the town. I even found free wifi somewhere so I could call the hostel I booked and tell them I wasn't coming.
Back at the terminal at 8 pm, there was no new information. Be back at 9, they said. In the meantime, other bus companies started posting handwritten signs on their ticket windows, saying that the road was closed and bus services were suspended until further notice:
At 9 pm, there were still no news. Everyone was getting a little impatient because the luggage was still in the bus, we didn't know where the bus was, we didn't know if we were leaving that night, and it was getting a little late to look for a hostel.
At 10 pm, finally, a bit of news: the bus would be coming back to return our luggage, and would then take everyone who wanted back to Salta. It would then leave Salta the next morning at 7 am, reach Jujuy at 8: 30 and then go to Chile.
When the bus finally arrived, we tried to get them to let us sleep in the bus, but unfortunately we didn't succeed - company's orders, apparently.
By that time, all the affordable hostels in town were already full, so we ended up as a group of about 10 people sleeping on the terminal floor.
We tried to make the best of it, had a few beers together and joked about the situation as best we could.
As is often the case, drinking alcohol made me sleepy, so I was one of the first to fall asleep that night.
The bus company, obviously hoping that the mess could be cleared away quickly, drove us as far as possible, and then we sat waiting for around five to six hours.
At some point, without any visible reason, they turned the bus around and took us back to Jujuy, the closest bus terminal. There we were told we could leave our luggage in the bus, and should talk to the agency at 8pm to find out exactly when we were leaving again.
So I set off with two girls and a guy from France to have a look at the town. I even found free wifi somewhere so I could call the hostel I booked and tell them I wasn't coming.
Back at the terminal at 8 pm, there was no new information. Be back at 9, they said. In the meantime, other bus companies started posting handwritten signs on their ticket windows, saying that the road was closed and bus services were suspended until further notice:
At 9 pm, there were still no news. Everyone was getting a little impatient because the luggage was still in the bus, we didn't know where the bus was, we didn't know if we were leaving that night, and it was getting a little late to look for a hostel.
At 10 pm, finally, a bit of news: the bus would be coming back to return our luggage, and would then take everyone who wanted back to Salta. It would then leave Salta the next morning at 7 am, reach Jujuy at 8: 30 and then go to Chile.
When the bus finally arrived, we tried to get them to let us sleep in the bus, but unfortunately we didn't succeed - company's orders, apparently.
By that time, all the affordable hostels in town were already full, so we ended up as a group of about 10 people sleeping on the terminal floor.
We tried to make the best of it, had a few beers together and joked about the situation as best we could.
As is often the case, drinking alcohol made me sleepy, so I was one of the first to fall asleep that night.
